For parents and guardians: Please verify all school data — cut-off scores, applicant numbers and competition ratios — against official sources (school websites, local authority admissions data) before making any decisions. The figures on this page are researched but not guaranteed and change each admissions cycle.
Complete 2025/26 11+ Guide to Grammar Schools in Kingston upon Thames (Tiffin)
Kingston upon Thames (Tiffin) is home to 2 fully selective grammar schools and 0 partially selective schools, served by the Tiffin Schools (independent — each school registers and tests separately). This guide covers every school — admissions criteria, competition data, cut-off scores, GCSE results, and specific prep advice — so you can make an informed decision.
How the Kingston upon Thames (Tiffin) 11+ works
Two-stage school-set test: Stage One (English + Maths, multiple-choice, computer-marked, ~50–60 min each paper) in early October; Stage Two (English + Maths, written answers, marked by teachers) in mid-November. No VR or NVR papers.
Both Tiffin schools set their own entrance exams independently — they are NOT GL Assessment or CEM papers, though the style of questions overlaps with those formats. Stage One is a sifting test only; scores determine Stage Two invitation but are not used in the final offer (except the Maths Stage One score, which contributes to the combined score at Tiffin School). Combined score at Tiffin School = 50% English (Stage Two only) + 50% Maths (Stage One 2:3 Stage Two). Combined mark at Tiffin Girls' School = 60% English (Stage Two only) + 40% Maths (Stage One 3:1 Stage Two). No score is published on National Offer Day; only unsuccessful candidates receive their scores afterwards.
Key dates
Who can apply?
Tiffin School (boys): Must be a boy. All applicants must register via the school's online SIF before the September deadline. To be eligible for a place, a boy must be invited to Stage Two after Stage One. Places are only offered to boys whose permanent home address is within the 10 km Priority Area (measured as a straight line from the school at KT2 6RL).
Tiffin Girls' School: Must be a girl. All applicants must register via the school's online SIF before the September deadline. To be eligible for a place, a girl must be invited to Stage Two after Stage One. In practice, since 2014 all places have gone to girls within the Designated Area (44 postal districts — see zone lookup). Girls outside this area are technically eligible to register and sit the test but are extremely unlikely to receive an offer.
Both schools: Boys/girls can only sit the test once (no re-sits). Children must normally be in Year 6 (born 1 September 2013 – 31 August 2014 for September 2025 entry). Children with an EHCP naming the school are handled via separate LA processes.
Tiffin School additionally offers up to 9 places based on Sporting Aptitude and up to 9 places based on Music Aptitude (introduced from September 2025 entry). These places are only open to boys within the Priority Area who pass the benchmark threshold.
Pupil Premium leeway: Both schools apply a 10% leeway to Stage Two marks for Pupil Premium-eligible children within the catchment/designated area before applying selection criteria.
Admissions process
All registered candidates sit English and Maths multiple-choice papers (each ~50–60 minutes) in early October. Papers are computer-marked. Scores are age-standardised. The school uses Stage One scores solely to determine who is invited to Stage Two — no Stage One score is used in the final place allocation for Tiffin Girls' (at Tiffin School, Stage One Maths contributes 2 parts out of 5 to the combined Maths score). There is no pass mark; the school determines a cut-off number. Outcomes are emailed to parents around 15 October.
Invited candidates sit written (non-multiple-choice) English and Maths papers in mid-November. Papers are marked by experienced teachers at the school. Combined scores are calculated. At Tiffin School the combined score = 50% English (Stage Two) + 50% Maths (2:3 ratio Stage One:Stage Two). At Tiffin Girls' the combined mark = 60% English (Stage Two) + 40% Maths (3:1 ratio Stage Two:Stage One). Scores are not revealed on National Offer Day; only those who do not receive a place are sent their scores afterwards.
Parents must name the school on their LA Common Application Form by 31 October. The CAF can be submitted after Stage One results are known. Naming the school before Stage Two invitation is ineligible — only invited candidates should include the school. Place offers are made on National Offer Day (early March).
Both schools operate ranked waiting lists from 1 March until the end of the academic year. Ranking is determined by the combined score (with Priority Area / Designated Area residence prioritised above non-area candidates). Boys/girls who scored below the cut-off cannot go on the waiting list. Movement occurs when accepted places are declined.
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Disclaimer: Data from official school websites (tiffinschool.co.uk and tiffingirls.org), admissions policies, and patterns-of-admission documents; Ofsted reports (reports.ofsted.gov.uk URNs 136910 and 136615); DfE Compare School Performance (compare.education.gov.uk); Sunday Times Parent Power 2024 (via Kingston Nub News press report, December 2023). Performance data (Attainment 8, Progress 8 for 2023/24) from DfE performance tables and findmyschool.uk. Verify all dates and policies at tiffinschool.co.uk and tiffingirls.org before acting — policies are updated annually. Last verified March 2026. Always verify figures on the school or local authority website before making decisions — data changes each admissions cycle. Last updated: 2026-03-01. We aim to refresh this guide every year after new DfE data is published (typically June/July).