In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are above England, and results at 16 were above England in 2026. Fewer pupils miss a lot of school than across England.
Royal Tunbridge Wells at a glance
Ahead of England on results at 11
How Royal Tunbridge Wells's schools compare with England, area by area.
Schools and nurseries4612 primary · 6 secondary · 24 nurseries
Primaries Good or better100%England 96%
Met the standard at 1168%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths70%Attainment 8 58.2, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary17%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school14%England 18%
Top-rated
The highest-rated schools in Royal Tunbridge Wells
Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Worked out by Eduscope from each school's published figures. Not an official statistic for this town.
Numbers that sum up Royal Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge WellsEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 9 primaries with one.
100%
England 96%
Close to England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
3 of the 3 with a grade.
100%
England 93%
Above England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
68%
England 62%
Above England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
70%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
14%
England 18%
Better than England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
17%
Ofsted grades
Latest graded inspection for the 13 schools that have one.
92%
Good or Outstanding
Outstanding2
Good10
Requires improvement0
Inadequate1
How it has changed
Royal Tunbridge Wells in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Met the expected standard at 1168% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).Grade 5 or above in English and maths70% in 2026.Pupils who miss a lot of school14% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here
What it's like for families
Royal Tunbridge Wells has 46 schools and nurseries.
There are 13% more pupils than in 2018.
17% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupil numbers
Pupils in Royal Tunbridge Wells's state schools each January.
10.4k2018
10.6k2019
11.4k2021
11.7k2022
11.8k2023
11.9k2024
11.8k2025
11.7k2026
Up 13% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.
Free school meals
Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.
Royal Tunbridge Wells17%
Dates to know
Apply through your local council, even for academies and faith schools.
31 OctSecondary deadlineFor children starting Year 7.
15 JanPrimary deadlineFor children starting Reception.
1 MarSecondary offersOffers day for Year 7 places.
16 AprPrimary offersOffers day for Reception places.
Keep up with schools in Royal Tunbridge Wells
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
Royal Tunbridge Wells has 46 schools, including 15 primary schools, 8 secondary schools, 24 nurseries, 3 independent schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.
What are the best schools in Royal Tunbridge Wells?+
The highest-ranked schools in Royal Tunbridge Wells on Eduscope are The Skinners' School, Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School, Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.
What percentage of schools in Royal Tunbridge Wells are rated Good or Outstanding?+
92% of inspected schools in Royal Tunbridge Wells hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is below the England average of 94.8%. This includes 2 schools rated Outstanding and 10 rated Good.
How do primary schools in Royal Tunbridge Wells perform at Key Stage 2?+
Across primary schools in Royal Tunbridge Wells, 68% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.
What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Royal Tunbridge Wells?+
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Royal Tunbridge Wells is 18.7:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.
What is the persistent absence rate in Royal Tunbridge Wells schools?+
The persistent absence rate across schools in Royal Tunbridge Wells is 13.5%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.
How many pupils attend schools in Royal Tunbridge Wells?+
There are 11,742 pupils enrolled across schools in Royal Tunbridge Wells, with 3,572 in primary and 8,170 in secondary. 12.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
How many private schools are in Royal Tunbridge Wells?+
There are 3 independent schools in Royal Tunbridge Wells. Fees vary by school and age group, with day school fees typically ranging from £10,000 to £20,000 per year. You can compare all private schools in Royal Tunbridge Wells on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.
How do I choose the right school in Royal Tunbridge Wells?+
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 46 schools in Royal Tunbridge Wells by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.
Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.
