School admissions in Gravesend
How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 21 of these schools also have a published admissions cutoff distance. Sorted by first preferences per place. We don't invent rankings: the order is arithmetic on a published figure, not a view about which school is better.
Gravesend in figures
For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 26 schools in Gravesend first 1,217 times for 1,215 places: 1.00 first choices per place, against 1.00 across the Kent authority's 429 schools. 9 of the 26 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 9 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 0.17 miles (Lawn Primary School) to 3.57 miles (Meopham Community Academy).
For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 8 schools in Gravesend first 1,551 times for 1,531 places: 1.01 first choices per place, against 1.05 across the Kent authority's 103 schools. 4 of the 8 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 2 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 1.40 miles (Saint George's Church of England School) to 2.52 miles (Northfleet School for Girls).
Totals for the schools listed on this page. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE; last-offer distances as the council published them.
Reception places, September 2026
26 schools. 9 received more first preferences than they had places.
First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.
Year 7 places, September 2026
8 schools. 4 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| St John's Catholic Comprehensive | 1.77 | 172 | not published |
| Gravesend Grammar School | 1.22 | 209 | not published |
| Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend | 1.13 | 210 | not published |
| Saint George's Church of England School | 1.09 | 208 | 1.398 miles |
| Northfleet School for Girls | 0.92 | 219 | 2.515 miles |
| Meopham School | 0.65 | 142 | not published |
| Northfleet Technology College | 0.63 | 169 | 2.437 miles |
| Thamesview School | 0.63 | 202 | not published |
First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.