Pass Mark

The GL 11 Plus Kent Test: Pass Criteria

The passing threshold of the Kent Test changes on a yearly basis as it is decided upon partially by how well the entire cohort of students taking the test performed. As such the threshold pass marks can’t be quoted beforehand. That said, it is expected that the top 25% of students nationally will reach this threshold and be deemed eligible for admission to Grammar schools. Worth noting for Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School specifically is that approximately 14 of the 145 intake places are so called ‘Governors places’ which will be awarded to Girls living with priority area who achieved the highest marks in the Kent Test and wouldn’t otherwise have received a place. For more information and examples of passing thesholds from previous years please see our centralised article  ‘Selective Tests in Kent – The Kent Test’.

Pass Mark

The GL 11 Plus Kent Test: Pass Criteria

The passing threshold of the Kent Test changes on a yearly basis as it is decided upon partially by how well the entire cohort of students taking the test performed. As such the threshold pass marks can’t be quoted beforehand. That said, it is expected that the top 25% of students nationally will reach this threshold and be deemed eligible for admission to Grammar schools. Worth noting for Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School specifically is that approximately 14 of the 145 intake places are so called ‘Governors places’ which will be awarded to Girls living with priority area who achieved the highest marks in the Kent Test and wouldn’t otherwise have received a place. For more information and examples of passing thesholds from previous years please see our centralised article  ‘Selective Tests in Kent – The Kent Test’.

Catchment Area

Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School operates a priority catchment area consisting of both a number of named parishes as well as a more general 4 mile distance from the school and the permanent residence of an applicant as measured by the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) address point data. Where the number of applicants exceeds the number of places, as it often does for Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School, then first will be admitted in priority order of the girl living closest. 

The named parishes are as follows: Badger’s Mount, Bidborough, Brasted, Brenchley, Capel, Chevening, Chiddingstone, Cowden, Dunton Green, East Peckham, Edenbridge, Hadlow, Halsted, Hever, Hildenborough, Horsmonden, Ightham, Kemsing, Knockholt, Lamberhurst, Leigh, Otford, Paddock Wood, Pembury, Penshurst, Plaxtol, Riverhead, Rusthall, Seal, Sevenoaks, Sevenoaks Weald, Shipbourne, Shoreham, Southborough, Speldhurst, Sundridge with Ide Hill, Tonbridge, Royal Tunbridge Wells and Westerham. 

Additional Eligibility

Certain groups of children will be admitted with priority above others if there is a social or health reason that would make admission to Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School especially beneficial to the girls’ wellbeing. In all cases it is still a requirement to have passed the Kent Test, these criteria just determine the priority order of Admission. 

• Girls with a Statement of Special Educational Need or Education, Health and Care Plan which specifically mentions Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School will be admitted. 
• Governors places – 14 places (approximately 10%) are reserved for girls who achieved the highest results in the Kent Test for their year group but would otherwise not be offered a place unde the other eligibility considerations, such as if they live particularly far away from the school. 
• Girls who either at the time of admission are in the care of the local authority, or otherwise where at some point in the care of the local authority. 
• Girls who are eligible for Pupil Premium. Application under this clause must be supported by filling out the ‘Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School Supplementary Information Form (SIF) for 2023-2024 Admissions Pupil Premium Notification’ which can be found in the Application Documnets section. Girls are considered eligible if at any time in the previous 6 years they have qualified for free school meals. Worth noting is that girls qualifying for Pupil Premium can receive financial support from the school for things like school uniforms and trips. 
• Girls who have a sister who is already in attendance of the school and will be when the applicant joins the school. To b eligible girls must be resident of the previously mentioned catchment area. 
• Health and special access reasons, especially those that fall under the Equality Act 2010. Application under this clause must be supported by written evidence from a medical or otherwise certified professional practitioner.