Kent / Kent 11+
St John's Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9XB
Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys
1
A selective boys grammar school in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,799 pupils on roll.
At a glance
At a glance
A selective boys grammar school in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,799 pupils on roll. Families looking at Tunbridge Wells, Kent will usually see Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys as a selective option for boys aged 11-18, with sixth form continuing the academic journey on the same site. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 1,799 pupils on roll and 90 Year 7 places.
For parents thinking about the 11+, the admissions picture is one of the clearest differentiators here. The current route includes GL Assessment, with 90 places available in Year 7 and demand that currently looks moderate 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.
On current official measures, the school offers a clear academic profile for parents to weigh up. The latest published Ofsted judgement is Good. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at 0.46 and Attainment 8 at 64.2. 88.1% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 20% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level. Destinations data also suggest strong progression after sixth form, with 73% moving into higher education.
Published school information highlights facilities such as Sports hall, Library. The wider offer currently includes Chess club, Duke of Edinburgh. 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. Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys is likely to appeal most to families who want strong academic expectations but also need the practical details, culture, and selective route to line up sensibly.
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. Pupil Premium priority applies within oversubscribed criteria where the supplementary form is returned, followed by distance within each criterion.
Priority areas are a 3-mile radius, then named parishes, then all other eligible boys by distance. Pupil Premium priority applies within oversubscribed criteria when the SIF is returned.
Looked-after and previously looked-after children
Eligible applicants in this category are prioritised first.
Current family association
Applicants with a qualifying sibling link are prioritised after looked-after children.
Health and Special Access Reasons
Applicants with accepted health or special access reasons are prioritised next.
Within 3 miles
Eligible boys living within a 3-mile radius are ranked by distance.
Named parishes
Eligible boys living in the named parishes are ranked by distance.
All other eligible boys
Remaining applicants are ranked by nearness of home to school.
Structured exam detail is still being reviewed.
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
Register for the Kent Test
Complete Kent Test registration by Wednesday 1 July 2026.
RegisterSit the Kent Test
Kent pupils test on 10 September 2026; out-of-Kent candidates test over the 12/13 September weekend.
Return any Pupil Premium SIF
Return the supplementary form by 31 October 2026 if applying for Pupil Premium priority.
Submit the secondary application
Name the school on the secondary application by 2 November 2026.
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 | 64.9 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 60.8 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 64.2 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 63.7 | 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 | B+ average (42.6 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B average (38.7 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B average (39.1 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B- average (38.2 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 | 98% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 99% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 98% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 95% | 97.8% | 91.4% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 91% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 2% |
| In employment | 2% |
Latest inspection: 25 November 2021
Local rivals first, then nearby alternatives that still fit the same shortlist-building context.
Same Kent area and similar boys' selective route
Same Kent area and similar boys' selective route
Same Kent area and similar boys' selective route
Same Kent area and similar boys' 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.
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Explore the best boys 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 Boys' Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best boys 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 Grammar School for Boys currently uses GL Assessment.
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. Return any Pupil Premium SIF: Return the supplementary form by 31 October 2026 if applying for Pupil Premium priority. 4. Submit the secondary application: Name the school on the secondary application by 2 November 2026.
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 Grammar School for Boys is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 25 November 2021.