Dartford Grammar School for Girls vs Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys
Both are grammar schools in Kent, 20.4 miles apart. Side-by-side on official DfE, Ofsted and council admissions data.
Side by side
| Dartford Grammar School for Girls | Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys | |
|---|---|---|
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary |
| Gender | Girls | Boys |
| Pupils on roll | 1,257 | 1,875 |
| Free school meals | 23.9% | 5.5% |
| Ofsted rating | Not published | Not published |
| Attainment 8 — 2025/26 | 77.3 | 64.5 |
| 11+ test board | GL Assessment | GL Assessment |
| Admission system | qualifying score is the minimum; places then go in score order (distance only breaks ties) | pass/fail then criteria order (score doesn't give priority after passing) |
| Places offered — 202627 | 178 | 300 |
| First preferences per place — higher means more competition for a first-preference place | 2.4 | 0.99 |
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.
Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys
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.
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
- Looked after and previously looked after children
- Girls in the targeted free school meals (Pupil Premium) group
- 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…
- Remaining eligible girls, wherever they live
Source: school admissions policy.
Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys
- Looked after and previously looked after children
- A brother attending the school when the child starts
- Health and special access reasons
- Boys living within 3 miles of the school — nearest first
- Boys living in the named parishes (including Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks, Southborough, Pembury, Edenbridge, Hildenborough and others) — nearest first
- All other boys — nearest first (straight line)
Source: school admissions policy.
Choosing between them
Dartford Grammar School for Girls is a girls school and Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys is a boys school, so for many families the starting point is which one can admit their child. 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.
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