Moving to Tunbridge Wells - best place to live and Primary Schools

[cordi21]

Good morning, I will relocate to Tunbridge Wells at the end of July and looking to buy a property.
If I can't find the right property by then I will have to rent!
My child will start Y5 in September ..

Could you please help giving me some information on Primary schools? Obviously we will have to take into consideration secondary School as well as she will start in 2 years time...but for the moment I want to concentrate on Primary.

It must be not Private nor grammar.
I am after a school that is not too academic although obviously must be outstanding or very good. Our child needs some extra support at school with spelling, literacy etc. and I don't want her to struggle in a very competitive environment.

Also which area would you recommend to live (and or avoid)?

I don't drive so it must be within a reasonable walking distance to the centre of town and on a bus route .

Apologies for my never ending message but I am panicking as I don't have much time left and any information would be very welcome.

Thank you

Primary schools are heavily oversubscribed and catchment areas are small - you’ll have to contact Kent county council for availability in year 5. Traffic is horrendous especially along St. John’s Road and Pembury Road. Secondary schools are good - there are no really bad ones but there is the grammar system which many parents hire a tutor for to pass the Kent test at the beginning of year 6. It’s a highly competitive system but the non grammars are excellent if you choose not to go down that route. Having said all that TW is lovely and a good choice of location for work and social life. Good luck!

I would recommend St gregory’s as a secondary, its very focused on sen and supporting but also academic.

Primaries are chock full so it will be where has a space I think.

Traffic is awful so not driving is probably a bonus, st John’s area is always a carpark, as is the Pembury road. Lots of green space though and a beautiful common to make up for it.

Re where to live, it depends on budget really, the ‘old town’ at the bottom is beautiful but hugely expensive, as are the roads off St. John’s with the big Edwardian houses but there are lots of nice, cheaper areas too but further out from the town centre.

As with all towns it has good and bad parts, I grew up there and have moved not so far away so still visit regularly.

You need to contact Kent now and maybe work backwards from where does have a space. You can't rock up in July and expect a space in September, the schools are heavily oversubscribed.

Dear all, thank you very much for your information.
I've contacted Kent Admission Office a couple of months ago and unfortunately they can only update you with school's places availability once I have a proof of address and send in the application form and they are not sure about catchment as it changes every year. Also they would give my child a space where is available not based on catchment area. I would like my child to finish year 4 at her current school and if I apply for a school in Tunbridge Wells now I would only have 10 days to accept the place and that wouldn't be possible as we don't even have an address yet. So in a way I have to give up Primary and concentrate on Secondary school. I've checked Saint. Gregory but the child must be baptised and my child is not. I fear every Catholic church school will say the same and if I exclude Catholic, Grammar, Independent schools there's not much left.
Do you know Skinner Kent Academy? I have heard good comment about it.
Does any of you know the Bayhall Road area? it would be about 15 minutes walk from town .. the nearest schools would be Skinner Academy at 1.0 M. Really hard and time is running out.
Thank you

I know Tunbridge Wells a bit. I've only heard good things about Bennett Memorial School. And I think Skinners Academy is good, too.

What's your budget, and what type of house are you aiming for? (Size, garden, etc).

Hi cordi21, I am in the same position as you - looking into moving to TW and my daughter is in Y4 now. Have you moved to TW? What school did you go for?