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Dartford Grammar School for Girls vs Tonbridge Grammar School

Both are grammar schools in Kent, 18.1 miles apart. Side-by-side on official DfE, Ofsted and council admissions data.

Side by side

Dartford Grammar School for Girls Tonbridge Grammar School
Phase Secondary Secondary
Gender Girls Girls
Pupils on roll 1,257 1,150
Free school meals 23.9% 2.4%
Ofsted rating Not published Outstanding
Attainment 8 — 2025/26 77.3 77
11+ test board GL Assessment GL Assessment
Admission system qualifying score is the minimum; places then go in score order (distance only breaks ties) qualifying score is the minimum; places then go in score order (distance only breaks ties)
Places offered — 202627 178 180
First preferences per place — higher means more competition for a first-preference place 2.4 1.96

Qualifying scores

Dartford Grammar School for Girls

332 out of 423 (2026 entry)

Aggregate ≥332 with no single paper below 108. County-wide Kent Test threshold: reaching it earns a 'suitable for grammar school' assessment, NOT a place — each school then applies its own oversubscription criteria, and super-selective schools (The Judd School, Skinners', Tonbridge, Dartford) fill in score order well above the threshold.

Council source ↗

Tonbridge Grammar School

332 out of 423 (2026 entry)

Aggregate ≥332 with no single paper below 108. County-wide Kent Test threshold: reaching it earns a 'suitable for grammar school' assessment, NOT a place — each school then applies its own oversubscription criteria, and super-selective schools (The Judd School, Skinners', Tonbridge, Dartford) fill in score order well above the threshold.

Council source ↗

Who gets priority

Where a school is oversubscribed, these are the first criteria applied, in order. This is usually what decides an application.

Dartford Grammar School for Girls

  1. Looked after and previously looked after children
  2. Girls in the targeted free school meals (Pupil Premium) group
  3. 100 places for girls living in the Borough of Dartford or the named parishes (Ash-cum-Ridley, Crockenhill, Eynsford, Farningham, Fawkham, Hartley, Hextable, Horton Kirby and South Darenth, Swanley…
  4. Remaining eligible girls, wherever they live

Source: school admissions policy.

Tonbridge Grammar School

  1. Looked after and previously looked after children
  2. 135 area places in order of Kent Test score for girls living in Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells or Sevenoaks (council-tax area)
  3. 30 trustee places in order of Kent Test score for girls living elsewhere

Source: school admissions policy.

Choosing between them

Both schools admit girls, so the decision usually comes down to the admission criteria above and how far each one reaches. The figures on this page are the published ones — they describe intakes and results, not what either school would be like for your child. The right choice depends on your family's own priorities and circumstances.

Full detail for each school: Dartford Grammar School for Girls · Tonbridge Grammar School
Or see all secondary schools in Kent ranked.

Other Kent comparisons

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