Non such/Chemsford County/Tonrbidge/Latymer/Colchester - any feedback of school to choose

Vaersgo, as the Danes might say:

https://www.kent.gov.uk/__data/assets/excel_doc/0019/244135/Report-of-Kent-Test-scores-2026.xlsx

https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/kent-test/kent-test-results

(Scroll down to 'Kent Test Scores Report 2026')

Hi OP,

Firstly, many congratulations on your DD’s fantastic results! 😊

I understand you may already have a list of preferred schools in mind, but there’s no harm in asking for suggestions and exploring different options. I’m also considering a few schools that my daughter has qualified for, so I can relate to how you must be feeling while weighing up the choices.

At the moment, Latymer is my first preference, mainly because of its proximity to central London.

I was also curious to know where you got the information that 35 OOC girls scored 423. Is there a forum or a source where this information has been shared? It would be really helpful to understand this better. My DD score 400, so wondering if we have any chances for Tonbridge (TOGS) or Dartford grammar school for girls.

Assume op dd is year 6 having just taken 11+ so with CAF due next week there is limited opportunity to visit beforehand, especially with half term. Did they visit some if not all for the exam sitting?

I have close friends with experience of Nonsuch and TOGS (really important to make the difference between Tonbridge school and the Tonbridge grammar school)

Both school was spoken of highly and the girls thrives in school.

I would second visiting the schools and seeing how you feel about them as you walk around. You have missed TOGs open days for this year. Unsure about NonSuch. As you mention year 5 I suspect you have time for visits.
I would look closer at the admission criteria though

Also worth nothing there is little in it between the 2

National Rankings (2026 League Tables)

• 13th: Nonsuch High School for Girls (Cheam) — GCSE (% 9/8/7): 82.8% | A-Level A*–B: 89.2%
• 14th: Tonbridge Grammar School (Tonbridge) — GCSE (% 9/8/7): 77.6% | A-Level A*–B: 91.5

I've taken an hour or more to get to Colchester Grammar from a village ten miles away on a bad day. Even on a good day it was at least 35-40 mins in rush hour.

I feel sorry for these kids who are expected to do a commute that is similar to an adult going into central London from somewhere like Colchester. It's where crazy parental ambition and the kudos of having their child at one of the country's super selective grammars absolutely trumps common sense and concern for their wellbeing. Either move house or send them somewhere else. They have enough pressure at these schools without a monumental commute as well.

Both Chelmsford and Nonsuch have fantastic reputations that go well beyond just their exam results, especially compared to a typical local state school. Since the OP's DD is academically strong, I would bet she can't go wrong with either.
At the end of the day, most families simply choose based on location. For instance, in the Sutton exams, when a girl qualifies for both Nonsuch and Wallington, picking the closer one is generally considered the most sensible option. If location isn't a factor, like in the OP's case, sending DC "randomly" to one of several schools of similar calibre makes more sense than it first appears.

Would you really send a child to a school you've never visited on the random say so of strangers on the internet? If your child is as bright as you say she is, she will do well at whatever school you send her to. It doesn't need to be a grammar school. They aren't magical.places & the results mostly depend on their intake.

Knowing your own school preference is obviously good, but the caveat is that open days could still mislead you and results could disappoint you. On the other hand, just like OP, randomly shotgunning grammars across London and asking random people on MN without needing to be deeply committed might make DC less stressful and still end up working out very well. Ironic, but true.

As an aside, how did your daughter find the Chelmsford FSCE test? As far as I can see it is so different to the other 11+ exams and much harder to prep for. We are just starting our prep now

My question was a (probably too subtle) pointed comment about why on earth you would apply for a bunch of random schools you have never visited, just because they are grammars! But yes, the 11+ is bonkers.

DD has sat for Nonsuch (not Non Such) and Wallington and we had a clear preference between the 2 schools when we went to the open evenings. But having never been to Chelmsford, I couldn't tell you how Nonsuch compares.

I assume you visited them

Apologies if I'm wrong, but I assume that you don't have a lot of experience of the wacky world of 11+ tourism posting.

A goodly proportion have no experience of the schools in question other than having taken their DC there on the day of the test...

As a pp has noted, @JustTealWriter , if you're in East London, your DD could just get the train for CCHS, presumably, if you don't fancy moving to the city? Unless you seriously can pack up and move, lock, lock and barrel into the CCHS priority admissions area and provide the required proof, by Saturday 31st, you've missed the boat for being considered IC anyway, and if your confidence that your DD's score would get her one of the 'all other applicants, regardless of place of residence' places - which is what that category is, not 'OOC specific' - isn't misplaced, this would give you much more time to find somewhere nice, if you did decide to move.

Long-distance commuter pupils dozing off in lessons and taking zero interest in participating in extracurricular activities were some of the issues prompting the Chelmsford grammar schools to introduce a priority area back in ?2013, but if you are within easy distance of Liverpool St / Stratford or any of the intermediate stations on the line to , your DD might not have a much longer journey, time-wise, than some reliant on buses from the outer edges of the priority area.

CCHSG would be another kettle of fish, although there are people who swear (or at least used to - haven't seen the claim much in more recent years) that travelling to the Colchester grammar schools from well within the M25 never takes their DC any longer than an hour, never any hold-ups on the A12 or local roads for them, unlike for any of us lesser mortals who have ever had to drive into Colchester at school drop-off time.

Chelmsford sounds like it would work well if you are east london based...it's near the ststion so lots of girls travel in by train

No chance for Tiffin though. It appears OP lives outside of its catchment (designated area) now.

Honestly they are all great schools, don't get too caught up in which is absolute best. I assume you visited them, so must have some views. I would then decide where you want to live. Even if you don't have work constraints, look at rent in the areas, how multicultural they are, where you would actually live and what distance your DD would have to travel to school etc.

Do you not have any constraints at all as adults regarding where to live? Or preferences? TOGS is the only one I know and it's a lovely school, but I wouldn't want to live in Tonbridge!

The city of Chelmsford is nice enough and the school is excellent...however as pp have said, it would be quiye different to living in Cheam which is in london. Where do you need to be for work etc?

Your post is hard to understand. If you are putting Nonsuch first, why are you moving into the Tiffin area? You will struggle to get people to compare these schools, as most only apply in 1 or 2 areas. Assuming you are considering moving, I would decide where you most want to live. Chelmsford will be quite different to Cheam/Kingston.