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Original poster

Moving Welad to Tonbridge Girls Grammar school in Year 8

45 replies

happymum07 · 08/04/2026 07:38

We are thinking of moving our child from Weald to Tonbridge grammar school for girls in Year 8 after giving in year CAT exam. Has anyone done this before and did it help your child?

OP posts:
FancyBiscuitsLevel · 09/04/2026 10:09

@WW3- TGS/Togs is going to A levels from this September.

FancyBiscuitsLevel · 09/04/2026 10:03

If she’s happy at Weald, unless you have a burning desire to get her to focus on languages etc, I think you might be overestimating the difference academically between the schools.

Weald did have problems a few years ago but that seemed to be localised to their annex and the new head is apparently very impressive.

Original poster
happymum07 · 09/04/2026 09:11

happymum07 · 09/04/2026 09:07

Thanks that is very useful inputs. Can I check what does GTM mean?

Show quote history

Thanks sorry foor the typo

OP posts:
WW3 · 09/04/2026 09:10

Gifted and Talented

Original poster
happymum07 · 09/04/2026 09:07

WW3 · 09/04/2026 09:05

I wld stay at Weald until GCSEs and then move for 6th form. Lots of nice options around Tonbridge/TW then - single sex/co-ed/IB and A levels (although is TOGs keeping IB after govt removed funding?) and not so competitive as mainly done off GCSE grades. No need to stress with a CAT test now.

Weald has lots of pluses and she will achieve all 9s there if that is what she is capable of.

Lots of students move at 6th form so it is much easier to establish new friendship groups then.

If she needs further enrichment/stretch, look for the many online G&T courses which will be much wider than any exam syllabus or what TOGs can offer, as well as national competitions like the UKMT for which there are free online courses to prepare.

Thanks that is very useful inputs. Can I check what does GTM mean?

OP posts:
WW3 · 09/04/2026 09:05

I wld stay at Weald until GCSEs and then move for 6th form. Lots of nice options around Tonbridge/TW then - single sex/co-ed/IB and A levels (although is TOGs keeping IB after govt removed funding?) and not so competitive as mainly done off GCSE grades. No need to stress with a CAT test now.

Weald has lots of pluses and she will achieve all 9s there if that is what she is capable of.

Lots of students move at 6th form so it is much easier to establish new friendship groups then.

If she needs further enrichment/stretch, look for the many online G&T courses which will be much wider than any exam syllabus or what TOGs can offer, as well as national competitions like the UKMT for which there are free online courses to prepare.

Original poster
happymum07 · 09/04/2026 08:58

She is Happy at Weald ! Does not want to move

OP posts:
maz210 · 09/04/2026 08:57

What does your daughter want to do?

Original poster
happymum07 · 08/04/2026 23:59

No she still needs to give CAT4 exam

OP posts:
LadyLapsang · 08/04/2026 22:28

Has she been offered an in-year place?

Original poster
happymum07 · 08/04/2026 21:51

She gave a late kent test we are new to UK amd had only 3 weeks to prepare. She did a self study and passed in 3 weeks! With the right guidance and time to do the drills I am confident she will be assessed suitable for TGS too!

OP posts:
drdee · 08/04/2026 20:29

@happymum07 if her score didnt meet TGS cut off than it is probably not right place for her? What if she struggle in TGS and be in bottom sets etc? - İs this going to motivate her to study more to do better? - If not, I think its risky!

Original poster
happymum07 · 08/04/2026 16:03

She is at Weald tonbridhe. No her score did not meet TGS cut off

OP posts:
FancyBiscuitsLevel · 08/04/2026 15:04

Did your dd get a TGS score in her original 11+? (I know they don’t have a set score as such, but you usually can see the lowest they offered each year)

Is your dd at main Weald or Sevenoaks annex?

Original poster
happymum07 · 08/04/2026 10:44

We were new to UK and thats the only grammar school we got. Now that we are settled in we feel she has potential to do better with a right peer group environment

OP posts:
Outlookcloudy · 08/04/2026 10:41

They’re quite different schools, why did your daughter start at Weald?
I wouldn’t move a child due to rankings.

Original poster
happymum07 · 08/04/2026 10:38

Ok so far we are not very impressed with Weald in terms of academic progress

OP posts:
FancyBiscuitsLevel · 08/04/2026 10:29

No but - TGS teaches Latin and both French and Spanish in years 7 & 8, my info is a little old but I’m sure Weald said girls start year 7 doing only one language of either Spanish French or German and then take on a second, and Weald don’t do Latin. Your dd might need quite a bit of support to catch up in those classes.

Both TGS and Weald are very good schools, if your dd has friends and is happy at Weald, why would you move her? Weald are very good at stretching their higher end students.

Original poster
happymum07 · 08/04/2026 10:25

TGS has a better ranking. Also, I feel Weald is laid back and dont find the assessments and drills adequate to challenge her.

OP posts:
Littledogball · 08/04/2026 10:24

Why would you want to move her? Surely she’s settled with school and friends?

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