Kent / Kent 11+
Southfield Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9UJ
Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School
1
A selective girls grammar school in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,095 pupils on roll.
At a glance
At a glance
A selective girls grammar school in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,095 pupils on roll. Based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, the school serves girls aged 11-18 and includes sixth-form study as part of the offer. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 1,095 pupils on roll and 174 Year 7 places.
Admissions are central to understanding whether this school is the right fit and realistic shortlist option. The current route includes GL Assessment, with 174 places available in Year 7 and demand that currently looks high by grammar-school standards. Catchment or distance rules still matter at allocation stage, so this is the kind of school where families need to read the admissions policy carefully rather than rely on headline scores alone.
Academically, the published picture is strong and easier to judge than reputation alone. The latest published Ofsted judgement is Outstanding. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at 0.77 and Attainment 8 at 70.1. 94.4% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 28.9% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level. Destinations data also suggest strong progression after sixth form, with 68% moving into higher education.
Published school information highlights facilities such as Library, Theatre. The wider offer currently includes Drama, Duke of Edinburgh, Combined Cadet Force. For many parents, the presence of a sixth form is part of the attraction, because it gives able pupils the option to stay in a familiar academic setting through to A level. That mix of selective entry, published outcomes, and school life is what will matter most to families deciding whether Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School belongs on a serious shortlist.
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Kent and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Kent and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Kent and England.
Eligibility is through the Kent Test. Individual oversubscription details should be checked against the current admissions arrangements before relying on priority-category detail.
Distance from home to school – this is determined by the distance between the girls’ permanent home address and the school, measured in a straight line using the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) address point.
Looked After Children (LAC) and previously Looked After Children (PLAC): A looked after child is a child wh...
Looked After Children (LAC) and previously Looked After Children (PLAC): A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act
at the time of making an application to a school. A previously looked after child means such children who w...
at the time of making an application to a school. A previously looked after child means such children who were adopted (or subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after and those children who appear to the admission authority to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. A child is regarded as having been in state care outside of England if they were in the care of or were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation, or any other provider of care whose sole or main purpose is to benefit society.
Girls who are designated as receiving ‘Pupil Premium’ - Applicants under this criterion must fulfil criteri...
Girls who are designated as receiving ‘Pupil Premium’ - Applicants under this criterion must fulfil criterion 6, and complete a
Creative Writing, Art and more.
This school uses the shared Kent Test consortium route. The consortium page brings together the common test format, key dates and official papers used across that route.
Open Kent Test guidePaper 1
English, Maths, VR, NVR
Kent Test
Kent grammar assessment covering English, mathematics and reasoning, with a writing task used only for headteacher assessment panels.
English, Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.
Science and Creative writing are not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Kent grammar assessment covering English, mathematics and reasoning, with a writing task used only for headteacher assessment panels.
Non-verbal reasoning
Kent grammar assessment covering English, mathematics and reasoning, with a writing task used only for headteacher assessment panels.
Science
Creative writing
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
Secondary school application deadline
2 November 2026
National offer day
1 March 2027
Read the admissions policy
Use the published admissions policy and booklet for the exact qualification, oversubscription, residence, and tie-break rules for this entry year.
Check the key dates
Check the official timeline so registration, test, CAF, and offer deadlines are all tracked against the correct entry cycle.
Submit the entrance test registration
Complete the school's, consortium's, or local-authority-linked test registration form during the published application window so your child can sit the entrance tests.
Send any supplementary form
Supplementary Information Form (Appendix 4) so that checks can be made to determine eligibility.
Submit the Common Application Form (CAF)
Common Application Form, in order to be eligible for admission.
Latest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.
Recent trend
This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 75.6 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 73.1 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 70.1 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 73.4 | 72.3 | 46.8 |
Recent trend
This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | A average (48.6 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B+ average (42.2 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B+ average (44.4 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B+ average (42.3 points) | 41.8 points | 35.0 points |
Recent trend
This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 100% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 99% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 99% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 98% | 97.8% | 91.4% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 97% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 0% |
| In employment | 1% |
Latest inspection: 20 September 2023
Local rivals first, then nearby alternatives that still fit the same shortlist-building context.
Same Kent area and similar girls' selective route
Same Kent area and similar girls' selective route
Same Kent area and similar girls' selective route
Same Kent area and similar girls' selective route
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Best Grammar Schools in Kent
Compare the best grammar schools in Kent for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Kent sits within the Kent Test route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
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 realistic shortlist options.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county, school type, and Ofsted. Useful for broad searches like top UK grammar schools, grammar school rankings, and 11+ school shortlists.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Best Grammar Schools in Kent
Compare the best grammar schools in Kent for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Kent sits within the Kent Test route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
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 realistic shortlist options.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county, school type, and Ofsted. Useful for broad searches like top UK grammar schools, grammar school rankings, and 11+ school shortlists.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Read the admissions policy: Use the published admissions policy and booklet for the exact qualification, oversubscription, residence, and tie-break rules for this entry year. 2. Check the key dates: Check the official timeline so registration, test, CAF, and offer deadlines are all tracked against the correct entry cycle. 3. Submit the entrance test registration: Complete the school's, consortium's, or local-authority-linked test registration form during the published application window so your child can sit the entrance tests. 4. Send any supplementary form: Supplementary Information Form (Appendix 4) so that checks can be made to determine eligibility. 5. Submit the Common Application Form (CAF): Common Application Form, in order to be eligible for admission.
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. Secondary school application deadline: 2 November 2026. National offer day: 1 March 2027
Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 20 September 2023.