We also have a boy, and our first secondary choices would be Tonbridge and Sevenoaks. We explored the Sevenoaks process in detail during the one-to-one tours, and if you are planning on being a day pupil, rather than a boarder, your chances are higher for Year 7. However, with the current political uncertainty, we want to keep grammars on the table, not only for potential financial reasons but also because we want to see how factors such as university admissions evolve over time.
We are at Hilden Grange, which we absolutely love, and you can choose either 11 or 13 for leavers’ destinations. There is also not a heavy tutoring culture, as the children have a very strong academic foundation. In fact, the tutor used by most parents for grammar preparation recommended not starting before Year 5 to avoid boredom, and said extra maths sessions were generally unnecessary, as the children were already quite far ahead. We also have very happy friends at Somerhill and New Beacon, which also offer 11 and 13.
We have heard very mixed feedback about Holmewood. Academically, the picture appears inconsistent, with some families content but many others notably unhappy and spending a considerable amount on external support to bridge gaps they felt the school was not addressing. Quite a few parents who had hoped for Tonbridge have moved to Hilden Grange for a stronger academic pathway, especially those aiming for more selective 13 plus destinations.
For girls, 13 plus co-educational entry is more complicated, as although Hilden Grange is co-educational, most pupils remaining to 13 are boys, and Somerhill only goes to 13 for boys, not girls. Most girls’ schools, including boarding schools such as Wycombe Abbey, CLC, Downe House and Benenden, now take the majority of their cohort at 11, and there is a significant social advantage to joining then. The other co-educational 13 plus option would be Sevenoaks Prep, which also goes to 13, although it is a longer drive.
Tonbridge and Hurst both use the ISEB, but the threshold is noticeably higher for Tonbridge. I cannot think of a case in which a pupil holding a Tonbridge offer from Hilden Grange did not secure a place at Hurst, which is a common back-up. However, the reverse does occur, which aligns with published league tables. Eastbourne uses “relevant data” and is very softly selective; at Hilden Grange it is commonly used as a safety option, and I have never known anyone fail to secure a place, even those whose children find the academic side more challenging.
For us, the focus would be Tonbridge and Sevenoaks, but we want the super-selective grammars to remain an option, and Hilden Grange seems to provide the broadest set of pathways. When choosing between buying a house in Tonbridge or Tunbridge Wells, we opted for Tonbridge, as we felt that schools such as Holmewood House did not, academically speaking, offer sufficient value for the fees. That said, we were coming from a more academically driven London prep, which may have influenced our perspective.
If you are certain that Hurst or Eastbourne is the right fit, Holmewood House can be a good option, particularly for children who love the performing arts. However, for families aiming for more selective academic destinations, it may be worth considering other schools. Holmewood House sent only 11 per cent of its 13 plus cohort to Tonbridge, and when adjusted for Year 7 leavers, that is closer to 7 to 8 per cent of the full cohort, compared with 31 per cent at Hilden Grange and 17 per cent at Somerhill. Considering that both of those schools also send many of their strongest academic pupils to Judd and Skinners, the difference is notable. For Sevenoaks, Hilden Grange sent 10 per cent, Somerhill also sent 10 per cent, while Holmewood House sent 5 per cent, potentially lower once adjusted. The local (within 30 min) day-school options, both independent and grammar, are extremely competitive for boys in this area.