Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Tunbridge wells grammar school for boys, trave8ng from Bromley

26 replies

Fiddlefig · 21/04/2021 18:21

Hi everyone,
My son got offered a place by Tunbridge wells Grammar school for boys.
The problem is we live in Bromley.
Is anyone whose son going to Tunbridge wells grammar for boys?
If so how your son travels from.Bromley to Tunbridge?
Is there a school bus from Bromley to Tunbridge Wells?if there is how do we contact them?
I really appreciate if you share your experience with me.
Thank you in advance.

OP posts:
SJaneS49 · 23/04/2021 21:43

Sorry I can’t offer direct experience & hopefully someone can come along who can ..but if you’ve been offered Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys why not request the to be opened in September new Sevenoaks annex site? I think they are taking 80 boys. It will be a miles easier journey for your son! It’s under construction right now and is right next to the Weald of Kent Grammar Annex. Most Bromley & Orpington parents with girls who are allocated Weald go for the Sevenoaks site. If allocation goes like Weald, you can give a preference for site after allocation so I’d give them a call on Monday if I were you and ask about Sevenoaks. From Bromley South it’s a circa 30 minute train journey to Sevenoaks train station then about 15 minutes by bus to to the new annex from there. Bromley parents with daughters at Weald Sevenoaks would be able to give you the best travel advice.

Bromley to Tunbridge Wells Boys Grammar looks from a brief glance to be a bit of a nightmare. I don’t know that any of the grammars run buses - although perhaps there are organised by parents mini buses from Bromley? At a quick glance it would be a bus to Orpington then direct train to either Tunbridge Wells or High Brooms (the grammar isn’t exactly located next to either so it would be a walk from there).

As an aside, I don’t know their location criteria but was Oakwood Boys Grammar in Maidstone an option for you or something you looked at? It’s good and usually under subscribed and there is a direct train service from Bromley South to Maidstone. It may be the simplest journey.

SJaneS49 · 23/04/2021 22:43

If it’s not clear @Fiddlefig from the above, the annex I’m talking about in Sevenoaks is Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys second site. So from September onwards, the school (like Weald of Kent) will have two sites, one in Sevenoaks (the annex) and one in Tunbridge Wells. Boys who get offered the school will go to one of the two sites.

Original poster
Fiddlefig · 24/04/2021 08:51

SJaneS49
Thank you so much for your comment. We told the school avout putting our son for the waiting list of their new campus.
I really appreciate taking your time and commenting.

OP posts:
Ifailed · 24/04/2021 08:57

It's quite a trek from Sevenoaks station to the Annex, down a narrow lane which is quite busy (especially at school times). On the plus side there's a Thameslink train from Bromley South to Sevenoaks. I assume the school runs a bus to/from the station?
Otherwise it would be the same train to Sevenoaks, then get on a Hastings train to TW via Tonbridge.

pudseypie · 24/04/2021 09:03

I live near Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys and it's going to be one big commute from Bromley if there's not a school bus. I'm not sure if there's a school bus or not but if taking general public transport then train to Tonbridge might be best bet, and then a no.7 or 402 bus from just near the station down to the school. Takes about 10/ 15 mins on the bus, traffic dependant which can be really busy on that route. Can the school advise if many boys commute from Bromley and how they do it?

Original poster
Fiddlefig · 24/04/2021 09:16

Pudseypie
Thank you for your answer
I have no idea but i am hoping when my son starts school we can find out

OP posts:
Original poster
Fiddlefig · 24/04/2021 09:16

Ifailed
Thank you for your answer

OP posts:
MiddlesexGirl · 24/04/2021 10:00

You should be contacting the school for information about school buses. Their website doesn't indicate any special provision so I suspect there is none www.twgsb.org.uk/204/transport-to-school
If there are other Bromley parents then maybe lift sharing would work.
Otherwise it's about an hour train journey ... Bromley South to Orpington then Orpington to Tunbridge Wells. And half an hour walk from the station though at least he will have company for that.

MiddlesexGirl · 24/04/2021 10:02

You shouldn't be leaving it to when he starts to find out.
You could also do with the National Rail app to plan journeys and a local bus app - maybe this one kentconnected.org/our-app

SJaneS49 · 24/04/2021 10:42

If you’ve asked the school about putting your DS on the waiting list for the new Sevenoaks site @Fiddlefig, I’d keep my fingers crossed for that as it will be a much much easier journey. It may be possible to swap Tunbridge Wells for Sevenoaks at some point after he’s started as well if a spot comes up. I honestly don’t think they will be running any buses, I don’t know of any grammar that does. I do think though that there is a private mini bus that Bromley/Orpington parents have organised to the Weald Sevenoaks site which is literally next door to the new TWGB site and if you could find out about that, great!
I would definitely have a look at whether Oakwood in Maidstone was a possibility, much simpler journey on one train!

Original poster
Fiddlefig · 24/04/2021 11:04

Middlesexgirl
Thank you so much taking your time to advice,it really does mean alot. I think there will be parent meeting in june we will ask them. Yes you are right on their website there is not much information about that.

OP posts:
Original poster
Fiddlefig · 24/04/2021 11:07

Jane you are right. Unfortunatly maidstone wasnt an option,

OP posts:
Dobbyisahouseelf · 01/05/2021 14:58

It will be a fair old trek from Bromley to the main school. Saying that I know a fair few parents whose children commute from Orpington to Tonbridge.

As someone else mentioned train to Tonbridge then a bus no 7 or 402 to the main site.

I believe the annexe is nearer Bat and Ball Station so Bromley South to Bat and Ball then walk. If you go to Sevenoaks Station it is a fair walk and I'm not familiar with the bus services.

Original poster
Fiddlefig · 01/05/2021 15:33

14:58Dobbyisahouseelf
Thank you so much for your comment

OP posts:
Dobbyisahouseelf · 01/05/2021 18:29

@Fiddlefig If your DS does end up at the annexe in Sevenoaks it is only a 30 min train ride which is very doable. Good luck for September.

Original poster
Fiddlefig · 01/05/2021 18:35

18:29Dobbyisahouseelf
I strongly wish that they would put him in sevenoaks campus.
Today we went to the school orpington to Tonbridge,Tonbridge to Tunbridge wells school by bus obviously saturday isnt the day we could the morning traffic, but it is a fair bit of a journey. After school we walked to Highbroom station ,maybe going to highbroom st and from there walk to school is one pf the best options.
Thank you so much taking your time and replying here. It really means alot

OP posts:
SJaneS49 · 01/05/2021 19:25

It’s still a bit of a walk from Bat and Ball @Dobbyisahouseelf as the Trinity/Weald/TWGB site is virtually Seal rather than Sevenoaks. Definitely a long walk from Sevenoaks station - the kids don’t walk it and catch one of the frequent buses from outside the station (the stop is named Trinity). I’ve not looked at the journey but the Bat and Ball line is a slow stopping service - quite possibly it would be quicker to Sevenoaks and bus.

Original poster
Fiddlefig · 01/05/2021 19:48

19:25SJaneS49 thank you

OP posts:
ncncnc2021 · 01/05/2021 20:00

My DS is at TWGSB. We live 20 minutes south of TW and he catches the train in and then walks from High Brooms. Its a reasonably long walk but he manages it fine and has friends on the train. I asked him and he has boys in his class who come in from London, but he's not sure if anyone is from Bromley. My daughter is also at school in Tonbridge and she has quite a few friends who come in from London, Bromley, Orpington etc, although that's a slightly easier journey I think.

I don't know details of the Sevenoaks annex, but I do know a girl from DS's primary who is at the Weald annex and manages the journey from Sevenoaks.

MerchantOfMenace · 01/05/2021 20:53

I used to live near the new Sevenoaks annex and worked in Bromley. Bromley South to Bat and Ball and 10-15 min walk to school - easy and popular route for children. Bromley to TW much more difficult.

Dobbyisahouseelf · 01/05/2021 22:07

I think High Brooms Station is a good shout. Just be aware that there will be more trains to Tonbridge as it is a mainline Station as High Brooms is on the Hastings line so fewer trains.

Thinking about it the A26 is always busy in the morning so the bus from Tonbridge will take a while.

I've checked the map for the annexe and it didn't look that far from Bat and Ball. Would a scooter help getting between stations for either location?

Hopefully you can make friends with the admissions person at school if the annexe is your preferred location. As the school lists in this area have huge movement from allocation right up to first day of term!

Bromley is always tricky as the local option is St Olaves so for a grammar school there is always a journey for the boys.

Original poster
Fiddlefig · 02/05/2021 05:07

Thank you so much ,high broom seems better option

OP posts:
Ifailed · 02/05/2021 05:47

Bat and Ball line is a slow stopping service

True, but it's the same one that serves the Bromley - Sevenoaks route.

dottiedaisee · 05/05/2021 18:14

I would recommend you stick to the Tunbridge Wells site and get a train to High Brooms and then walk . So much easier than a train to Bat and Ball and a very long walk to the Annexe which is virtually in Seal .
My sons were at the other Grammar School along St Johns and the boys had friends that got a train to High Brooms and then walked.

Original poster
Fiddlefig · 05/05/2021 18:27

18:14dottiedaisee
We started to think like that, but at the same time ,they might offer school bus too,

OP posts: