The Skinners' School
Tunbridge Wells, Kent · Boys · 11-18 (co-educational sixth form from 2026)
Reviewed against the school’s own admissions policy · September 2026
The Skinners' School, Tunbridge Wells — a selective boys' grammar school with a co-educational sixth form from 2026. Kent Test admissions and the West Kent Area / Outer Area split.
Key facts
| Gender intake | Boys |
| Age range | 11-18 (co-educational sixth form from 2026) |
| Admissions test | Kent Test |
| Year 7 places (PAN) | 160 |
| Official website | www.skinners-school.co.uk/ |
The entrance test
Every applicant sits the first stage; each step below narrows to the last.
Sit the Kent Test
Reach the standard AND score 40+ points above the Kent pass mark
Ranked within your area — West Kent or Outer
Places offered
140 West Kent, 20 Outer
A voluntary-aided boys' grammar school. Boys must sit the Kent Test AND score at least 40 points above the Kent pass mark (e.g. 372 where the county threshold is 332) to be eligible. 140 of the 160 places go to the school's West Kent Area (of which up to 16 are Governors' places, offered to the highest scorers) and 20 to an Outer Area covering the rest of England.
How places are decided
Priority order when the school is oversubscribed. The small categories are settled first.
- 1An EHCP naming the school
- 2Looked-after & previously looked-after boys
- 3Pupil Premium — up to 16 places, by highest score
- 4Siblings, then sons of staff
- 5West Kent Area — remaining places by distancemost places
- 6Governors' places (up to 16) — West Kent, by highest score
- 7Outer Area (20) — siblings, staff, then distance
Catchment & priority area
Area-based priority
Two zones. The West Kent Area — an Inner Priority Zone of roughly 3 miles from the school plus a long list of named parishes — fills 140 of the 160 places. An Outer Area (the rest of England) fills the remaining 20. Check the school's current policy for the parish list.
Key dates
The same timetable for every Kent grammar school. Confirm the current year with KCC.
1 June – 1 July
Register for the Kent Test with KCC
Early September
Test sat, in Year 6
15 October
Results released
1 March
National offer day
Always verify against the school’s own current admissions policy — criteria, catchment boundaries and places-available can all change between admissions cycles, and The Skinners' School’s own website is the authoritative source, not this page.
All Kent grammar schools use the same county-wide test — see the format, timeline and registration process. For the wider picture of grammar schools across England, see UK Grammar Schools: List, Competition & Results.
Common questions about The Skinners' School
Does The Skinners' School have a catchment area?
Yes. 140 of its 160 places go to boys in the school's West Kent Area — an Inner Priority Zone of about 3 miles plus named parishes — and 20 to an Outer Area covering the rest of England.
What score do you need for The Skinners' School?
As well as passing the Kent Test, boys must score at least 40 points above the county pass mark — for example 372 where the threshold is 332. The up-to-16 Governors' places within the West Kent Area go to the highest scorers of all.
Is The Skinners' School a boys' school?
Boys for Years 7 to 11. From September 2026 the sixth form admits girls, so it becomes co-educational at 16.
How many places does The Skinners' School have?
160 Year 7 places: 140 for the West Kent Area (up to 16 of them Governors' places), and 20 for the Outer Area.
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