Head: Amanda Simpson
An accessible boys' grammar school in Kent with a Good 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
5.5 mi
Applications
1,059
Offers Made
299
Distance (after pass)
All who pass qualify. Places then by distance.
Sibling Priority
Pupil Premium
1. Register
1 Jun 2026
2. Take Test
Kent Test
3. Results
15 Oct 2026
4. Offer Day
1 Mar 2027
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. School follows the Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme administered by Kent County Council. Has co-educational Sixth Form. Over 1700 students across two sites - main Tunbridge Wells campus and Sevenoaks annexe opened September 2021. School therapy dog named Doris. Uses Bromcom Management Information System with Student Portal and MyChildAtSchool (MCAS) for parents.
Max
423
Qualifying Score
332
78% of max
Registration Opens
Registration opens for the 11+ exam
1 Jun 2026
Open Morning
From the school website: Open mornings begin at 08:50 with a brief address by Headteacher Amanda Simpson at 09:00
30 Jun 2026
8:50am
Registration Deadline
Final day to register for the 11+ exam
1 Jul 2026
Open Morning
From the school website: Open mornings begin at 08:50 with a brief address by Headteacher Amanda Simpson at 09:00
1 Jul 2026
8:50am
Open Morning
From the school website: Open mornings begin at 08:50 with a brief address by Headteacher Amanda Simpson at 09:00
3 Jul 2026
8:50am
Open Morning
From the school website: Open mornings begin at 08:50 with a brief address by Headteacher Amanda Simpson at 09:00
8 Jul 2026
8:50am
Open Evening
From the school website: Thursday 9th July 2026, 16:00 19:00, Tunbridge Wells campus
9 Jul 2026
4:00pm
Exam Date
11+ entrance exam
10 Sep 2026
9:00am
Open Morning
From the school website: Open mornings begin at 08:50 with a brief address by Headteacher Amanda Simpson at 09:00
23 Sep 2026
8:50am
Open Morning
From the school website: Open mornings begin at 08:50 with a brief address by Headteacher Amanda Simpson at 09:00
30 Sep 2026
8:50am
Open Morning
From the school website: Open mornings begin at 08:50 with a brief address by Headteacher Amanda Simpson at 09:00
7 Oct 2026
8:50am
Open Morning
From the school website: Open mornings begin at 08:50 with a brief address by Headteacher Amanda Simpson at 09:00
9 Oct 2026
8:50am
Open Evening
From the school website: Thursday 15th October 2026, 16:30 19:00
15 Oct 2026
4:30pm
Results Released
11+ results released to parents
15 Oct 2026
Open Morning
From the school website: Open mornings begin at 08:50 with a brief address by Headteacher Amanda Simpson at 09:00
20 Oct 2026
8:50am
Open Morning
From the school website: Open mornings begin at 08:50 with a brief address by Headteacher Amanda Simpson at 09:00
21 Oct 2026
8:50am
CAF Deadline
National Common Application Form deadline (set by each local authority — usually 31 October).
31 Oct 2026
National Offer Day
National Offer Day. All secondary school offers are released today.
1 Mar 2027
The school's 2025 results at a glance — each tile shows the latest figure and how it moved on the year before.
63.5
Attainment 8
Average achievement across 8 qualifications
91%
English + Maths 5+
Grade 5 or above in both
96%
English + Maths 4+
Grade 4 or above in both
81%
EBacc Entry
Entered the English Baccalaureate suite
5.87
EBacc APS
Average points across EBacc subjects
B-
Avg A-Level Grade
Average grade achieved across all A-Level entries
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.
Strong averages can hide gaps. These tiles split the same cohort by disadvantage and by sex — a small gap means the school delivers for everyone, not just the strongest intake.
| Metric | Disadv. | Non-dis. | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 | 59.2 | 63.7 | +4.5 |
| E+M grade 5+ | 90% | 91% | +1pp |
| EBacc entry | 80% | 81% | +1pp |
Disadvantaged = pupils eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years, looked-after, or adopted from care. A small or zero gap is the goal — it means the school helps every pupil reach the same outcomes.
Whether pupils choose to stay on after GCSEs, and which way the headline results have been moving over recent years.
95%
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.
72%
Continued in education
HE + FE + other
73%
Higher Education
+5pp vs grammar avg
49.4%
Russell Group
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
Physical Education
45 entries
100%
+6.3pp vs school
Media / Film / TV
31 entries
100%
+6.3pp vs school
Food Preparation & Nutrition
26 entries
100%
+6.3pp vs school
Watch list
Spanish
124 entries
69%
-25.1pp vs school
French
85 entries
78%
-16.0pp vs school
Strongest at
Economics
35 entries
100%
+1.1pp vs school
History
35 entries
100%
+1.1pp vs school
Psychology
33 entries
100%
+1.1pp vs school
Watch list
Biology
38 entries
92%
-6.8pp vs school
Further Mathematics
15 entries
93%
-5.5pp vs school
Entry Requirements
At least 48 points from your best eight GCSE grades and a minimum of a Grade 5 in English Language and Mathematics where these subjects are not a requirement for a particular subject course. Students wishing to study Mathematics at A Level must have a minimum of Grade 7 at GCSE and a Grade 8 for Further Maths. For other subjects at least a Grade 6 is required in the subject the student wishes to study at A Level or in a closely related subject for those subjects that are new to the curriculum in the Sixth Form.
Subjects Offered
Largest group: White British (71.4%)
Pupils of White British heritage
Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese and other Asian heritage
More than one heritage — e.g. White & Asian, White & Black Caribbean
Black Caribbean, Black African and other Black heritage
A single heritage outside the groups above — e.g. Arab, White non-British
England avg ≈ 24%
≈ 18 pts below the England average — proportion of pupils whose family qualifies for free school meals (a measure of catchment affluence).
England avg ≈ 18%
≈ 3 pts below the England average — proportion of pupils whose first language is not English.
Per-pupil funding
2025/26≈ £124 (-2%) 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.
£3,514
Teaching Staff / pupil
£709
Educational Supplies / pupil
£419
Premises / pupil
Revenue reserve / pupil
£869
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: £10,092,889 · 1,468 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
£8,164,124
Core per-pupil funding before any top-ups.
Pupil Premium
£92,450
Targeted funding for 86 disadvantaged pupils.
Deprivation top-up
£253,170
Aggregates FSM, FSM6 and IDACI deprivation bands.
EAL top-up
£75,024
English-as-additional-language premium — paid for pupils whose first language isn't English.
Prior attainment top-up
£75,137
Funding for pupils arriving below age-related expectations.
Notional SEN
£931,104
Earmarked SEN budget inside the schools block.
Lump sum
£142,484
Fixed per-school grant — size-independent.
Schools budget support grant
£87,208
Government pay-and-pension support grant.
National Insurance grant
£112,145
Compensation for the increase in employer NI contributions.
1,799 / 1,308(138%)
Subjects Offered
Entry Requirements
At least 48 points from your best eight GCSE grades and a minimum of a Grade 5 in English Language and Mathematics where these subjects are not a requirement for a particular subject course. Students wishing to study Mathematics at A Level must have a minimum of Grade 7 at GCSE and a Grade 8 for Further Maths. For other subjects at least a Grade 6 is required in the subject the student wishes to study at A Level or in a closely related subject for those subjects that are new to the curriculum in the Sixth Form.
1:20
Staff:Pupil Ratio
97.19%
Qualified Teachers
4.33%
Absence Rate
8.79%
Persistent Absence
Recent £12m buildings expansion for the Tunbridge Wells campus included a new two-storey teaching centre, sports centre and reconfigured dining hall. Facilities at the new £15m site in Sevenoaks include a new performance hall and all-weather sports pitch. Brand new Sixth Form building (TWGSB6).
Sports
Sports centre at Tunbridge Wells campus, all-weather sports pitch at Sevenoaks campus
STEM
{"science labs":6,"IT suites":8,"technology workshops":2}
Arts
New performance hall at Sevenoaks campus
Library
Library facilities available for student homework and study
Capital Projects
Recent £12m buildings expansion for the Tunbridge Wells campus included a new two-storey teaching centre, sports centre and reconfigured dining hall. £15m site in Sevenoaks opened September 2021.
Over 1700 students across two sites with extensive co-curricular programme including Sixth Form mentoring, peer counselling, and various school clubs including Young Carers support.
Sports
Music & Performing Arts
Clubs & Societies
Duke of Edinburgh
true
Trips & Exchanges
{"school trips":["London","Paris","Rome"],"foreign exchanges":["Germany","France"]}
Community Service
Students participate in various community service activities including charity fundraising, local community projects, and volunteering opportunities organized through the school.
Uniform
{"description":"The school uniform consists of a navy blue blazer, white shirt, and grey trousers.","suppliers":["Tunbridge Wells Schoolwear","School Uniforms Direct"]}
School Meals
Cashless catering services run by Independent Catering, students purchase items using a catering fob topped up by parents using MyChildatSchool (MCAS). Breakfast available before school at both campuses, food available at both breaks. Hot food choices include two main meals (home cooked) including one vegetarian meal, and jacket potatoes with choices of fillings. In addition, there is different 'street food' available each day, as well as sandwiches, fresh fruit, cakes and cookies.
Homework Policy
Homework should be set with a minimum of 48 hours to complete but ideally at least three days. All homework is set on Bromcom. On average, students will receive approximately 10 hours of homework per fortnight in KS3. This increases to 12 hours for KS4 students and 21 for KS5. When homework has not been completed to deadline, a sanction will apply.
Behaviour Policy
The school has a comprehensive behaviour policy emphasizing high standards of conduct, respect, and personal responsibility. The policy includes a system of rewards and sanctions, with clear expectations for student behavior both in and out of school.
Mobile Phone Policy
Mobile phones are not allowed in school except for emergencies.
SEND Provision
The Compass team works across both the Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks campuses in order to support all students to achieve their potential and help teaching staff to deliver their lessons according to need. LSAs work across the school with a particular focus on KS3 classes to provide support to SEND students. There are Compass Hubs on both campuses, each with a sensory space where students can self-regulate and calm. The school SENCO is able to assess students to determine whether there may be an underlying barrier to learning.
Enter your postcode to see directions to Tunbridge Wells (Boys)
Route 96 from Royal Tunbridge Wells, Route 428 from Tonbridge
Nearest Station: Tunbridge Wells railway station
Transport Info
The school has two campuses - main campus at St John's Road, Tunbridge Wells TN4 9XB and annexe at Seal Hollow Road, Sevenoaks TN13 3SN. Students should check which campus they will attend.
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