Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School is a selective, state grammar school, based in Tunbridge Wells in Kent. Founded in 1905 and having since gained academy status, Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School admits girls from Year 7 to Year 11.
Academically, the school has maintained a strong record over the years. In the most recent year, over 75% of students scored between an A* and a B at A Level, with over 80% of the year continuing onto higher education, many of whom gaining places at top Russell Group Universities, including the University of Durham, Edinburgh and Oxford. The school is also noted for its Outstanding Ofsted inspection judgement, which reflects a high quality in teaching and pupil behaviour.
In addition to academics, Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities. There is a rich variety of clubs and societies, such as Chess Club, Textiles Club and Mythology Club, many of which are student-led and run throughout the school week. The school offers excellent sports facilities, including a sports hall for indoor sports including badminton, volleyball and basketball, large playing fields and several tennis and netball courts. In terms of the arts, the school contains purpose-built facilities, including a music block which includes both teaching and practice rooms, as well as several spaces which are used for theatrical productions.
Entry Points
Like many secondary grammar schools, Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School offers two main points of admission: Year 7 and Year 12. Although uncommon, in-year admissions may also occur if vacancies come up.
The school currently admits 174 students into Year 7, but like many other top grammar schools in the county, it is highly oversubscribed; the school tends to receive around 4 applications for every place. At Sixth Form, up to 30 places are allocated to external applicants, though this can be higher if the number of internal students choosing not to continue is smaller than expected.
Admissions Process for 11+ Entry
Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School awards places based on candidates’ performance in the Kent Test. Parents must register girls for this test in June of Year 5, and the exam takes place in September of Year 6. The Kent Test covers English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Kent Test results are typically released in mid-October - pupils must achieve a score of at least 332, with no individual subject score below 108, in order to qualify for a place at any grammar school in the county.
Parents are then asked to complete a Common Application Form and submit it to their local authority, in which they list their school choices in order of preference. Offers are made on National Offer Day, which is generally at the start of March.
When more applicants achieve the minimum score than there are places available, Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School prioritises students using the following oversubscription criteria:
- Looked-after children and previously looked-after children
- Students receiving Pupil Premium
- Students who currently have a sister at the school
- Students with a verified medical or social need that can only be met at the school
- Daughters of staff members
- Girls who live within a 4 mile radius of the school
- Distance from home to school
- Governors’ places - up to 17 governors’ places may be offered to local girls who narrowly missed the qualifying score, ranked by Kent Test performance
Example Questions in the Kent Test
The Kent Test is an exam used for all grammar schools in the county. It is supplied by GL Assessment, which provides tests for grammar school throughout the country, and is comprised of two multiple-choice papers, each lasting around sixty minutes. The first paper assesses Mathematics and English skills, while the second contains questions on Non-Verbal and Verbal Reasoning. Additionally, results are age-standardised, meaning that younger pupils in an academic year are not disadvantaged.
As well as undertaking these multiple-choice papers, candidates must complete a 40-minute writing task. This exercise does not determine students’ overall score, but can be used as a deciding factor in cases where a score is close to the pass mark.
While official past papers are not available, GL Assessment does provide free familiarisation materials on their website to help with preparation.
Example English Question: Comprehension
‘I sat at my desk, the glow of the reading lamp casting lengthy shadows across the ruffled papers. Outside, precipitation traced slow patterns down the windows, which blurred the streetlights beyond. My notes were haphazard, full of crossings-out and arrows pointing in random directions, yet one paragraph in the centre of the page felt good. I hesitated, pen hovering above it, before drawing a firm line underneath it. It wasn’t perfect, but it was the most promising idea I had managed all evening, and abandoning it now would mean starting again from nothing.’
Q: ’pen hovering above it’
What does this phrase suggest about the narrator?
A: He was distracted by the rain outside.
B: He was unsure whether to continue or change their work.
C: He was running out of ink.
D: He had already decided to stop working.
E: He was copying someone else’s ideas.
Q: ’abandoning it now would mean starting again from nothing’
What does this show about the narrator’s attitude?
A: He believed his work was finished.
B: He felt confident that the paragraph was flawless.
C: He was reluctant to discard the progress he had made.
D: He wanted to impress someone else with his writing.
E: He expected the task to be easy to redo.
English: Spellings
Q: Which section of this sentence contains a spelling mistake?
Although the peace was calming, I occassionally missed the hum of the city.
A B C D
Mathematics: Ratio
Q: Eloise and Daphne share sweets in the ratio 3:5. If Eloise takes 21 sweets, how many will Daphne take?
A: 23
B: 50
C: 30
D: 35
E: 40
Q: In order to make a cake, you need flour, milk and sugar in the ratio 5:2:3. If the cake weighs 800g, how much sugar will you need?
A: 300g
B: 500g
C: 240g
D: 200g
E: 160g
Verbal Reasoning: Letter codes
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Q: If the code for KING is MKPI, what is the code for DOGS?
Q: If the code for EAT is DZS, what is OTM the code for?
Verbal Reasoning: Change one letter at a time
Fill in the gaps below, changing one letter at a time from the words on the left to create new words.
EG: GIVE —> LIVE —> LOVE
Q: HUSH —> _ _ _ _ —> RUST
Q: MOST —> _ _ _ _ —> HOSE
Non-Verbal Reasoning
These questions tend to focus on problems involving shapes. Students may be asked to choose which shape fits in a particular group, to rotate or reflect certain shapes, or to determine how two or three shapes can come together to create a larger shape.
Writing Task
Previous questions are not provided online, either by Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School or the Kent County Council website, though in previous years, students have been asked to produce a piece of narrative, descriptive, or discursive writing, with 10 minutes given for planning, and 30 minutes for writing.
16+ (Sixth Form) Admission Requirements
All external students apply in the autumn term of Year 11. Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar then makes conditional offers to girls a few months later, based on their upcoming GCSEs. If those conditions are met, places are confirmed on GCSE results day, based on whether there are available spaces in the subjects candidates have expressed an interest in studying at A Level.
Girls must have achieved an average GCSE point score of at least 6 from their top 6 subjects. Additionally, they must also score a minimum of a grade 5 in English Language or Mathematics, with at least a grade 4 in the other. Generally, they are expected to have scored at least a grade 7 in the subjects they wish to pursue at A Level.
In the case of there being more external applicants than places available, the school applies an oversubscription criteria, prioritising students in this order:
- Children in local authority care or previously in local authority care
- Health and special access reasons
- Students closest to the school
In-year Admissions
Applications can be made to the school for in-year entry. If the school is not in a position to offer a place, a waiting list is held, in accordance with the school’s oversubscription criteria. The school offers assessment tests four times a year, which helps determine whether students are academically suitable and can be placed on the waiting list. As soon as a place becomes available for whatever reason, the student at the top of the waiting list is offered the place.
Preparation Tips for the Entrance Test for Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School
Thorough preparation is essential for students aiming to secure a place at Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School. Unlike many other grammar schools, students must only take one exam at the 11+ stage, which means there is only one main opportunity to win a place, so exam experience and a thorough knowledge of the KS2 curriculum is important. Read more in our Kent Test preparation tips guide.
Keystone have provided specialist tutors for these tests for over a decade, who are experienced and can guide candidates through the entire process. For more details on how Keystone can help with preparation for the Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School exam, feel free to call the office for a chat with one of our client managers, or contact us via our request a tutor form.
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