Best Schools in Tunbridge Wells

How many schools are there in Tunbridge Wells?

Tunbridge Wells has 37 open schools: 23 state primary, 6 state secondary or all-through, 5 independent and 3 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Tunbridge Wells are rated Outstanding?

5 schools in Tunbridge Wells were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School, St Peter's Church of England Primary School, Speldhurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School and St Gregory's Catholic School. Counting Good as well, 90% of the 30 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Bennett Memorial Diocesan SchoolTunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar SchoolSt Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolSpeldhurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolSt Gregory's Catholic School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Tunbridge Wells get the best GCSE results?

Of the 8 schools in Tunbridge Wells with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at The Skinners' School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 72.7 and 97% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 72.5 and 95% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 64.5 and 88% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

The Skinners' SchoolTunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar SchoolTunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Tunbridge Wells have the best SATs results?

Of the 22 primary schools in Tunbridge Wells with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Claremont Primary School (97% in reading, 94% in maths); Speldhurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (100% in reading, 90% in maths); and Langton Green Primary School (95% in reading, 92% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Claremont Primary SchoolSpeldhurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolLangton Green Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Tunbridge Wells?

Yes. The Skinners' School, Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School and Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys are state grammar schools in Tunbridge Wells. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

The Skinners' SchoolTunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar SchoolTunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Tunbridge Wells have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Tunbridge Wells have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Tunbridge Wells?

Apply to your council - Kent or East Sussex, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.