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School profile Record updated 27 October 2026

Kent Kent 11+

Tonbridge Grammar School

Deakin Leas, Tonbridge, TN9 2JR

A selective girls grammar school in Tonbridge, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,164 pupils on roll.

Grammar school Girls Academy converter Ages 11-18 Sixth form Kent Test
2025–2026 GCSE rank ?
UK Rank #41
Year 7 places
180
Competition ?
High (estimated)
Ofsted ?
Outstanding
11+ route
Kent Test
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On this page

At a glance

Key facts

2025–2026 GCSE rank ?
UK Rank #41
Sector
Grammar school
Admissions
Girls only
Assessment
Kent Test
Places in Year 7
180
Competition ?
High (estimated)
Catchment
You can apply from any area, but living in the published local area gives priority for some or all places.
Ofsted ?
Outstanding

Overview

Tonbridge Grammar School is a selective academy in Kent, educating girls from 11 to 16 and girls and boys in the sixth form. It opened in 1905 and now occupies a five-acre site at Deakin Leas, with about 1,164 pupils and a school identity built around the International Baccalaureate.

That IB identity is not confined to the sixth form. The school says it blends a traditional curriculum with IB principles, aiming for breadth, depth, active learning and students who want to make a difference. GCSEs lead into the IB Diploma rather than A levels, so families comparing Tonbridge with other Kent grammars need to understand that the post-16 route is deliberately different.

The sixth form is especially prominent on the website, with world-class results, weekly 21st Century Skills sessions and a Sixth Form Promise that can help with costs such as travel, clothing, laptops, international trips and university visits. Wider school life includes student leadership, Duke of Edinburgh, service and a library-based academic culture.

Year 7 entry has 180 places and uses the Kent Test. Tonbridge then divides places into Area, Trustee and Pupil Premium allocations, each ranked by Kent Test combined score, with distance used to separate ties. Published measures include Outstanding Ofsted, +0.75 Progress 8 and 99.4% grade 5+ in English and maths; the school's own sixth-form pages also publish high IB-equivalent grade outcomes.

Illustrative creative writing prompt and feedback on ideas, word choice and structure
Inside Creative Writing
11+ Creative Writing Creative writing is part of this school's current 11+ assessment.

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Key points
Assessment route
Kent Test: 3 papers, covering English, Maths, Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning and Writing task.
Places and demand
180 places in Year 7 and High (estimated)
Catchment
You can apply from any area, but living in the published local area gives priority for some or all places.
Results
97.2% grade 5+ in English and maths and 77 Attainment 8
Sixth form
Sixth form available with 81.4% in higher education.

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2025/26 KS4 measures compared with Kent and England.

School Local authority England
GCSE benchmark comparison Latest GCSE benchmark measures for Tonbridge Grammar School, Kent, and England. 0 50 100 Att. 8 5+ E&M
Attainment 8
77
Grade 5+ English and maths
97.2%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Kent and England.

School Local authority England
Attainment 8 trend line Attainment 8 over time for Tonbridge Grammar School, Kent, and England. 100 80 60 40 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25 25/26

Destinations

Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Kent and England.

Education Apprenticeships Employment Other / unknown
Destinations stacked bar comparison Year 11 destinations for Tonbridge Grammar School, Kent, and England across education, apprenticeships, employment, and other or unknown destinations. 0 50 100 School Local auth. England

School details
Sector
Grammar school
School type
Academy converter
Application
Local authority CAF
Gender
Girls only
Age range
11-18
Head Teacher
Mrs Rebecca Crean
Pupil roll
1,150 pupils
Sixth form
Yes
Trust
Tonbridge Grammar School
FSM ?
2.4%
EAL ?
21.8%
EHCP ?
0.2%

Facilities

Library

Extracurriculars

Duke of Edinburgh

School statistics

Ethnicity

Pupil ethnicity

Whole-school roll of 1,150 pupils; 1,122 had a recorded ethnic group.

White 55.1% Asian 25% Mixed 13.2% Black 2.8% Other 1.3% Unclassified 2.4%

Location and contact

Address

Address
Deakin Leas, Tonbridge, Kent
Postcode
TN9 2JR
Area
Kent
Exam area
Kent 11+

School leadership

Head Teacher
Mrs Rebecca Crean

School contact

School email
office@tgs.kent.sch.uk
School phone
01732365125

Admissions contact

Admissions team
Admissions and Administration Officer
Admissions contact
Mrs Court
Admissions email
admissions@tgs.kent.sch.uk
Admissions phone
01732365125
Open in Map Open school website

Admissions

Appeals and waiting lists

A school admission appeal follows a refusal of a place. Use the school's current timetable and your refusal letter for the deadline. A test review, if available, has separate rules.

Read Kent result and appeals Official school website Appeals directory
Year 7 places
180 places
Applications listed
975 applications (2026 entry)
First preferences
353 first preferences (2026 entry)
Competition ?
High (estimated)
Catchment
You can apply from any area, but living in the published local area gives priority for some or all places.
Pass mark note
For the 2026 Kent Test (2027 entry), grammar-school assessment requires an aggregate score of at least 345, with no individual score below 111. Qualification does not guarantee a place. School-specific alternative tests have their own standards.

Eligibility is through the Kent Test. Places are divided into Area, Trustee and Pupil Premium allocations, each ranked by Kent Test combined score.

Area places cover Tonbridge and Malling Borough, Tunbridge Wells Borough and Sevenoaks District. Trustee places are for applicants outside those districts, and all main allocations are ranked by Kent Test combined score.

Oversubscription and eligibility

  1. 1

    Area places

    Up to 135 places for girls resident for Council Tax purposes in Tonbridge and Malling Borough, Tunbridge Wells Borough or Sevenoaks District, ranked by Kent Test combined score.

  2. 2

    Trustee places

    30 places for girls resident outside the Area places districts, ranked by Kent Test combined score.

  3. 3

    Pupil Premium places

    15 places for Pupil Premium girls resident in the Area places districts who have a selective assessment, ranked by Kent Test combined score.

  4. 4

    Tie-break

    Tied scores are resolved by straight-line distance, then random allocation if distance is identical.

Admissions policy

Admission policy 2027-28

2027 entry

Exam and test format
September 2027 entry

Two multiple-choice papers and a separate writing exercise.

Test provider
GL Assessment
Format
Multiple choice and written answers
Scores
Age-standardised

Papers and timings

  • English and mathematics English · Maths Multiple choice
    60 min Includes two 5-minute practice exercises.
  • Reasoning Verbal reasoning · Non-verbal reasoning Multiple choice
    Approx. 60 min Includes practice sections.
  • Writing exercise Written answers
    40 min Includes 10 minutes for planning.

What the test includes

  • EnglishComprehension and literacy skills.
  • Maths
  • Verbal reasoning
  • Non-verbal reasoning
  • Writing taskUsed for headteacher assessment; outside the standardised score.
Official test guidance
Changes for 2028 entry
2028 entry · Quest Assessments

Quest Assessments will provide the Kent Test from the September 2027 tests for 2028 entry.

Kent County Council says the test’s purpose, structure and timing will remain unchanged.

Official 2028 guidance ↗

Official exam resources

Past papers and practice materials

No released past entrance-test papers are currently verified here. The resources below are labelled by type.

Kent Test test guide

Application

Key dates

Get date reminders
Find open days and plan a visit

  1. Kent Test registration opens

    1 June 2026

    Past

  2. Kent Test registration closes

    1 July 2026

    Past

  3. Kent primary school test day

    10 September 2026

    Past

  4. Out-of-Kent test weekend

    Weekend of 12/13 September 2026

  5. Kent assessment decision

    15 October 2026

    Past

  6. Kent secondary application deadline

    2 November 2026, Kent residents

    Kent residents apply through Kent County Council. Families outside Kent must meet their home local authority deadline.

  7. National offer day

    1 March 2027

  8. Kent application changes deadline

    7 December 2026

    Deadline for on-time changes to Kent applications to be considered on National Offer Day.

  9. Kent offer acceptance deadline

    15 March 2027

    Kent residents must accept or refuse the offered school place by this date.

  10. Kent on-time appeal deadline

    13 April 2027

    For schools named on the original Kent application; check the school appeal instructions.

  11. Kent reallocation offer day

    27 April 2027

    Kent County Council reallocates places from waiting lists.

  12. Year 6 open morning

    8 October 2026

    Past

    9.30am-12.30pm; booking required.

  13. Year 6 open morning

    13 October 2026

    Past

    9.30am-12.30pm; booking required.

How to apply

  1. 1

    Register for the Kent Test

    Complete Kent Test registration by Wednesday 1 July 2026.

    Register
  2. 2

    Sit the Kent Test

    Kent pupils test on 10 September 2026; out-of-Kent candidates test over the 12/13 September weekend.

    Check test details
  3. 3

    Submit the secondary application

    Name Tonbridge Grammar on the secondary application by 2 November 2026.

    Check application details

Official admissions documents

Admissions policy

Admission policy 2027-28

2027 entry

Key dates

Kent secondary admissions scheme 2027-28

2027 entry

Results

Inspection
View report
Outstanding

Latest inspection: 17 October 2019

Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Sixth form provision
Outstanding

Quick summary

  • Overall effectiveness: Tonbridge Grammar School is recorded as Outstanding, and the 2024 ungraded inspection found it had maintained previous standards. Inspectors described purposeful learning, exemplary behaviour, strong relationships, excellent achievement including for pupils with SEND, and pupils with a meaningful voice.
  • Quality of education: Staff have strong subject expertise and explain ideas clearly, often anticipating misconceptions before they arise. Carefully chosen activities and probing questions help pupils build complex understanding, independence and the confidence to apply knowledge in different situations.
  • Behaviour and attitudes: Behaviour is outstanding, with pupils treating staff and one another with care and respect. Corridors are calm, pupils are keen to reach lessons, and they help create the purposeful atmosphere that supports challenging learning.
  • Personal development: Pupils create societies and projects such as the Diversity and Inclusion Alliance, Marvellous Meadows, debating and the student newspaper. Careers support includes mapped pathways, alumni input, In Conversation speakers and practical preparation such as a sixth-form cooking at uni club.
  • Leadership and management: Leaders and trustees are reflective and careful in how they improve the school, monitoring whether actions work and considering staff workload. Training is precise and linked to practice and career goals, with safeguarding arrangements reported as effective.
  • Sixth form provision: Sixth-form students are excellent role models and benefit from purposeful preparation for life beyond school. The report highlights challenging learning, alumni links, the In Conversation programme, mental health support and practical sessions such as cooking for university life.

Similar schools and comparisons

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Shortlist comparisons

Compare Tonbridge Grammar School with Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School Compare Tonbridge Grammar School with Wilmington Grammar School for Girls Compare Tonbridge Grammar School with Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend

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Related pages and guides

Area and ranking pages

Best Grammar Schools in Kent

Compare 32 Kent grammar schools for 2026: GCSE ranking table, Ofsted, Kent Test route, admissions rules, competition, and school profiles.

Best Girls' Grammar Schools in the UK

Explore the best girls grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county and Ofsted before comparing schools by route and journey.

Best Grammar Schools in the UK

Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking that can be filtered by county, school type, and Ofsted before moving into local admissions detail.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Which entrance tests does Tonbridge Grammar School use?

For September 2027 entry, Tonbridge Grammar School uses Kent Test. Check the named test and any alternative or later-stage requirements in the admissions policy.

How do I apply to Tonbridge Grammar School?

1. Register for the Kent Test: Complete Kent Test registration by Wednesday 1 July 2026. 2. Sit the Kent Test: Kent pupils test on 10 September 2026; out-of-Kent candidates test over the 12/13 September weekend. 3. Submit the secondary application: Name Tonbridge Grammar on the secondary application by 2 November 2026.

When are the key dates for Tonbridge Grammar School?

Kent Test registration opens: 1 June 2026. Kent Test registration closes: 1 July 2026. Kent primary school test day: 10 September 2026. Out-of-Kent test weekend: Weekend of 12/13 September 2026. Kent assessment decision: 15 October 2026. Kent secondary application deadline: 2 November 2026, Kent residents. National offer day: 1 March 2027. Kent application changes deadline: 7 December 2026. Kent offer acceptance deadline: 15 March 2027. Kent on-time appeal deadline: 13 April 2027. Kent reallocation offer day: 27 April 2027. Year 6 open morning: 8 October 2026. Year 6 open morning: 13 October 2026

What does the latest inspection picture look like for Tonbridge Grammar School?

Tonbridge Grammar School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 17 October 2019.