Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School 11 plus preparation feels much easier when you understand the admissions steps early and keep the focus on calm, steady progress. This is a selective girls grammar school in Tunbridge Wells, close to The Pantiles and the wider St Johns area, so distance can matter just as much as test performance for Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School admissions.
A good place to begin is a simple plan for the year by year build up, so you are not guessing what to do next. You can also use this guide on choosing grammar schools in Kent to map out realistic options alongside Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School.
| Item | Verified detail |
| School | Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School in Tunbridge Wells |
| Age range | 11 to 18 |
| Type | Selective girls secondary with sixth form |
| Published admission number | 174 places in the most recently published criteria |
| Governors allocation | 17 places in the most recently published criteria |
| Ofsted | Outstanding at the inspection on 19 September 2023 |
| Location |
For most families, the first step is the Kent PESE 11 plus test, sometimes referred to as the Kent Test. The school explains that the Kent PESE 11 plus test takes place in autumn each year and that registration is during June in the same year, which is the planning point for 2027 entry. For official exam dates, use the school admissions timeline page.
The Kent Test is structured and predictable once you have seen it. Kent County Council explains that the papers are multiple choice with a separate answer sheet and computer marking, with an English and maths paper and a reasoning paper that includes verbal reasoning and non verbal reasoning, plus a writing exercise that is not marked but may be used in the headteacher assessment stage.
You can also use the free familiarisation materials to help your child get used to the look and feel of timed multiple choice work without making it feel intense too early.
Registration is the first gate. The school notes that registration is during June in the same year as the test for that autumn cycle, so for 2027 entry you are thinking about summer 2026 for registration, followed by autumn 2026 for the assessment itself.
Kent County Council also signals when to look out for the next cycle by stating that details and dates for the September 2026 Kent Test will be available in May 2026, which helps you know when to start checking for confirmed dates.
This is the Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School entrance exam route used for selection. Expect timed sections and a strong focus on careful reading, accurate maths, and reasoning patterns. The earlier familiarisation matters because it reduces silly errors from rushing.
After results, children are either assessed as grammar suitable or not. Where a child is not assessed as grammar suitable, the writing task may still play a role in the headteacher assessment stage described by Kent, so it is worth treating writing as part of preparation even though it is not marked in the usual way.
Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School admissions sit within the coordinated admissions process, so you normally name the school on the local authority application form in the usual way, alongside other realistic preferences.
Passing the Kent Test is necessary but not always enough on its own. Places are allocated using published oversubscription rules once the school is oversubscribed.
If you are offered a place, you accept through the normal process. If not, you can join the waiting list and consider an appeal, but it helps to be realistic about the strength of your evidence and the role distance may have played.
| When | What happens |
| May 2026 | Kent signals that details and dates for the September 2026 Kent Test will be available |
| June 2026 | School advises registration for the Kent PESE 11 plus test during June in the same year |
| Autumn 2026 | School advises the Kent PESE 11 plus test takes place in autumn |
The most recently published admissions criteria give a clear picture of how places are prioritised when the school is oversubscribed, including the published admission number of 174 and an allocation of 17 governors places.
Priority is given in this order: children with an education health and care plan naming the school, looked after and previously looked after children, children eligible for pupil premium, children with health and access reasons, family association, children living within a defined priority area, then by distance, and finally the governors allocation.
The priority area includes girls living within four miles of the school main entrance and specific civil parishes: Brenchley and Matfield, East Peckham, Hadlow, Horsmonden, Lamberhurst, Paddock Wood, Pembury, Speldhurst, and Yalding.
This is supported by the Department for Education guidance on admissions arrangements.
A calm way to use this information is to treat distance as a reality check early on. You can still prepare ambitiously, but you also want at least one or two other preferences that fit your child and are more likely on distance.
Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School is accessed through the Kent Test route for Year 7 entry. The school does not describe a separate interview as the main gateway, so your attention is best spent on understanding the Kent Test format and building consistent skills.
For confidence about school standards, Ofsted reports the overall outcome of the inspection on 19 September 2023 as Outstanding. You can read this on the Ofsted inspection report page.
The Kent Test format rewards children who can work accurately at speed without panic, and switch between English, maths, and reasoning without losing focus. A simple way to keep this organised is to follow this year by year 11 plus preparation plan alongside short weekly checkpoints.
As a clear starting point, you can book a free 11 plus diagnostic session with Find Your Tutor FYT focused on Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School. It benchmarks your child’s current level and gives you a personalised preparation roadmap for the months ahead.
Join Hundreds of Families Who Secured Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School Places with Find Your Tutor.
It means your child needs to be assessed as grammar suitable through the Kent Test route and then a place is offered based on the published oversubscription rules. Distance and priority area can matter as much as the score once the school is oversubscribed.
For Year 7 entry the school route is through the Kent Test process. The best preparation is therefore aligned to the Kent Test papers and expectations.
Yes, families outside Kent can apply, but you need to follow the correct registration route for testing and still name the school on the application form. It is also sensible to be realistic about how distance might affect allocation.
Not always, but the published criteria give strong priority to girls within the defined priority area and then allocate further places by distance. That means living closer can make a real difference when the school is oversubscribed.
The most recently published criteria include a four mile radius from the school main entrance and also specific civil parishes. Always check the latest published policy for the year you are applying.
The school sets out a pupil premium priority within its admissions approach, and it also highlights a supplemental information form route for the relevant place. Eligibility and deadlines matter, so it is worth reading the school instructions early.
The published criteria include family association criteria, but it is applied within the wider priority order and does not replace distance based allocation when the school is oversubscribed.
You can go onto the waiting list and you can consider an appeal. It helps to be calm and evidence led about why the school is the right fit and what the admission authority should consider.
You can start with the <a href=”https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/education/school-admissions/school-appeals/”>Citizens Advice guidance on school admission appeals</a> so you understand what evidence tends to be helpful and what panels can and cannot do.
Yes you can appeal, but a distance based refusal is often hard to overturn unless there are strong reasons and clear evidence. It helps to be realistic and to keep options open through your other preferences.
You should usually accept the offered place to keep your child secure while the waiting list moves. Waiting lists can change as families accept different offers.
Kent describes the writing task as unmarked but potentially used as part of the headteacher assessment stage. This tends to matter when children are close to the standard and the school needs more evidence of suitability.
Children with an education health and care plan naming the school are handled differently in admissions. For parent friendly explanations and rights, you can use the <a href=”https://www.ipsea.org.uk/”>IPSEA guidance for families</a> and then speak to your current school and the local authority.
Too much is when your child becomes anxious, avoids work, or loses confidence. Short consistent practice with good feedback usually beats long intense sessions.
A steady build from Year 4 and Year 5 usually works best, with more structured timed practice in Year 6. The earlier years are about foundations and habits, not pressure.
