Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys
Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys at a glance
Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys is a boys’ grammar school in Tunbridge Wells for students aged 11 to 18, with about 1880 pupils. Year 7 places are given through the Kent Test, and the school has a sixth form.
For September 2026 entry it offered 300 places and was the first choice of 297 families — fewer than one for every place. 25% of all applications came from families in other council areas.
In 2024/25, 91% of its GCSE students achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths, against 45% across England’s state schools. Its A-level students averaged B- per entry, and 20% achieved AAB or better including at least two facilitating subjects. 73% of sixth-form leavers went on to university (destinations measured in 2022/23).
Getting in: the 11+ and how places are given
- Test
- Kent Test
- Set by
- GL Assessment, for Kent County Council
- What it covers
- English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, plus a writing task
How places are given
Kent County Council sets a pass standard each year — a total across the papers with a minimum on each. Children who meet it are judged suitable for grammar school, but that is not an offer: each school allocates places under its own criteria, which often include distance or catchment, and some rank applicants by score.
How to register and apply
Register online with Kent County Council in the summer term of Year 5 (registration usually runs through June). Children at Kent primary schools normally sit the test at school; others sit it at a test centre. Name your grammar schools on your secondary application by 31 October.
Admissions rules change each year. Check the school’s current admissions policy — area details last checked October 2026.
Scores needed for a place
| Entry | Measure | Applies to | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 | Pass mark | All applicantsThe grammar school threshold from the September 2025 test: a total of 332 or more, with no single score below 108. Some schools also set higher scores for some applicants — see their admissions policies. | 332 |
Scale: Kent Test total of three standardised scores (maximum 423). Source: Kent County Council: Kent Test results. Scores change every year and depend on how many children apply — treat them as a guide, not a target.
How many families apply
| Entry | Places | 1st choices | 1st choices per place | All applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 | 300 | 297 | 1.0 | 1,179 |
| Sept 2025 | 299 | 291 | 1.0 | 1,059 |
| Sept 2024 | 300 | 293 | 1.0 | 1,091 |
| Sept 2023 | 301 | 325 | 1.1 | 1,086 |
| Sept 2022 | 300 | 236 | 0.8 | 972 |
| Sept 2021 | 300 | 203 | 0.7 | 1,083 |
Source: DfE, secondary school applications and offers. Places offered on National Offer Day; first preferences are families who put the school first on their council application.
Exam results
GCSE, 2024/25 · 217 pupils
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
Grade 4 or above in English and maths
Attainment 8 (average across 8 subjects)
| Year | Grade 5+ Eng & maths | Attainment 8 | Progress 8 | EBacc points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | 91.2% | 63.7 | — | 5.88 |
| 2023/24 | 88.1% | 64.2 | +0.46 | 6.1 |
| 2022/23 | 83.0% | 60.8 | +0.25 | 5.6 |
A level, 2024/25 · 165 students
- Average grade
- B-
- England: B-
- AAB or better*
- 20%
- England: 18%
- Value added
- +0.17
*AAB or better, with at least two in facilitating subjects. Value added compares students’ results with others who started from similar GCSEs; above 0 is better than expected.
Source: DfE school and college performance tables. England figures are for all state-funded schools. Progress 8 was not published for 2024/25.
Where students go next
- University
- 73%
- Apprenticeship
- 2%
- Employment
- 13%
- Any sustained destination
- 88%
Source: DfE 16–18 destination measures, students who left after A levels or equivalent, destinations measured in 2022/23 (169 students). Categories overlap slightly and do not sum to 100%.
Key facts
- Admits at 11
- Boys
- Ages
- 11–18
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Pupils
- 1,875 (capacity 1,308)
- Free school meals
- 5.5% of pupils eligible
- School type
- Community school
- Local authority
- Kent
- Constituency
- Tunbridge Wells
From the Department for Education’s register (URN 118790), October 2026.
Thinking about Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys?
See where your child stands with our free 15-minute 11+ readiness check — a score for Maths, English, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, judged against their year.