Head: Katie Marchant
An accessible girls' grammar school in Kent with an Outstanding Ofsted rating.
0
Year 7 Places
0.0:1
Applicants/Place
Pass Mark
0
Pupils
Max Score
423
Qualifying Score
332
78% of max
Cutoff Score
332
78% of max
Distance Cutoff
4.36 mi
Applications
717
Offers Made
174
Catchment, then Score
Catchment area students get priority. Within catchment, places by test score.
Eligible girls who live in the named parishes or within a 4 mile radius proximity of the school. Named parishes include Badger's Mount, Bidborough, Brasted, Brenchley, Capel, Chevening, Chiddingstone, Cowden, Dunton Green, East Peckham, Edenbridge, Hadlow, Halsted, Hever, Hildenborough, Horsmonden, Ightham, Kemsing, Knockholt, Lamberhurst, Leigh, Otford, Paddock Wood, Pembury, Penshurst, Plaxtol, Riverhead, Rusthall, Seal, Sevenoaks, Sevenoaks Weald, Shipbourne, Shoreham, Southborough, Speldhurst, Sundridge with Ide Hill, Tonbridge, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Westerham.
Local Authorities
Max distance: 4 miles
Sibling Priority
Pupil Premium
Out-of-Area
Process
Parents who wish to appeal should write to The Clerk to the Governors at the school address, clearly marked 'APPEALS' with reasons for their appeal. Appeals will be heard within 30 school days of being lodged.
Waiting List
A waiting list is held, ranked in accordance with oversubscription criteria.
1. Register
Check website
2. Take Test
Kent Test
3. Results
Check website
4. Offer Day
1 March
A shared 11+ entrance exam used by 32 grammar schools, administered by GL Assessment, testing English, Mathematics, Reasoning. Three multiple-choice papers administered by GL Assessment. Each paper is 50 minutes.
Max
423
Qualifying Score
332
78% of max
Open Morning
Year 5 Open Morning Wednesday, 30th June 2027 10.40am to 12.30pm
30 Jun 2027
10:40am
73.3
Attainment 8
97.9%
Grade 5+ Eng & Maths
The school's 2025 results at a glance — GCSE (Key Stage 4) and A-Level (sixth form) shown separately. Each tile shows the latest figure and how it moved on the year before.
73.3
Attainment 8
Average achievement across 8 qualifications
98%
English + Maths 5+
Grade 5 or above in both
99%
English + Maths 4+
Grade 4 or above in both
96%
EBacc Entry
Entered the English Baccalaureate suite
7.21
EBacc APS
Average points across EBacc subjects
B+
Avg A-Level Grade
Average grade achieved across all A-Level entries
42.3
A-Level avg points
Average point score per entry (A* = 60, A = 50, B = 40)
28.9%
AAB+ at A-Level
Achieved AAB or better in their best three A-Levels — a key benchmark for Russell Group entry
The same numbers in context — against the England state-funded average, the typical grammar school, and grammars with a similar intake.
Bar shows this school. Ticks mark the England state-funded average (grey) and the typical grammar-school average (indigo).
Grammar median computed from up to 163 grammars.
Whether pupils choose to stay on after GCSEs, and which way the headline results have been moving over recent years.
98%
continued to sixth form
% of pupils who stayed on after GCSEs
High retention is a positive sign — pupils choose to stay and the sixth form supports them through. Low retention can indicate weaker post-16 provision or curriculum mismatch.
The end of the journey — what leavers do after sixth form, and how this school's university record compares.
67%
Continued in education
HE + FE + other
66%
Higher Education
≈2pp vs grammar avg
Cohort destination breakdown
Destinations trend
Zooming in from whole-school figures to individual subjects — where entries concentrate, and which departments stand out in either direction.
Bar = entries · chip = grade 4+ pass rate
Bar = entries · chip = A*–E pass rate
Strongest at
English Language
143 entries
100%
+0.2pp vs school
Physics
125 entries
100%
+0.2pp vs school
Biology
125 entries
100%
+0.2pp vs school
No subject clearly underperforms vs the school average.
Strongest at
Psychology
47 entries
100%
+0.8pp vs school
Geography
45 entries
100%
+0.8pp vs school
English literature
44 entries
100%
+0.8pp vs school
Watch list
Economics
19 entries
95%
-4.5pp vs school
Biology
60 entries
97%
-2.5pp vs school
Entry Requirements
See pages 4 and 5 of the Admissions Policy
Subjects Offered
Largest group: White British (64.0%)
Pupils of White British heritage
Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese and other Asian heritage
More than one heritage — e.g. White & Asian, White & Black Caribbean
A single heritage outside the groups above — e.g. Arab, White non-British
Black Caribbean, Black African and other Black heritage
England avg ≈ 24%
≈ 20 pts below the England average — proportion of pupils whose family qualifies for free school meals (a measure of catchment affluence).
England avg ≈ 18%
≈ 5 pts below the England average — proportion of pupils whose first language is not English.
Overall Effectiveness
Outstanding
Quality of Education
Outstanding
Behaviour & Attitudes
Outstanding
Personal Development
Outstanding
Leadership & Management
Outstanding
Sixth Form
Outstanding
Scale: Inadequate → Requires Improvement → Good → Outstanding
Per-pupil funding
2025/26≈ £315 (-5%) below the English average
Share of total spend going on staff
Typical English secondary: 75–80% on staff.
Spend per pupil per year
Most English state secondaries spend 75–80% of their budget on staff. Higher figures usually mean smaller class sizes; lower figures mean more spent on premises, supplies, or capital projects.
£3,826
Teaching Staff / pupil
£744
Educational Supplies / pupil
£358
Premises / pupil
Revenue reserve / pupil
£224
The school holds a surplus per pupil — money set aside that can absorb unexpected costs or fund future projects without affecting day-to-day teaching.
Total grant: £5,310,818 · 798 pupils funded
How the 2025/26 allocation broke down. Each stream is a signal about the school's intake — bigger deprivation / EAL / SEN top-ups indicate a school serving a more challenging cohort.
Basic entitlement
£4,447,578
The school's core allocation — pupil numbers × the basic per-pupil rate — before any top-ups.
Pupil Premium
£27,950
Targeted funding for 26 disadvantaged pupils.
Deprivation top-up
£74,715
Aggregates FSM, FSM6 and IDACI deprivation bands.
EAL top-up
£43,874
English-as-additional-language premium — paid for pupils whose first language isn't English.
Prior attainment top-up
£12,062
Funding for pupils arriving below age-related expectations.
Notional SEN
£446,471
Earmarked SEN budget inside the schools block.
Lump sum
£142,484
Fixed per-school grant — size-independent.
Schools budget support grant
£47,079
Government pay-and-pension support grant.
National Insurance grant
£60,907
Compensation for the increase in employer NI contributions.
1,095 / 1,119(98%)
Subjects Offered
Entry Requirements
See pages 4 and 5 of the Admissions Policy
1:18.9
Staff:Pupil Ratio
99.74%
Qualified Teachers
4.14%
Absence Rate
7.92%
Persistent Absence
Modern teaching facilities across multiple buildings including specialist science laboratories, ICT suites, design technology workshops, art studios, music rooms, drama studio, well-equipped library, sports hall, fitness suite, and extensive playing fields.
Sports
Sports hall with badminton, netball and basketball courts, fitness suite, outdoor netball courts, tennis courts, athletics track, extensive playing fields for hockey, rounders, athletics and cross country, swimming pool (shared facility)
STEM
12 specialist science laboratories for Biology, Chemistry and Physics, 4 ICT computer suites, Design Technology workshops with CAD/CAM equipment, robotics and electronics facilities, mathematics classrooms with interactive technology
Arts
Purpose-built drama studio with professional lighting and sound equipment, music department with practice rooms and recording facilities, art studios with ceramics kiln, photography darkroom, textiles room
Library
Well-resourced library with over 15,000 books, digital resources, quiet study areas, group work spaces, and computer access. Open before school, during breaks, lunch and after school. Qualified librarian support available.
Capital Projects
The school has ongoing development projects including improvements to science laboratories and IT facilities, with recent investments in upgrading classroom technology and learning spaces
Duke of Edinburgh, theatre visits, ski trips, residential activity trips, World War I Battlefields visits, Modern Foreign Language Exchanges, geography and history trips, sports competitions, music activities
Sports
swimming, athletics, equestrian
Music & Performing Arts
Music department activities including coursework recording, theatre club trips to London musicals and plays
Clubs & Societies
Duke of Edinburgh Award, Young Enterprise, Debating Society, Model United Nations, Drama Club, Orchestra, Choir, Art Club, Photography Club, Science Club, Mathematics Club, Book Club, French Club, Spanish Club, German Club, Latin Club, History Society, Geography Club, Psychology Society, Business Studies Club, Computing Club, Chess Club, Netball Club, Hockey Club, Tennis Club, Rounders Club, Athletics Club, Cross Country Club, Dance Club, Fitness Club
Duke of Edinburgh
Offered
Trips & Exchanges
Year 7 team-building, Year 7 theatre trip, Year 8 ski trip to Austria, Year 9 residential activity trip, Year 9 Trip to the World War I Battlefields, Year 10 Modern Foreign Language Exchanges, Year 11 Trip to the Bay of Naples, Sixth Form Geography trip to Iceland, Sixth Form History trip to Berlin, Sixth form ski trip, Sixth form Theatre Club trips to London musicals and plays
Community Service
Students participate in various community service activities including charity fundraising, local volunteering projects, reading support for primary schools, and environmental initiatives. The school has strong links with local charities and organizes regular community outreach programs
Uniform
Navy blue blazer with school badge, white shirt/blouse, school tie, navy blue skirt or trousers, black shoes, navy blue jumper or cardigan (optional). PE kit includes navy blue polo shirt, navy blue shorts/skirt, navy blue tracksuit, white socks, and appropriate sports shoes
School Meals
Free school meals available for eligible pupils through Kent County Council online application system
Homework Policy
Homework is set regularly across all subjects to consolidate learning. Year 7-8: approximately 1-1.5 hours per night. Year 9-11: 2-2.5 hours per night. Sixth Form: independent study equivalent to lesson time plus additional reading and research.
Behaviour Policy
High expectations of behaviour, conduct and academic achievement. Positive reinforcement system with house points and awards. Clear consequences for inappropriate behaviour including detentions and exclusions where necessary. Focus on mutual respect, responsibility and excellence.
Mobile Phone Policy
Year 7 Smartphone Free Policy
SEND Provision
Two qualified counsellors including a CBT specialist provide weekly sessions by appointment, pastoral support staff member, sixth form mentors for younger pupils
Priority area: within 4 miles of Tunbridge Wells Girls', straight-line. Always confirm exact boundaries with the school — distance is measured by each admissions authority's own method.
Enter your postcode to see directions to Tunbridge Wells Girls'
Nearest Station: Tunbridge Wells
Transport Info
The school is located on St John's Road, Tunbridge Wells. Accessible by train via Tunbridge Wells station (0.5 miles), local bus services, and dedicated school transport. Bicycle storage available on site.
Ask AI Advisor
About Tunbridge Wells Girls'
