Registration
If you are ready to Register your son, please click on the Register Now button.
If you would like to find out more, please continue to read the following information.
In order to determine the correct entry path for your son, please scroll through the options below:
Please identify if your son is at a UK or Overseas school:
My son is currently studying at a UK school
Now choose a year of entry. Year 9 is at age 13, year 10 is at age 14 and Sixth Form is at age 16 (ie post GCSEs).
Year 9 Entry
Year 9 is the main entry point to Tonbridge. Boys entering at this stage are usually aged between 13.0 and 13.11 on 1 September of the year of entry. These age-limits are not inflexible, and slightly younger or older candidates may be accepted at the Headmaster’s discretion.
Most applications for Year 9 entry are made when boys are in Year 6, but our arrangements are sufficiently flexible to consider those who apply later. Whilst most boys will join us from a UK preparatory school, we welcome applications from primary schools or from overseas.
Now choose an academic session/year of entry
2020 Entry
2021 Entry
- Initial Visit
Candidates registering after May of Year 6 are invited to apply for entry through the Headmaster's list for Late Applicants. An initial visit to Tonbridge is encouraged, either at one of our Open Mornings or our Meet the Headmaster events. Individual visits can be arranged through the Admissions Office, and include a tour of the school with a boy and a meeting with the Director of Admissions.
- Registration
Registration is the formal first stage of the admissions process, and shows that parents are interested in a place for their son at Tonbridge. To register, please complete the online Tonbridge Registration Form by 1 July 2020. There is a non-refundable registration fee of £250.
- Initial Assessment
UK candidates will be invited to complete the ISEB Common Pre-test by 1 June 2020 and to submit their son's latest school report. Those candidates with a sufficiently strong profile will be invited to sit our late applicants’ examination in November of Year 8 (some 10 months prior to proposed arrival at Tonbridge).
Late Applicants’ Exams and Interviews
Exams for late applicants will be set by Tonbridge in Mathematics and English only, to be taken on the first Saturday in November; it should be noted that these exams are highly competitive with only the strongest candidates receiving offers of places. Specimen papers can be viewed on our exam papers page. Papers can be taken either at Tonbridge or at a British Council office around the world or possibly at another approved international location. Candidates living or studying in the UK will be interviewed at Tonbridge on the day of the exams.
Offers of Unconditional Places
UNCONDITIONAL OFFERS will be issued to the best performing late applicants on 1 December (nine months prior to arrival at Tonbridge). Parents accept the UNCONDITIONAL OFFER by completing the Final Entry Form and paying an admission fee of £2,000.
2022 Entry or Later
- Initial Visit
Many families will be keen to visit Tonbridge before embarking upon the admissions procedure. We are always pleased to welcome them, either at one of our termly Open Mornings or a Meet the Headmaster Q&A. Individual visits are arranged through the Admissions Office, and include a tour of the school and a house with a boy and a meeting with the Director of Admissions. Parents often come on an initial visit when their son is in year 4 or 5 - three or four years before their son’s date of entry.
- Registration
Registration is the formal first stage of the admissions process, and shows that parents are interested in a place for their son at Tonbridge. To register, please complete the online Tonbridge Registration Form. There is a non-refundable registration fee of £250. Parents are advised to register their son by the end of Year 5, since the majority of offers are made in January of Year 6, after candidates have attended an assessment afternoon in the Autumn Term when they are aged 10 or 11. The latest date on which registrations are accepted, for candidates wishing to follow the standard entrance route described below, is 1 May when a boy is in Year 6.
- ISEB Pre-Test and Assessment Afternoon
Candidates who are registered with us three years prior to proposed entry are invited to sit the ISEB Common Pre-test and to visit Tonbridge for an assessment afternoon during the Autumn Term of Year 6. At this stage, a report will also be requested from the Head of the candidate's current school. The report, along with the results from the ISEB pre-test and the assessment afternoon are considered together in determining how to proceed with the application. Those registering during the course of Year 6 will be invited to complete this procedure immediately after registration and certainly by the end of the academic year.
- Offers
All boys who have completed their assessment in the Autumn Term of Year 6 should expect to receive their offer towards the end of January.
Those candidates with the strongest profile will receive an UNCONDITIONAL OFFER of a place at Tonbridge in Year 9, usually dependent only upon them continuing at their current school through to the end of Year 8 (where that school continues to Year 8) and a satisfactory final report from their school. Other candidates who present a sufficiently strong profile will receive a PROVISIONAL OFFER of a place, inviting them to take part in a further competitive assessment which they will complete at Tonbridge during the Summer Term of Year 7. Such candidates will therefore have the opportunity to win a confirmed, UNCONDITIONAL OFFER during the Summer Term of Year 7, when they will be invited to complete a 1 hour mathematics paper and a 1 hour writing paper at Tonbridge, as well as carrying out a short interview. Specimen papers and a syllabus for the mathematics paper of the Year 7 Entrance Exam for those holding provisional offers can be viewed on our exam papers page. We will also request an updated report from a boy's current school.
- Acceptance of Unconditional and Provisional Places and Opening of House Lists
Parents accept their son's UNCONDITIONAL OFFER by completing the Final Entry Form and paying an admission fee of £2,000. Families accepting an UNCONDITIONAL OFFER, who have made a firm decision as to whether their son will be a boarder or a day boy, also have the opportunity to express a preference for a particular boarding or day house when completing the Final Entry Form. Where no preference is expressed, boys are allocated to houses by the Headmaster in consultation with the Director of Admissions. Further details of the house allocation process can be found here.
Parents accepting a PROVISIONAL OFFER do so by returning an acceptance form which is issued with the offer and at this stage, no payment is required.
- 13+ Academic Scholarship and Common Entrance
Any candidate who is in receipt of an UNCONDITIONAL OFFER may choose to sit our Academic Scholarship which takes place in late April/early May of Year 8. Additionally, those who are at UK prep schools which prepare boys for Common Entrance (CE) and who have not sat the Academic Scholarship may sit the CE exams in June of Year 8. Those taking CE should aim for an average of over 70% in the core subjects, but this is no longer a condition of entry.
- Financial / Bursary Support
Should you be interested in a means-tested bursary for your son (up to 100% of the full school fee) with support at Prep School in Year 7 & 8 for those boys coming from Primary Schools, please look at our Junior Foundation Scholarship page and contact Ros Griffiths for confirmation of eligibility and further information.
YEar 10 Entry
A small number of boys join Tonbridge in Year 10. Boys entering at this stage are usually aged between 14.0 and 14.11 on 1 September of the year of entry. These age-limits are not inflexible, and slightly younger or older candidates may be accepted at the Headmaster’s discretion.
2020 Entry
2021 Entry
- Registration
Registration is the formal first stage of the Year 10 admissions process. To register, please complete the online Tonbridge Registration Form. There is a non-refundable registration fee of £250. All applications must be submitted with a copy of the candidate’s latest school report.
The application deadline is 1 September - earlier submission is welcome.
UK candidates should complete registration by 1 October in the year prior to proposed entry. Late applicants may be considered at the school’s discretion if there are still places available. Please contact the admissions office before registering as a late applicant.
- Entry Exams and Interviews
Examinations will be set by Tonbridge in Mathematics and English only, to be taken in November; it should be noted that these exams are highly competitive with only the strongest candidates receiving offers of places. Specimen papers can be viewed on our exam papers page. Candidates living or studying in the UK will be interviewed at Tonbridge on the day of the exams.
- Offers of unconditional places
UNCONDITIONAL OFFERS will be issued to the best performing applicants on 1 December (nine months prior to arrival at Tonbridge). Parents accept the UNCONDITIONAL OFFER by completing the Final Entry Form and paying an admission fee of £2,000.
Sixth Form Entry
Each year up to 25 boys join Tonbridge in the Sixth Form. Boys entering at this stage are usually aged between 16.0 and 16.11 on 1 September of the year of entry. These age-limits are not inflexible, and slightly younger or older candidates may be accepted at the Headmaster’s discretion.
2020 Entry
2021 Entry
- Registration
Registration is the formal first stage of the Sixth Form admissions process. To register, please complete the online Tonbridge Registration Form. There is a non-refundable registration fee of £250. All applications must be submitted with a copy of the candidate’s latest school report.
The deadline for boys in UK schools is the 1 October in the year prior to proposed entry. After these deadlines, late applicants may be considered at the school’s discretion if there are still places available. Please contact the Admissions Office before registering as a late applicant.
- Entry Exams and Interviews
The Director of Admissions will review all applications once they are complete, with shortlisted applicants being invited to examination and interview. Examinations will be set by Tonbridge and completed by each candidate in their four chosen Sixth Form subjects in November; it should be noted that these exams are highly competitive, with only the strongest candidates receiving an UNCONDITIONAL OFFER. All candidates, including those who are British and native English speakers, will be required to sit an English Language paper.
Specimen papers can be viewed on our exam papers page. Candidates living or studying in the UK will be interviewed at Tonbridge on the day of the exams.
- Offers of Unconditional Places
UNCONDITIONAL OFFERS will be issued to the best performing applicants by1 December (nine months prior to arrival at Tonbridge). Parents accept the UNCONDITIONAL OFFER by completing the Final Entry Form and paying an admission fee of £2,000.
My son is currently studying abroad (ie not in the UK)
Now choose a year of entry. Year 9 is at age 13, year 10 is at age 14 and Sixth Form is at age 16 (ie post GCSEs).
Year 9 Entry
Year 9 is the main entry point to Tonbridge. Boys entering at this stage are usually aged between 13.0 and 13.11 on 1 September of the year of entry. These age-limits are not inflexible, and slightly younger or older candidates may be accepted at the Headmaster’s discretion.
Most applications for Year 9 entry are made when boys are in Year 6, but our arrangements are sufficiently flexible to consider those who apply later. Whilst most boys will join us from a UK preparatory school, we welcome applications from primary schools or from overseas.
Now choose an academic session/year of entry
2020 Entry
2021 Entry
- Initial Visit
Candidates registering after May of Year 6 are invited to apply for entry through the Headmaster's list for Late Applicants. An initial visit to Tonbridge is encouraged, either at one of our Open Mornings or our Meet the Headmaster events. Individual visits can be arranged through the Admissions Office, and include a tour of the school with a boy and a meeting with the Director of Admissions
- Registration
Registration is the formal first stage of the admissions process, and shows that parents are interested in a place for their son at Tonbridge. If you wish to apply, please contact Rachel Hearnden (rachel.hearnden@tonbridge-school.org).
- Initial Assessment
Candidates studying overseas will be invited to complete a UKiset Assessment which must accompany the application, along with their son's latest school report, by the deadline of 1 July 2020. The test can be sat at centres across the world; details can be found on their website: www.ukiset.com. Please name Tonbridge as the school you would like the results to be sent. Those candidates with a sufficiently strong profile will be invited to sit our late applicants’ examination in November of Year 8 (some 10 months prior to proposed arrival at Tonbridge).
- Late Applicants’ Exams and Interviews
Exams for late applicants will be set by Tonbridge in Mathematics and English only, to be taken on the first Saturday in November; it should be noted that these exams are highly competitive with only the strongest candidates receiving offers of places. Specimen papers can be viewed on our exam papers page. Papers can be taken either at Tonbridge or at a British Council office around the world or possibly at another approved international location. Candidates living overseas, who are able to attend interviews in Hong Kong, Shanghai or Singapore, will be invited to do so in advance of the exams; other international candidates will be interviewed via Skype.
- Offers of Unconditional Places
UNCONDITIONAL OFFERS will be issued to the best performing late applicants on 1 December (nine months prior to arrival at Tonbridge). Parents accept the UNCONDITIONAL OFFER by completing the Final Entry Form and paying an admission fee of £2,000. Applicants living overseas will also be required to pay the first term’s fees in advance.
2022 Entry or Later
- Initial Visit
Many families will be keen to visit Tonbridge before embarking upon the admissions procedure. We are always pleased to welcome them, either at one of our Open Mornings or a Meet the Headmaster Q&A. Individual visits are arranged through the Admissions Office, and include a tour of the school and a house with a boy, followed or preceded by half an hour with the Director of Admissions. Parents often come on an initial visit when their son is in year 4 or 5 - three or four years before their son’s date of entry.
- Registration
Registration is the formal first stage of the admissions process, and shows that parents are interested in a place for their son at Tonbridge. To register, please complete the online Tonbridge Registration Form. There is a non-refundable registration fee of £250. Parents are advised to register their son by the end of Year 5, since the majority of offers are made in January of Year 6, after candidates have attended an assessment afternoon in the Autumn Term when they are aged 10 or 11. The latest date on which registrations are accepted, for candidates wishing to follow the standard entrance route described below, is 1 May when a boy is in Year 6.
- ISEB Pre-Test and Assessment Afternoon
Candidates who are registered with us three years prior to proposed entry are invited to sit the ISEB Common Pre-test and to visit Tonbridge for an assessment afternoon during the Autumn Term of Year 6. At this stage, a report will also be requested from the Head of the candidate's current school. The report, along with the results from the ISEB pre-test and the assessment afternoon are considered together in determining how to proceed with the application. Those registering during the course of Year 6 will be invited to complete this procedure immediately after registration and certainly by the end of the academic year.
- Offers
All boys who have completed their assessment in the Autumn Term of Year 6 should expect to receive their offer towards the end of January.
Those candidates with the strongest profile will receive an UNCONDITIONAL OFFER of a place at Tonbridge in Year 9, usually dependent only upon them continuing at their current school through to the end of Year 8 (where that school continues to Year 8) and a satisfactory final report from their school. Other candidates who present a sufficiently strong profile will receive a PROVISIONAL OFFER of a place, inviting them to take part in a further competitive assessment which they will complete at Tonbridge during the Summer Term of Year 7. Such candidates will therefore have the opportunity to win a confirmed, UNCONDITIONAL OFFER during the Summer Term of Year 7, when they will be invited to complete a 1 hour mathematics paper and a 1 hour writing paper at Tonbridge, as well as carrying out a short interview. Specimen papers and a syllabus for the mathematics paper of the Year 7 Entrance Exam for those holding provisional offers can be viewed on our exam papers page. We will also request an updated report from a boy's current school.
- Acceptance of Unconditional and Provisional Places and Opening of House Lists
Parents accept their son's UNCONDITIONAL OFFER by completing the Final Entry Form and paying an admission fee of £2,000. Families accepting an UNCONDITIONAL OFFER, who have made a firm decision as to whether their son will be a boarder or a day boy, also have the opportunity to express a preference for a particular boarding or day house when returning the Final Entry Form. Where no preference is expressed, boys are allocated to houses by the Headmaster in consultation with the Director of Admissions. Further details of the house allocation process can be found here.
Parents accepting a PROVISIONAL OFFER do so by returning an acceptance form which is issued with the offer and at this stage, no payment is required.
- 13+ Academic Scholarship and Common Entrance
Any candidate who is in receipt of an UNCONDITIONAL OFFER may choose to sit our Academic Scholarship which takes place in late April/early May of Year 8.
YEar 10 Entry
A small number of boys join Tonbridge in Year 10. Boys entering at this stage are usually aged between 14.0 and 14.11 on 1 September of the year of entry. These age-limits are not inflexible, and slightly younger or older candidates may be accepted at the Headmaster’s discretion.
2020 Entry
2021 Entry
- Registration
Registration is the formal first stage of the Year 10 admissions process. To register, please complete the online Tonbridge Registration Form. There is a non-refundable registration fee of £250. All applications must be submitted with a copy of the candidate’s latest school report. Overseas candidates should also arrange to sit UKiset assessment tests, naming Tonbridge as a school to which they would like the results to be sent. The test can be sat at centres across the world; details can be found on their website: www.ukiset.com.
The application deadline is 1 September - earlier submission is welcome. Candidates living in China, Hong Kong or Singapore may be invited for an interview which will determine if they are invited to sit our entry exams.
- Entry Exams and Interviews
Examinations will be set by Tonbridge in Mathematics and English only, to be taken in November; it should be noted that these exams are highly competitive with only the strongest candidates receiving offers of places. Specimen papers can be viewed on our exam papers page. Papers can be taken either at Tonbridge or at a British Council office around the world or possibly at another approved international location. Candidates living overseas, who are able to attend interviews in Hong Kong, Shanghai or Singapore, will be interviewed via Skype.
- Offers of unconditional places
UNCONDITIONAL OFFERS will be issued to the best performing applicants on 1 December (nine months prior to arrival at Tonbridge). Parents accept the UNCONDITIONAL OFFER by completing the Final Entry Form and paying an admission fee of £2,000. Applicants living overseas will also be required to pay the first term’s fees in advance.
Sixth Form Entry
Each year up to 25 boys join Tonbridge in the Sixth Form. Boys entering at this stage are usually aged between 16.0 and 16.11 on 1 September of the year of entry. These age-limits are not inflexible, and slightly younger or older candidates may be accepted at the Headmaster’s discretion.
2020 Entry
2021 Entry
- Registration
Registration is the formal first stage of the Sixth Form admissions process. To register, please complete the online Tonbridge Registration Form and return it to the school. There is a non-refundable registration fee of £250. All applications must be submitted with a copy of the candidate’s latest school report.
Overseas candidates should also arrange to sit UKiset assessment tests, naming Tonbridge as a school to which they would like the results to be sent. The test can be sat at centres across the world; details can be found on their website: www.ukiset.com. The deadline for entry is the 1 September for all boys currently at an overseas school. After these deadlines, late applicants may be considered at the school’s discretion if there are still places available. Please contact the Admissions Office before registering as a late applicant.
- Entry Exams and Interviews
The Director of Admissions will review all applications once they are complete, with shortlisted applicants being invited to examination and interview. Examinations will be set by Tonbridge and completed by each candidate in their four chosen Sixth Form subjects in November; it should be noted that these exams are highly competitive, with only the strongest candidates receiving an UNCONDITIONAL OFFER. All candidates, including those who are British and native English speakers, will be required to sit an English Language paper.
Specimen papers can be viewed on our exam papers page. Papers can be taken either at Tonbridge or at a British Council office around the world or possibly at another approved international location. Candidates living overseas, who are able to attend interviews in Hong Kong, Shanghai or Singapore, will be invited to do so in advance of the exams; other international candidates will be interviewed via Skype.
- Offers of Unconditional Places
UNCONDITIONAL OFFERS will be issued to the best performing applicants by 1 December (nine months prior to arrival at Tonbridge). Parents accept the UNCONDITIONAL OFFER by returning the Final Entry Form and paying an admission fee of £2,000. Applicants living overseas will also be required to pay the first term’s fees in advance.