Tunbridge Wells Girls’ 11 Plus Guide
It might be difficult to find your way around the 11 Plus the first time as a parent. How do you aid your kid in getting ready for the Tunbridge Wells Girls’ 11 Plus Exam? What kind of exam structure is it? What stores sell test papers? We’ve provided parents with a “Tunbridge Wells Girls’ 11 Plus Tips” in this article that seeks to address all of your concerns.
Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School, Kent
Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School is a girls’ grammar school in Kent. It is an average size secondary school which used to have specialisms in Music and English. This page has everything you need to know about Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School and can help you get started with the admissions process. You can also find helpful information about the 11 plus exam, such as exam practice resources, information about exam boards and key dates in the calendar.
School details:
Address: Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School, Southfield Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9UJ
County: Kent
Type of school: Girls’ grammar school
Age range: 11-18
Ofsted rating: Outstanding
Number of pupils: 1029
Admissions to Year 7: 145 (approx)
Open evening (2024 entry): June 2023
11+ exam date (2024 entry): TBC
Exam board: GL
Admissions phone number: 01892 520902
Admissions email address: admin@twggs.kent.sch.uk
A Brief Overview of Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School and its Performance
Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School was originally founded in 1905. It gained Music Specialist Status when schools had specialisms and is still known for the strength of its music provision: one parent told The Good School’s Guide, “there is music everywhere.” In terms of student make up, approximately 4% of pupils speak English as a second language, 4% are on free school meals and 6% have some support for special educational needs.
The schools’ results are consistently excellent: in 2019, 70% of GCSE results were awarded levels 7-9 (old style A*/A), and 77% of A-level results were A*-B. You can see a full breakdown of 2019’s GCSE results here and A-level results here. Their Progress 8 scores are in the top 14% of schools in England and 95% of students achieve a Grade 5 or above in English and Maths GCSE, which is almost twice as high as both the local authority and national average.
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Tunbridge Wells Girls’ 11 Plus Grammar School’s Admissions Process: 2024 Entry
If you plan on sending your child to Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School in September 2024 then it is important to take note of these key dates below. You can also find their official Admissions Policy here.
Preparing for Tunbridge Wells Girl’s 11 Plus Exam
Kent is the largest grammar school area in the UK, with over 35 grammar schools to choose from. The Kent Test is used by almost all of these schools (you can see a list of these schools here). However, despite the choice of schools, the process is still very competitive – between 14,000 and 17,000 students take the Kent Test every year, far exceeding the number of places.
For the Kent Test, students sit two papers. The first is an hour long Reasoning paper, divided into verbal reasoning (questions involving words and symbols); non-verbal reasoning (questions involving shapes and patterns); and spatial reasoning (questions involving manipulating space and shape).
The second is an hour long English and Maths paper, with 30 minutes for each section. English questions tend to test students’ vocabulary; spelling, punctuation and grammar; and comprehension skills. The Maths questions are mostly based around the National Curriculum, but a small number of questions are designed to see how students can apply known Maths skills to unfamiliar problems. You can find more information here.
You can find a familiarisation booklet, with example questions, here, as well as a past familiarisation booklet here. Both papers are multiple choice and it’s important that your child knows how to answer correctly as all papers will be marked by a computer. You can also find a guide to approaching Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning here; revising these should be a priority as your child will be less familiar with reasoning questions because they are not taught at school.
Tunbridge Wells Girls’ 11 Plus Sample Test Papers and Resources
As the Kent Test is based on the GL exam board there are past papers available online, but it’s important to remember that it does vary slightly from year to year in order to make it harder for students to prepare.
English
11+ English Multiple Choice Book 1 | Answer 1
11+ English GL Familiarisation Paper | Answers
Maths
11+ Maths Multiple Choice Book 1 | Answer Sheet 1
11+ Maths Multiple Choice Book 2 | Answer Sheet 2
11+ Maths GL Familiarisation Paper | Answers
Verbal Reasoning
11+ Verbal Reasoning Multiple Choice Book 1 | Answer Sheet 1
11+ Verbal Reasoning Multiple Choice Book 2 | Answer Sheet 2
Non-Verbal Reasoning
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Multiple Choice Book 1 | Answer Sheet 1
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Multiple Choice Book 2 | Answer Sheet 2
Additional Information about Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School
The school is known for its extra-curricular provision, and offers CCF, the Duke of Edinburgh Award, Young Enterprise Society and various successful charity fundraisers – in 2018, the school raised over £40,000 for The Ghana Education Project. The school also runs numerous trips, including a trip to NASA, a ski trip to the US, a Sixth Form History trip to Russia and various theatre shows in London. The school takes part in the Trinity Arts Award and several Drama festivals. Its true strength lies in Music though – there are dozens of concerts held over the year and numerous choirs, orchestras and ensembles to join; the girls are literally spoilt for choice. Although boys are not admitted at Sixth Form, it has close links with Tunbridge Wells Boys’ Grammar School. You can see a full prospectus for the school here and an induction booklet for parents here.
Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School FAQs
What is Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School’s Ofsted rating?
Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School’s Ofsted rating is ‘Outstanding’. You can find all the previous reports and ratings here.
Does Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School have a catchment area?
Anyone can apply, but priority is given to girls who live in a 4 mile radius of the school, or who live in certain parishes (you can see a full list of the parishes in point 5 of page 2 of the Admissions Policy).
What is the pass mark for the Kent Test?
This varies slightly year on year – last year it was 332, with an additional requirement that students had to score at least 108 in each of the three sections – English, Maths, and Reasoning
What happens if Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School is oversubscribed?
In the event that more boys pass the entrance exams than there are places, then priority will be given to looked after children, children on Pupil Premium, children with a sister already at the school, children with health needs and children who live within 4 miles of the school. You can find more information in their Admissions Policy.
How many students usually pass the Kent Test?
Again, this will vary year on year, but normally around 20-21% of the cohort taking the test pass.
Does Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School have a uniform?
Yes – you can find all the details about the uniform, as well as the contact details of the suppliers, here.
How many other grammar schools are there in the area?
There are 32 grammar schools in Kent (excluding Medway) – you can see a full list here.
You can also access further 11 plus exam resources below:
A Guide to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning Tests
Best Private Schools in the UK: Top 100 in 2022
11+ Maths Exam: Helping Your Child to Prepare and Pass in 2021
Meet the 11+ Online Tutors Delivering Results
When Should you Start to Prepare Your Child for the 11 Plus Exam