Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys Review 2026: Excellence and Tradition in Kent

Just inside the, gates of Simon Langton in the early morning, there's a palpable sense of academic purpose. Boys in royal blue blazers move between the modern science blocks and the Victorian buildings with the confidence that comes from excelling at what they do. Founded in 1662, this is one of Kent's oldest schools, and five centuries of selective education have created an institution that blends historical gravitas with contemporary ambition. The school's Ofsted rating of Outstanding reflects what you see: strong teaching, focused pupils, and a pathway to the country's best universities. With 10 students securing Oxbridge places in 2024 and ranks comfortably in the top 15% of grammar schools in England (FindMySchool data), Simon Langton remains one of the south-east's most sought-after selective secondaries. Entry remains fiercely competitive, with approximately 3.2 applications for every place at age 11.

The school's defining character emerges from careful balance. The 1662 founding date sits easily with recent investment in science and technology facilities. Boys wear formal uniform, a sign of the school's traditional identity, yet the curriculum embraces subjects modern and ancient in equal measure.

Headmaster Richard Saunders, who has led the school since 2019, comes from a background in both academic management and pastoral leadership. Under his direction, the school has strengthened its focus on individual pupil wellbeing while maintaining rigorous academic expectations. The school prides itself on producing not merely exam successes, but thoughtful, articulate young men.

The atmosphere in corridors is purposeful without feeling pressured. Boys between lessons chat easily, move at pace, and engage with staff as real people rather than authority figures. The sixth form common room buzzes with genuine intellectual conversation, debating whether a particular A-level essay hits the mark, or whether the latest robotics competition design will work.

The Canterbury location, a historic cathedral city with excellent rail connections to London, shapes the school's identity. Many pupils travel from across Kent and beyond, creating a genuinely local but also regionally-drawn community. The school sits within easy reach of the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University, with whom it maintains collaborative partnerships for enrichment.

GCSE Performance

Simon Langton's GCSE results consistently exceed national performance measures. With an Attainment 8 score of 66, the school significantly outperforms the England average of approximately 46. The average Progress 8 score of 0.25 indicates that pupils make well-above-average progress from their starting points, a crucial measure, since grammar school entry is selective and cohorts typically begin with higher baseline attainment.

The school ranks 525th in England for GCSE outcomes, placing it in the national strong tier (top 25% ), according to FindMySchool ranking. Within Kent and the broader Canterbury area, it ranks 4th among local schools. 32% of pupils achieved grades 5 and above across the full English Baccalaureate, significantly above the national figure of approximately 41%.

The majority of pupils study separate sciences from Year 9, allowing for specialist teaching in physics, chemistry, and biology. This curricular choice has paid dividends at GCSE, where science results consistently outperform English averages.

A-Level Performance

At A-level, the picture is equally strong. In 2024, 13% of all grades achieved A*, a further 23% achieved A, and 27% achieved B. This means 63% of all A-level entries achieved A*-B, well above the England average of approximately 47%.

The school ranks 515th in England for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), placing it again in the national strong tier at 19th percentile. Within Canterbury, it ranks 4th among all sixth forms. These figures are achieved across a broad range of subject choices, from traditional academic subjects (Classics, history, mathematics, sciences) to contemporary offerings (economics, computer science, psychology).

University Destinations

Academic excellence translates to university progression. In the 2024 cohort, 53% of leavers went directly to university, with particular strength in STEM and humanities fields. Ten students secured places at Oxford or Cambridge in that year, 7 at Cambridge and 3 at Oxford, from a cohort of 229 leavers. This represents approximately 4% Oxbridge entry rate, significantly above the England average of roughly 1%.

Beyond Oxbridge, leavers regularly progress to Russell Group universities including Imperial College, UCL, Edinburgh, Durham, and Bristol. The remaining leavers (23%) entered direct employment, often in graduate-level roles; a further 3% secured apprenticeships, with a notable pathway into engineering and technology firms.

Classroom observation reveals teaching that is structurally sound and intellectually demanding. Teachers possess strong subject expertise, several have published research or continue involvement with university departments, and lessons balance exposition with interaction. Boys are expected to participate actively, challenge ideas respectfully, and engage with complexity.

Class sizes average 22 at GCSE and drop to 12-16 at A-level, allowing for increasingly individualised feedback. The curriculum structure encourages depth. In subjects like English, pupils read full texts and study them intensively rather than skimming extracts. In sciences, practical work is central, with dedicated laboratory time building investigative skills.

The teaching approach emphasises independent learning, particularly in the sixth form. A-level pupils are expected to develop research skills, synthesise information across sources, and construct sophisticated written arguments. Regular essay competitions, academic lectures, and subject-specific enrichment programmes push the most able further.

The school recognises that selective entry creates particular challenges: most pupils have spent their primary years as high achievers, often "top of the class." Adjusting to being in a peer group of equally able peers requires resilience and emotional maturity. Teachers monitor for signs of disengagement and work actively to help boys reorient their self-perception from "I am the cleverest" to "I am among the clever, and there's more to discover."

The extracurricular programme at Simon Langton is genuinely extensive, reflecting both pupil initiative and staff commitment to broadening experience beyond examinations.

Music: A Sustained Tradition

Music occupies a special place. The school supports a concert band, symphony orchestra, swing band, and multiple chamber ensembles. The annual music festival in March features over 200 performers across orchestral, chamber, and ensemble programmes. The school has invested in a dedicated music school building opened in 2018, containing four practice rooms, a main recital hall with a Steinway grand piano, and recording facilities. More than 40% of pupils learn an instrument, and the school maintains partnerships with peripatetic music teachers from the Royal College of Music and Trinity Laban.

Notable musical alumni include composer Gustav Holst, who directed music at the school in the early 1900s and composed during his tenure here; and violinist Paul Barritt, who performed at the BBC Proms and now teaches at the school.

Drama: Ambitious and Accessible

The drama programme runs two major productions annually, a large-scale musical in the spring (recent productions include Les Misérables, Guys and Dolls, and Evita) and a dramatic work in the autumn term. These involve orchestras of 30-40 musicians, casts of 70-90, and elaborate set design. Beyond the major productions, a thriving house drama competition and smaller experimental pieces mean theatre runs year-round. The theatre seats 300 and features fly system, professional lighting, and recording capabilities.

STEM and Innovation

The school houses a dedicated robotics club, LangtonBots, which competes at regional and national levels in engineering challenges. The electronics club, LangtonElectronics, undertakes circuit design and Arduino programming. Computer science clubs range from competitive coding (preparation for computing olympiads) to game design projects using Unity. The physics society organises student-led seminars and hosts external speakers from aerospace and engineering sectors.

In 2024, the school opened a makerspace with 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC equipment available to all pupils. The Innovation Lab has already spawned projects from prosthetic hand design to water purification prototypes. Several sixth formers have advanced prototypes to business incubator competitions, with one team securing venture capital funding for a renewable energy idea.

Sports: Breadth and Excellence

Football, rugby union, cricket, athletics, and cross-country form the core sports programme, with fixtures against comparable Kent grammar schools and broader south-east networks. The annual sports day is a major event, with inter-house competition in track and field events.

The rowing programme has grown substantially. The school established a boat club in 2015, initially with canal-side access in Canterbury. In 2022, the school secured use of facilities at Kent Rowing Club on the River Stour. Currently, eight crews compete at regional regattas, with the 1st VIII recently qualifying for the national schools' rowing championships. The rowing programme combines serious competition with opportunity for newer pupils to learn.

The tennis courts (six courts, recently resurfaced) host internal competition and links with Canterbury Tennis Club. The school partners with a local swimming facility for teaching strokes and competitive squad training.

Societies and Pupil Leadership

Over 50 clubs and societies operate, ranging from subject-focused (Chemistry Society, Classics Club, Maths Olympiad Squad) to cultural (Debating Society, Model United Nations, Photography Club, Film Society) to interest-based (Warhammer Club, Board Games Club, Outdoor Pursuits Club). The Langton Review, the school's literary magazine, publishes three times yearly and is entirely student-edited, featuring fiction, poetry, journalism, and artwork.

The Young Enterprise scheme runs with a cohort annually starting a trading venture. Recent successes include a recycled fashion upcycling business and a bespoke graphic design consultancy, both achieving regional recognition.

Pupil leadership is genuinely distributed. The senior school council holds monthly meetings with senior leadership and feeds pupil voice into policy. The house prefect system (boys are allocated to one of four houses for whole-school identity and competition) creates multiple leadership opportunities for younger boys aspiring to responsibility.

Entry to Simon Langton is via the Kent 11+ entrance examination, administered as part of the Kent selective admissions process. Approximately 467 boys sit the entrance test annually for roughly 146 places (representing 3.2 applications per place), making this one of the most competitive grammar schools in the south-east.

The entrance examination assesses reasoning, numeracy, and verbal ability through multiple papers. The school does not explicitly recommend tutoring, yet the reality is that most successful candidates have had some external preparation. The tutoring culture around grammar school entry is acknowledged by the school as a reality of selective education, and it does not penalise pupils from families unable to afford tutoring if they demonstrate sufficient reasoning ability.

Registration typically opens in September and closes in October of the year prior to entry. Examination usually takes place in January, with offers released in March. Acceptance deadline follows in April.

The school notes that catchment is not formally restricted, but in practice, the majority of pupils live within Kent, with particular concentration in Canterbury, Ashford, and surrounding areas. Pupils regularly travel from Dover, Folkestone, Sittingbourne, and further afield, though longer journeys can be challenging during sixth form study leave and exam periods.

Each year group is split into registration groups of approximately 30 pupils, each overseen by a form tutor who acts as the first point of contact for pastoral matters. Form tutors meet their pupils daily and know their families, academic progress, and pastoral circumstances in detail.

The school employs a dedicated head of pastoral care and has recently appointed an additional counsellor to support pupils experiencing anxiety, adjustment difficulties, or other wellbeing challenges. Mental health is taken seriously, with staff training in recognising signs of distress and protocols for escalation to external services when required.

The school runs a peer support scheme where sixth formers undertake training to support younger pupils with settling in, friendship issues, and early signs of difficulty. This creates a culture where seeking help is normalised and where older boys model emotional awareness.

Behaviour expectations are high and consistently enforced. A behaviour code emphasises respect, responsibility, and academic focus. Serious breaches (including dishonesty, bullying, or violence) can result in fixed-term or permanent exclusion. The school has a zero-tolerance approach to bullying, with annual surveys tracking pupil perceptions and rapid response protocols when incidents are reported.

The school operates on a traditional academic calendar with three terms: autumn (September–December), spring (January–Easter), and summer (late April–July). The school day runs from 8:30am to 3:15pm for younger pupils, extending to 3:45pm for sixth formers to accommodate additional study periods.

No boarding is offered; all pupils are day students. A school minibus service operates from various locations across Canterbury and further afield, though many pupils use National Express coaches or personal transport.

Lunch is provided through an on-site canteen offering hot and cold options, with vegetarian and allergy-aware meals available. Pupils may bring packed lunches. Costs for meals vary but are approximately £3–4 per day, though no specific charge is levied; rather, pupils operate on a cashless account system managed by families.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. However, families should budget for examination fees (taken for GCSE and A-level, approximately £15–30 per subject depending on awarding body regulations), uniform (compulsory, approximately £200 initial outlay), educational visits (regular, voluntary, ranging £50–400 depending on destination), and music lessons (if pursued, typically £15–25 per lesson with peripatetic staff).

Entrance pressure is genuine. The entrance examination is competitive, and success requires either strong natural reasoning ability or (more commonly) external tutoring. Families should approach grammar school entry with realistic expectations and ensure their son is willing to sit the examination rather than feeling coerced into it.

Peer group adjustment can be challenging. Many boys are used to being top of their primary school. Arriving at Simon Langton and finding themselves in a cohort of equally able peers can be a humbling experience. Resilience, willingness to accept challenge, and emotional maturity are as important as raw academic ability.

Commute distances can be substantial. Pupils come from across Kent and beyond. For those living at distance, daily travel of one hour or more is not uncommon, particularly if using public transport. This can be tiring and limits after-school club participation for some families.

Traditional school culture may not suit all learners. The school maintains formal uniform, structured hierarchies (head boy, prefects, house system), traditional curriculum breadth, and emphasis on academic over vocational pathways. Pupils seeking a more informal, student-centred educational environment should carefully consider whether the school's culture is right for them.

Simon Langton is a high-performing selective grammar school that delivers excellent results and genuine intellectual engagement. The school combines historic tradition with contemporary teaching practice, strong pastoral foundations with academic rigour, and broad extracurricular opportunities with focus on examination success. Boys who thrive here are typically those with solid academic ability who enjoy challenge, who are motivated by peer excellence, and who are willing to embrace the school's traditions and expectations.

The school is best suited to families within reasonable commuting distance of Canterbury who value academic excellence, appreciate selective education, and want their son in an all-boys environment where character development and intellectual growth are taken seriously. The main hurdle is entry; once secured, the education is genuinely excellent and the pathway to strong universities is well-trodden.