Tonbridge Grammar School
Tonbridge, Kent · Girls · 11-18
Reviewed against the school’s own admissions policy · September 2026
Tonbridge Grammar School — a highly oversubscribed girls' grammar school. Kent Test admissions, the Area/Trustee Places split, and real competitiveness figures.
Key facts
| Gender intake | Girls |
| Age range | 11-18 |
| Admissions test | Kent Test |
| Year 7 places (PAN) | 180 |
| Official website | www.tgs.kent.sch.uk/ |
The entrance test
Every applicant sits the first stage; each step below narrows to the last.
Sit the Kent Test
Shared by every Kent grammar school
Reach the selective standard
Ranked in your category by combined score
Places offered
135 Area · 30 Trustee · 15 Pupil Premium
Admits girls based on Kent Test performance. Within its Area Places, priority goes to the highest scorers living in the priority area; ties are broken by straight-line distance to the school.
How places are decided
Priority order when the school is oversubscribed. The small categories are settled first.
- 1Looked-after & previously looked-after girls
- 2Pupil Premium places (15), by proximity
- 3Area Places — Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks (135)
- 4Trustee Places — open to anyone outside those areas (30)
- 5Within each: highest combined Kent Test scoremost places
Catchment & priority area
Area-based priority
Three place categories, not two: up to 135 'Area Places' for girls resident in Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells or Sevenoaks (ranked by Kent Test score, then distance), 30 'Trustee Places' open to applicants from outside those areas (ranked the same way), and 15 Pupil Premium places allocated by proximity to girls who narrowly miss the Area qualifying score.
How competitive is it
Reported as highly oversubscribed, with roughly 4-5 applicants for every place in recent cycles.
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 Tonbridge Grammar 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 Tonbridge Grammar School
What is the catchment area for Tonbridge Grammar School?
Up to 135 'Area Places' are for girls living in Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells or Sevenoaks. 30 'Trustee Places' are open to applicants from outside those areas, and 15 further places are for Pupil Premium-eligible girls who narrowly miss the Area score.
How competitive is Tonbridge Grammar School?
It is one of the more oversubscribed Kent grammar schools, with reports of roughly 4 to 5 applicants for every place in recent years.
How are places decided at Tonbridge Grammar School?
Within each category, girls are ranked by their combined Kent Test score, with straight-line distance to the school as the tie-break, and a supervised random draw if applicants are still tied.
Does Tonbridge Grammar School set its own test?
No. Entry is on the Kent Test alone, organised and administered by Kent County Council.
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