Tunbridge Wells Primary & Secondary schools

[APoll16]

We live abroad but are considering moving home to be closer to family. We are looking at Tunbridge Wells & have 2 daughters who are still far off secondary school age but when we look at houses we would like to be aware of schools & catchment areas.

1. We would have a budget of around £800,000 - £900,000 for a house and would like 4 bedrooms for that - is this totally unrealistic in TW?
2. What are the good state primary schools in the area? Are there any to avoid?
3. What is TWGGS like? What is the catchment area?
4. What is Tonbridge Grammar School like? I know it is more selective. Does it have a wider catchment area?

Thank you so much for any advice you can give us! We’ve been living abroad for the last decade and neither of us have lived in this area so we are cautiously excited but a bit nervous too!

The school admission pages will have the best details on catchment. Tonbridge Girls has some defined parishes as catchment and within that catchment it is then about highest score (unlike most of Kent Grammars that are pass only). There are some places for those outside of catchment, about 35 and the scores for out of catchment places are very high indeed. The elevenplusexams forum has lots of information on past scores required to get in.

I don’t live in the area myself but have friends with girls at ToGS and also at Weald of Kent. ToGS can have more movement than some at sixth form as they do the IB so some leave who want to do A levels and some come on who want to do IB.