The Skinners' School, Tunbridge Wells

Good
Secondary
Academy converter
Boys
Ages 1118

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~560m)Possible (~800m)Unlikely (~1.0km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Selective

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Edward Wesson
Pupils:1,149 / 945 capacity
LA:Kent
Phone:01892520732
Address:St John's Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9PG
Trust:SKINNERS' ACADEMIES TRUST
Admissions:Selective
Status:open
Opened:1 February 2014

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 8 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Strong Standard
Behaviour
Strong Standard
Personal Development
Strong Standard
Leadership
Strong Standard
Sixth Form
Strong Standard
Inspected 27 January 2026View full report
URN:140595
UKPRN:10044808
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Tunbridge Wells
Urban/Rural:Urban: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

The Skinners' School creates a supportive community where pupils feel proud to belong and are encouraged to achieve their best. Teachers are highly knowledgeable and use expert questioning to help pupils understand complex ideas, with excellent support tailored to individual needs. The school offers a rich range of activities beyond the classroom, helping pupils develop as rounded individuals prepared for their next steps.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils achieve consistently above national averages in examinations, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
  • Strong attendance rates and rare bullying with calm, respectful classroom environments
  • Expert teaching with rigorous subject knowledge and effective use of questioning to deepen understanding
  • Comprehensive personal development programme covering wellbeing, British values, relationships and online safety
  • Extensive extra-curricular opportunities across sports, arts, culture and volunteering

Areas for Improvement

  • Leaders need to be more precise about identifying barriers and monitoring individual support for some disadvantaged pupils

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met with an open and positive culture where all legal requirements are fulfilled and pupils feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Sports, arts, culture, volunteering, leadership programmes, mentoring, house captain roles, music clubs

The Skinners' School is a high-performing secondary school where pupils achieve very well across the curriculum with consistently above-average national examination results. The school has a strong culture of kindness, high expectations, and excellent pastoral support.

At a Glance

5.0%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

VI - Visual Impairment, ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

20.3

Avg class size

53

Total classes

13 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

The Skinners' School (adj)
100m · 2 min walk
Beltring Road (adj)
116m · 2 min walk
Culverden Down (adj)
182m · 3 min walk
East Cliff Road (adj)
207m · 3 min walk
St John's Church (adj)
319m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

122%

Over capacity

1,149 pupils

945 capacity

204 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Tunbridge Wells

High pressure
New homes approved:1,961
Projected new pupils:353

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Tunbridge Wells

Admissions Demand - Kent

Low demand0.94x oversubscription

Places available

19,410

Applications

18,281

Got 1st preference

80.6%

Got preferred school

96.5%

Secondary admissions across Kent (2025/26)

Inspection History(4)

27 January 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Sixth Form
16 November 2021
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentOutstanding
Leadership & ManagementGood
Sixth FormOutstanding
6 February 2014

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

3.42336%

Overall absence

5.06173%

Persistent absence

810

Enrolments

Authorised3.20365%
Unauthorised0.2197%
Persistent (10%+)5.06173%
Severe (50%+)0.74074%

Absence trend

4.39327%
18/19
2.93657%
20/21
5.23233%
21/22
4.40918%
22/23
4.03105%
23/24
3.42336%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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