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The Skinners' School

St John's Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9PG ·

Report card: strong areas· 2026Grammar school
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At a glance

A state boys' grammar academy for ages 11–18 in Tunbridge Wells. Ofsted report card (January 2026): strong areas. GCSE results are well above the England average (Attainment 8: 70.8 vs 46.1, 2024/25). Oversubscribed: 232 families put it first for 160 places (September 2026 entry).

Ages
11–18
Pupils
1,149
Gender
Boys
Sixth form
Yes
Admissions
Selective
Local authority
Kent
Academy trust
SKINNERS' ACADEMIES TRUST
Headteacher
Mr Edward Wesson
Opened
Feb 2014

Inspection

Ofsted report card (renewed framework)

Read reports
Inspected 27 Jan 2026Published 23 Mar 2026
  • SafeguardingMet
  • InclusionExpected standard
  • Curriculum and teachingStrong standard
  • AchievementStrong standard
  • Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
  • Personal development and well-beingStrong standard
  • Post-16 provisionStrong standard
  • Leadership and governanceStrong standard

Report cards grade each area separately on a five-point scale, from Urgent improvement to Exceptional. There is no single overall grade, and results are not directly comparable with earlier grades such as “Good”.

Inspection reports describe the school on the day. Read the full report and visit the school before deciding.

Exam results

Department for Education performance tables

GCSE results, 2024/25 · 167 pupils

Attainment 8
70.8
England 46.1
Grade 5+ Eng & maths
93.4%
England 45.4%
Grade 4+ Eng & maths
96.4%
England 64.8%
Progress 8
+0.99
2023/24 · CI 0.75 to 1.23
This school
70.8
Kent
46.7
England
46.1

Attainment 8 over time

Progress 8 isn't published for 2024/25 because those pupils had no KS2 test results (tests were cancelled in 2020). Exams were not held in 2019/20 or 2020/21.

Admissions

Demand for places and how places are allocated

Search for your address on the map to see straight-line distances to schools.

Year 7 entry, September 2026 (national offer day data)

Offers made
160
1st preferences
232
All applications
887
1st prefs per place
1.45
More first choices than places

105 of 232 first-preference applicants were offered a place (45%). 13 offers went to families living in another council area.

Oversubscribed with first preferences

Earlier years include data recorded for this school's predecessor.

Catchment area

We don't have an official catchment boundary for this school. Many schools don't have one, and few councils publish boundaries as open data. We don't estimate catchments. Check the school's admissions policy or the council's admissions booklet.

Last distance offered

Not published nationally. Many councils publish the furthest distance offered for each school in their annual allocation reports. Past distances vary year to year with demand and sibling numbers, so they are not a guarantee.

How places are allocated: you apply through your home council. When a school has more applicants than places, it applies its published oversubscription criteria in order. These usually start with looked-after children, then siblings, then catchment or distance; faith schools may prioritise church attendance. Children with an EHC plan naming the school are admitted first. Apply on GOV.UK

Pupils

School census 2024/25

Pupils
1,141
Capacity
945
122% full
Girls / boys
0/100
Boys
  • Eligible for free school meals (last 6 years)5.8%
  • English as an additional language18.3%
  • SEN support11.6%
  • Education, Health and Care plan0.1%
  • The black tick shows the median for state-funded secondary schools in England.
The Skinners' School, Tunbridge Wells · SchoolPatch