State secondary schools in Tunbridge Wells have consistently made it onto the list of the top achieving state schools in England, and the primary schools provide the perfect start to a child’s educational journey. It is consequently very common for families to move to the town specifically for the schools. Unfortunately, this can mean school spaces are at a premium. Anyone planning a move to Tunbridge Wells from out of the area is likely to need help to understand the complicated schooling system… you could spend as long educating yourself about the education system as you would packing up the house! So here is an introductory guide which we hope you find useful.
Things to consider when house-hunting in Tunbridge Wells, if schools are a key factor:
- Location, location, location!
Not only will close proximity to the school of your choice make life easier for you as a parent and make the journey to school more enjoyable for your child, it can be a vital aspect in getting that school place in the first place. When allocating school places, one of the criteria for school admissions is the distance from school and, more difficult still, that distance can vary every year depending on factors such as the number of siblings applying that year, or looked-after children who take a priority in place allocations.
Claremont Primary school, whilst formally an Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ school and from October 2023 a ‘Good’ school, remains highly sought after and offer a low number of non-sibling places. In the five years previous to 2024, places have been variously offered to those people living between 300 and 520 metres of the school, there is no question about the competitiveness of places at this school!
KCC handles the admissions for all community and voluntary controlled schools and the admissions arrangements are defined on the KCC website. However, it is worth noting that voluntary-aided, foundation and academy schools determine their own admission criteria, which can typically be located on each individual schools website.
- Walk or drive?
St Johns is the prime area for house-hunting if school choices are driving your decision on where to live. Not only does the area have a selection of primary schools in walking distance, but it is also the hub for all the selective grammar schools plus the non-selective schools with the exception of Skinners’ Kent Academy (more information below). The primary schools near to St John’s Road were all graded ‘Good’ in their most recent OFSTED reports; being St Augustine’s RC school, Southborough CofE Primary, St Johns and The Wells Free School. Due to the close proximity of so many schools, the St John’s area can be a nightmare to drive to or to park at near school times, so houses in walking distance are sought after.
The Hawkenbury area offers the new St Peter’s CofE Primary school (which moved in 2019 from its previous small Victorian site in Windmill Street). So, a sparkling new school building with modern facilities in a location amid attractive new housing at Hollyfields by Berkley Homes has proven a desirable location for families.
More new housing, at Knights Wood on the north side of town, is walking distance to the Skinners’ Kent Primary Schoolas well as being close to the cinema, restaurant and gym facilities of Knight’s Park and set in woodland. Similarly, stylish new housing at Royal Wells Park in the centre of town is close to theWells Free School which is popular.
- Village options
In the surrounding villages, there are also excellent primary schools and we recommend you consider looking at Groombridge, Langton Green, Speldhurst, Bidborough, Frant and Wadhurst if a primary school place is key to your house hunt.
Questions to consider:
• Do you want a school that is unisex or co-educational?
• Do you prefer a secondary school that is selective and only taking students that are the higher academic achievers or one that accepts all abilities?
• Is your child suited to a school that is super-selective where students will be drawn only from a pool of those with the highest academic capabilities?
• Do you prefer a school that has religious values at its core or a non-denominational option?
• Would you prefer an independent school with smaller class sizes or possibly better facilities?
The grammar school system
Kent operates a system of schooling whereby only those students determined to be the more academically capable by means of testing (using the Kent Test or ‘11+’), are offered the opportunity of going to a selective Grammar School. Students in the final year of primary will be offered the chance to take the Kent Test.
Sadly for those children who take it, it is sat in the first week back to school in September so parents have to be careful not to lose the last precious weeks of the holidays to revision and exam pressure. Some choose to use independent tutors to coach students to pass the Kent Test, occasionally beginning years before the actual test – a Mumsnet 2017 post refers to pupils being tutored from Year 3! However, in recent years, the government have tried to put in measures to make this difficult to avoid the system favouring families who can afford to pay for extra help.
Selective Schools
Students who pass the Kent Test can apply to the selective schools in Tunbridge Wells; Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys (TWGSB) and Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School (TWGGS). A catchment area applies to applications for both. TWGGS has historically been approximately 1.7 miles with TWGSB being wider.
TWGSB has benefitted from over £23m KCC investment between 2020 and 2022, with the development of a new Maths & ICT Teaching Centre, new five court Sports Centre and refurbished All-Weather-Pitch, alongside a new Sixth Form Centre. The school has also opened a campus in Sevenoaks, next to the Weald of Kent Girls Grammar School Sevenoaks site.
Open days and evenings are held in the Summer and Autumn terms, to show potential students around the schools (check the individual school websites for dates & follow the Belvoir Tunbridge Wells social media accounts as we try to share the open day dates).
Super-selective secondary schools
The Skinners’ School is classified as super-selective as students not only have to pass the Kent Test to be entitled to apply for a place, they will only be offered a place if they have passed above a defined pass mark. For 2021 admissions, all boys offered a place had achieved over 360 points; the pass mark that year being 332 (the pass mark changes every year but that is a whole other topic requiring a blog in itself.)
You may also hear talk of The Judd School, in neighbouring Tonbridge, which also has a super-selective admissions process and is equally highly regarded for academic pupils.
Non-selective schools in Tunbridge Wells and surrounding areas
The non-selective secondary school options are also schools that perform at an outstanding level so should in no way be considered as a lesser option.
The only non-religious and non-selective school in town is Skinner’s Kent Academy which achieved a Good in their last OFSTED report (May 2023) and whose results are on a continuous rise since becoming an academy in 2009. The building and its facilities are a league above all the other schools in the area being modern, carefully designed and purpose built.
Students who are practicing Christians have the non-selective school option of Bennett Memorial Diocesan Schooland this has an Outstanding OFSTED report. Applicants must prove they attend a church regularly, with written proof from the church being a firm requirement. There’s no getting around that one with a church visit at Easter and Christmas!
Roman Catholic students can apply to St Gregory’s Catholic Schoolwhich also has an Outstanding OFSTED report. Places are frequently extended to non-RC applicants and the school has excellent sports facilities, including a new independent Sports Centre.
The secondary schools in nearby Wadhurst (Uplands Community College) and Crowborough (Beacon Academy) are both mixed sex schools and non-selective. Both attract very good feedback with students generally being happy and settled.
Independent Schools
Independent schools are available in and around Tunbridge Wells for primary school and secondary school education. They have smaller class sizes, often have a longer school day and may have classes and/or sport on Saturdays. As with all Tunbridge Wells schools, the standards of teaching are high.
Primary options in town are Rose Hill on Coniston Avenue and The Mead School on Frant Road, both of which have a nurturing ethos and an excellent success rate at the Kent Test. Rose Hill takes pupils up to the age of 13 to prepare them for the Common Entrance exam and access to further Independent school education e.g. Tonbridge, Bede’s, Ardingly, Kent College.
Out in the villages, the Sacred Heart School in Wadhurst takes Catholic pupils from 2-11 in small class sizes, Bricklehurst Manor for boys and girls ages 3-11 (also in Wadhurst), the acclaimed Holmewood House in Langton Green for ages 3-13 and Bethany School in Goudhurst for 11-18.
Finally, a bit of local knowledge can go a long way in school discussions so here’s some jargon for you to get acquainted with:
- Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys can sometimes be referred to as ‘Tech’ though this is outdated. It is a historical reference to its foundation as a technical school in 1956, but it became a Grammar School way back in 1982.
- Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Girls is commonly referred to as TWGGS, pronounced Twigs. Not to be confused with Tonbridge Grammar School which is abbreviated to TGS and pronounced Togs. Got it?
- Skinners’ Kent Academy was formerly called Tunbridge Wells High School and at one point, Sandown Court, but be aware that it is now a very different school (purely sharing the same ground area as the old school) and is now consistently over-subscribed.
More useful information can be found online at:
https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools masses of information plus the portal to register for schools and the Kent test (11+)
https://admissionsday.co.uk/blog/how-primary-school-admissions-work-kent advice from a parent who moved to Tunbridge wells and wanted to help others understand the school system – please note, catchment area information is only available up to 2020 – the site is an interesting reference point, but not completely up to date.
