Tiffin's ranked mark definition

If there’s even one person on the waiting list from the inner area who ends up getting an offer (and that did happen！), then the whole 60-catchment rule gives no advantage whatsoever.

Why are you here, then?

@bayesianif you are teaching your impressionable child that kind of xenophobic ignorance - not supported by data easily found online, if you know where to look - you can forget about grammar school, Oxbridge, and the rest

yes, true. of course if she gets through we will have long term plans to stay there. but point2 is a bit tricky. might have to reconsider our decision.

I believe that Kingston follows same admissions procedure as neighbouring Richmond which is as per the second bullet point in your post, i.e. that if you still own a property reasonably close then they will count that as your permanent address even if you have a rented property nearer. I understand this is because people were keeping their owned property (even if renting out for a year) and renting somewhere nearer their preferred school for a year...and then moving back to their owned property.

The 60 places are also prioritised first for disadvantaged children, so if say 20 disadvantaged girls get places first then the remaining 40 places would go to inner area candidates so the advantage of inner v designated catchment is not worth moving to inner area.

Worth checking with council. Years ago when we moved just before reception entry we were quizzed a lot - even though we had bought our own home - because we still owned our previous home. So we had furnish documents to prove that we intended to live at the new address and not move back. Ours was a genuine move so we had no issue with the proofs requested, but it made me realise that moving for schools is not straightforward.

Thanks @FitnessIsTheOnlyWealth We own our current house. Plan will be to put the current one on rent and move on rent close to the school may be by Jul/Aug next year (that will be 1+ year before applying). So she will attend year 6 in Kingston. Want to be 100% sure we are complying to the admission guidelines before making the big move, if we do.
As per the school guidelines (2nd point a bit confusing):

• If we are unable to verify your child’s home address, or you have moved to the address given on the application within the last 12 months, further information will be requested. If sufficient evidence to verify your home address is not provided, or is not received within the timeframe requested, we will not accept the address provided on your application for admission purposes.
• If you own or rent a property which is used, or has previously been used, as your home address and you state that you are living at and apply from a different address which is closer to the school, we will normally treat the second address as temporary, even if the property that is further away is not available for you to live in. We must be satisfied that your move is a permanent arrangement and will consider a range of factors when making a decision

@mum707you need to move by 31st Oct 2026 which will be your CAF submission date.
please check rules around owning/renting your house at the time of CAF & previous/other homes owned. Some boroughs are strict about it and will have rules around whether you own/renting your home and for how long. Worth researching before making any decision.

@here This is a very informative post. I need some suggestion. My daughter will give her 11 plus in 2026. We currently live in Pinner and there aren't many grammar schools around. Targeting for HBS, but the competition is too high. Is moving to inner area/close to TGS a good decision? If she's planning to write her test in Sep/Oct 2026, how long before should we target to move? what i've read so far is - it should be during the time we submit the application, so Jul/Aug 2025 is a good time?

our experience has been that TGS guard this info - exactly how the inner area girls are selected, and how many - very closely. You’ll get better intel on the relevant Eleven Plus forum. But from what I could see there, parents have asked all these questions via FOI and little is known. My point was, the main way to get a place is to be at least in the designated area (of course), but basically to prep and pass the test - the extra advantage inner area gives you seems minimal. So, if private fees are an option as back-up, you may as well be located in, say, Wimbledon where you can both apply to Tiffin but also go for Wimbledon and Putney, Emanuel etc .

Does anyone notice the number of inner area students admitted? It seems more than 60 each year. In this case I would assume No. 61 is scored within top 180, i.e. all inner area 60 girls are also within top 180, which makes inner area has no advantage at all?

No, we did not apply to fee paying schools, and there are in fact many excellent state schools in the Richmond/Kingston boroughs, we are really spoilt. I would sound a note of caution on comparisons with private schools; TGS is not a “free” private education. The classes are large, the extracurriculars are OK but it is very much a state-style offering.

No, the “inner area” are a few postcodes right next to the school. The applicants there have a slight advantage in the scoring. All other applicants have to come from the “designated area” which is basically all of SW London (incl Surbiton etc), and a bit of Chiswick. No marking advantage for those applicants. It’s all on the TGS site.

Honestly don’t bother moving house to get into inner area! In practice the advantage of those postcodes appears to be marginal. Loads of TGS girls come from Wimbledon, New Malden, Walton, Surbiton.