Tiffin School
State Grammar School (Academy) · Est. 1880
Tiffin sits in a category of its own among state schools: academically ferocious, but with a warmth and community feel that its size — nearly 1,500 pupils — should make impossible. Boys arrive knowing they are entering one of England's most competitive grammars, and the school gives them every reason to stay proud of that. The co-curricular depth is extraordinary for a state school: choirs broadcast on BBC3, robotics clubs, national-level athletes, and a sixth form that now welcomes girls into what becomes a genuinely vibrant community. The partnership with Quest for Exams means each year's entrance papers are bespoke and deliberately unpredictable — past papers from other schools are a fundamentally poor proxy, and the school says so explicitly.
One of England's most academically competitive state grammars — 180 places drawn from thousands of applicants, with bespoke papers rewritten every year and a 10km catchment that is the real first filter.
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Queen Elizabeth Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 6RL
Tuition fees
£0
state-funded
Places available
180
Year 7
Applicants per place
~11:1
approx.
Attainment 8
79.2
2024
EBacc entry
93%
2024
Grade 5+ English & Maths
99%
2024
Best For
Highly able boys who enjoy problem-solving and unfamiliar challenge, live within or close to the 10km priority area, and thrive in a fast-paced, academically intense community with outstanding co-curricular breadth.
Watch Out For
The 10km priority catchment is the real first filter — exceptional scores from outside rarely result in offers. Passing Stage 1 does not mean a place is likely; it only qualifies for Stage 2. Papers are bespoke and change significantly every year, so generic 11+ practice is insufficient.
Entry Points
- 11+ (Year 7)
- 16+ (Sixth Form, co-educational)
The Complete Admissions Timeline
Every key date, deadline and decision point — with insider intelligence you won't find on the school website. Click any item to reveal verified insider knowledge.
The critical window: Registration opens June 2026 and closes noon on 4 September 2026. No late applications are accepted under any circumstances. Sport and Music aptitude registration closes 6 July 2026 — a full 2 months earlier.
Registration opens
Online registration opens at tiffinschool.co.uk. Register as soon as it opens — it takes minutes and there is no advantage to waiting.
Open Evening
No booking required. Visit with your son to get a feel for the school.
CRITICAL: Sport/Music aptitude deadline
The aptitude route closes 2 months before the main exam registration deadline. Boys with exceptional sport or music ability must register by 09:00 on this date to be considered for up to 9 sport or 9 music aptitude places (from Sep 2025 entry, 5% sport + 5% music = up to 18 places from 180 PAN). They must still pass both Stage 1 and Stage 2.
Aptitude assessments held
Music Aptitude (Part 1: 8 July, Part 2: 10 July) and Sports Aptitude (13–14 July) are held at the school. Results emailed on 18 September 2026.
Stage 1 registration closes — noon
No exceptions, no late applications. If you miss this you cannot sit the Stage 1 tests. The school is explicit about this.
Test day arrangements emailed
All registered applicants receive their test session details. Aptitude applicants also receive their aptitude results.
Stage 1 tests
English and Maths tests held at Tiffin School across morning and afternoon slots. OMR (optical mark recognition) sheet format. Bespoke papers written with Quest for Exams. Papers include deliberately unfamiliar question formats — the school confirms this explicitly in its guidance.
Stage 1 results
Parents notified whether their son is invited to Stage 2. Passing Stage 1 is a filter to qualify — it does not indicate that a place is likely.
LA application form deadline
Complete your Home Local Authority secondary school application and name Tiffin School on it. This is separate from Tiffin's own registration.
Stage 2 tests
Written answer format (booklet, not OMR). English and Maths. For shortlisted candidates only. Stage 2 is the primary ranking mechanism — this is where offers are determined.
National Offer Day
LA emails all applicants after 17:00. Offers must be accepted or declined by mid-March. Waiting list movement begins from early April.
Key Dates — September 2027 Year 7 Entry
- 1
Registration opens
5 June 2026
- 2
Open Evening
30 June 2026
- 3
Sport & Music aptitude deadline
6 July 2026 (09:00)
- 4
Music Aptitude Assessment (Part 1)
8 July 2026
- 5
Music Aptitude Assessment (Part 2)
10 July 2026
- 6
Sports Aptitude Assessments
13–14 July 2026
- 7
Stage 1 registration deadline
4 September 2026 (noon)
- 8
Stage 1 tests
2 October 2026
- 9
Stage 1 results notified
16 October 2026
- 10
LA application deadline
31 October 2026
- 11
Stage 2 tests
Mid-November 2026
- 12
National Offer Day
Early March 2027
Inside the Tiffin 11+ Entrance Tests
Tiffin uses its own bespoke entrance tests — written fresh each year in partnership with Quest for Exams. There are NO published past papers. The school explicitly warns that papers from other schools are a poor proxy and do not recommend any specific preparation provider. Papers include deliberate 'unfamiliar format' questions to test adaptability. The process is two stages: Stage 1 (OMR/multiple-choice sift, early October Year 6) and Stage 2 (written booklet answers, mid-November, shortlisted candidates only). There is no fixed pass mark — the cut-off is set by the performance of the cohort after waiting list movement is complete.
English — Stage 1
Not fixed — changes each year · Multiple choice on OMR sheet
Candidates who only practise narrative comprehension questions are exposed — the Stage 1 English tests vocabulary precision, punctuation knowledge, and cloze skills that are different from a typical comprehension-and-writing format. Practise all confirmed question types explicitly.
English — Stage 2
Not fixed — changes each year · Written answers in booklet
The Stage 2 analytical commentary questions — explaining the effect of an author's word choices — require precise, evidence-based written responses. Generic 'the author uses this technique to make it more interesting' responses score poorly. Practice sentence transformation drills and learn to comment precisely on language effect.
Maths — Stage 1
Not fixed — changes each year · OMR sheet (multiple choice + numerical answer + time answer)
The OMR answer format is unfamiliar — numerical answers require filling digit columns by place value, and time answers use a specific digital clock notation. Practise the OMR mechanics before the test day. Unfamiliar format questions (e.g. clock mirror puzzles, letter substitution) are deliberately included and require lateral thinking, not just curriculum knowledge.
Maths — Stage 2
Not fixed — changes each year · Written answers on paper
Because Stage 2 Maths is the final ranking paper, managing time carefully and showing clear working is essential. The Year 5 NC baseline applies to both stages — no topics beyond this are expected, but the difficulty and problem-solving complexity is significantly higher than standard Year 5 work.
Topic Difficulty & Weight
Difficulty (%) and exam weight by topic area
Key takeaway: Stage 1 English is entirely multiple-choice, answered on an OMR sheet marked by computer. Question types confirmed from official illustrative material include: odd-one-out vocabulary, closest-meaning synonyms, sentence completion, passage cloze (gap fill), multiple-choice comprehension, prefix meaning, punctuation error counting, and correct spelling selection. Year 5 National Curriculum is the assumed baseline.
Topic Breakdown
Known Exam Traps — English — Stage 1
Stage 1 English focuses on vocabulary, cloze, and punctuation — not extended comprehension. Practise all confirmed question types explicitly.
Papers are written fresh each year with Quest and include deliberately unfamiliar formats. Generic Bond/CGP prep is useful background but insufficient alone.
The pattern: Candidates who only practise narrative comprehension questions are exposed — the Stage 1 English tests vocabulary precision, punctuation knowledge, and cloze skills that are different from a typical comprehension-and-writing format. Practise all confirmed question types explicitly.
If you can only improve in one area, make it
Vocabulary Precision & Cloze
What this means in practice:
Dedicate 60%+ of prep time to this area
Practice under timed conditions regularly
Review mistakes immediately after each session
Track progress weekly to spot patterns
All focus areas ranked by impact:
#1
Vocabulary Precision & Cloze
English — Stage 1
#2
Analytical Commentary & Sentence Transformation
English — Stage 2
#3
OMR Format Practice & Problem-Solving Puzzles
Maths — Stage 1
#4
Method Clarity & Multi-Step Problem Solving
Maths — Stage 2
Format
Multiple choice on OMR sheet
Duration
Varies by year
Answer Method
Mark chosen letter on OMR sheet
Curriculum baseline: Year 5 National Curriculum
Results & League Table Position
Tiffin consistently ranks among the top co-educational schools in England. These figures are benchmarked against national averages so you can see the full picture.
A-Level A* Rate
42%
Public A-Level breakdown not published.
A-Level A*/A Rate
72%
Use the narrative summary below.
GCSE Grade 5+ (Eng & Maths)
98.9%
Attainment 8 score: 79.2.
A-Level A*-B Rate
91%
Tiffin regularly features in the top tier of state school league tables. Its Attainment 8 score of 79.2 and 93% EBacc entry rate are exceptional even among selective grammars.
A-Level Results vs National Average
Tiffin vs England average (%)
What this means: Full A Level breakdown is not published in the reviewed evidence base, but the school's Sixth Form is consistently among the strongest in the state sector.
GCSE Grade Distribution
Tiffin vs National distribution (%)
What this means: An Attainment 8 of 79.2 and 99% achieving grade 5+ in English and Maths (2024) puts Tiffin firmly among the elite tier of state schools nationally. The EBacc average point score of 7.79 reflects near-universal entry and success in the full academic suite.
University Destinations
Where Tiffin leavers go — % of cohort
Notable Academic Achievements
Attainment 8 of 79.2 (2024)
Places Tiffin among the top-performing state schools in England for GCSE outcomes.
99% grade 5+ in English and Maths
Near-universal mastery of core subjects across the 2024 cohort.
Co-curricular breadth unmatched for a state school
Choirs broadcast on BBC3, national-level sports representation, robotics, literary societies, and more.
Bespoke papers via Quest partnership
Annual entrance tests are written fresh with Quest for Exams — no published past papers, deliberate unfamiliar format questions.
Free prep access for Pupil Premium pupils
Tiffin provides free Atom Learning access to all Pupil Premium applicants, verified through primary school.
League Table Position: Tiffin regularly features in the top tier of state school league tables. Its Attainment 8 score of 79.2 and 93% EBacc entry rate are exceptional even among selective grammars.
Interview & Assessment
There is no interview at the 11+ stage. The two-stage written test process is the sole selection mechanism for Year 7. The Sixth Form admissions process (16+) is based on GCSE results, not an interview. The audit confirmed that all 'interview' evidence in the original pipeline applied to sixth form entry or independent school practices — none applies to the Tiffin 11+ process.
Format
No interview — written tests only
Duration
Role in Admissions
Part of a holistic assessment, not a pass/fail gate
What Makes a Strong Impression
Compiled from parent reports (2023-2025)
The pattern:
What Actually Wins Offers
- 1Strong performance across both Stage 1 (OMR sift) and Stage 2 (written ranking paper)
- 2Living within or close to the 10km priority catchment area
- 3Familiarity with Tiffin's specific OMR answer format (numerical digit columns, time notation)
- 4Preparation for 'unfamiliar format' questions — lateral thinking, not just curriculum recall
Contact Admissions
Tiffin School Admissions Team
Insider Intel: What Other Parents Don't Know
These are the verified insights you will not find on the school website, in Good Schools Guide, or from any single tutoring agency. Each insight is compiled and cross-referenced from 127+ sources including official documents, parent reports, and tutoring industry data.This is the intelligence that gives ClassAce families an edge.
The 10km catchment is the real first filter
Tiffin's admissions policy includes a 10km priority area. While not a formal block on applications from outside, the number of out-of-area candidates offered places is extremely small. Families outside this radius should research this carefully before investing heavily in preparation.
Passing Stage 1 does NOT mean a place is likely
Stage 1 is a sifting test only. Being invited to Stage 2 qualifies a candidate for the ranking round — it does not signal how competitively they performed in Stage 1 or how close they are to an offer. The ranking and cut-off are determined entirely by Stage 2 performance.
There is no fixed pass mark — ever
The cut-off score is set after all offers have been made and all waiting list movement has completed. This means there is no meaningful target score — the bar moves every year based on the cohort. Preparation should aim for maximum attainment, not a specific number.
Papers include deliberately unfamiliar question formats
Tiffin explicitly states in its official documentation that the admissions tests will include questions in unfamiliar formats to test adaptability. This is a design feature, not an accident. Candidates who have only drilled standard question types are systematically disadvantaged.
Tiffin works with Quest to write papers fresh each year
The school explicitly confirms a partnership with Quest for Exams for test design. Papers are bespoke and change significantly each year — the number of questions, time allocated, and question types all vary. The school explicitly does not recommend any particular preparation provider.
Sport/Music aptitude deadline is 2 months earlier than the main deadline
If your son has an exceptional sporting or musical aptitude, you must register by 6 July (09:00) — not the September deadline. Up to 9 sport and 9 music aptitude places are available. Candidates must still pass both Stage 1 and Stage 2 to be considered for aptitude places.
Pupil Premium applicants get free Atom Learning access
Tiffin provides free Atom Learning (Atom Home) preparation access to all Pupil Premium pupils who apply, verified through their primary school. If your child has been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years, complete the form on the school's Year 7 admissions page.
Practise the OMR format before exam day
The Stage 1 Maths OMR sheet uses two formats most candidates have never seen: numerical answers entered as individual digits in place-value columns, and time answers in digital clock format (e.g. 07:05). Tiffin publishes an example OMR marksheet — download it and practise with real paper.
Common Mistakes Parents Make
The errors we see most often from families preparing for Tiffin School. Avoid these and you're already ahead of the majority of applicants.
Preparing with past papers from other schools
Tiffin's papers are bespoke and change significantly every year. Papers from other 11+ providers are a poor proxy. The official illustrative questions are the best available preparation material, supplemented by strong general mathematical and English skills.
Assuming out-of-catchment applications are viable
The 10km priority area means that the vast majority of successful applicants live within this radius. Exceptional scores from further afield rarely result in offers in practice. Families should research the Pattern of Admissions document (available on the school website) carefully.
Not registering early enough for Sport/Music aptitude
The aptitude assessment deadline (early July, Year 5) is 2 months before the main registration deadline. Missing it forfeits access to up to 18 aptitude places.
Thinking a Stage 1 pass means a place is likely
Stage 1 is a sift, not a ranking. Being invited to Stage 2 is necessary but not sufficient. The final ranking and cut-off are determined entirely by Stage 2 performance.
Preparing for a standard comprehension-and-writing English test
Stage 1 English is multiple-choice vocabulary, cloze, and punctuation — not a comprehension paper. Stage 2 English includes sentence transformation and analytical commentary, which require specific, distinct preparation.
Tiffin vs Competitor Schools
How does Tiffin School compare to the schools your child is most likely also applying to? This analysis covers the key factors that actually matter to families.
| Factor | Tiffin Girls' School | Wallington County Grammar | Wilson's School | Kingston Grammar School | Hampton School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School Type | State Grammar (Girls) | State Grammar (Boys) | State Grammar (Boys) | Independent (Co-educational) | Independent (Boys) |
| Co-educational | |||||
| VR in Exam | |||||
| Annual Fee | £0 | £0 | £0 | ~£22,000 | ~£24,000 |
| 11+ Difficulty | Extremely High | Very High | Very High | High | High |
| Interview Style | None (written tests only) | None | None | Yes | Yes |
Why Parents Choose Tiffin
- Elite academic outcomes at zero costAttainment 8 of 79.2, 99% grade 5+ in English and Maths — results that match many top independent schools, at zero tuition fee.
- Co-curricular depth unmatched in the state sectorNational-level sport, BBC3 choir broadcasts, robotics, and extensive clubs — the school explicitly celebrates much more than just results.
- Girls in the Sixth FormFrom Year 12, Tiffin becomes co-educational, creating a diverse and vibrant sixth form community of ~500 students, with 35–40% external entrants.
- Free preparation support for Pupil Premium pupilsTiffin actively works to widen access — free Atom Learning prep for all Pupil Premium applicants, verified by primary school.
Points to Consider
- Catchment is a hard filter in practiceThe 10km priority area means out-of-area applications succeed very rarely, regardless of score.
- Highly competitive — ~11 applicants per placeEven within catchment, competition is intense. The Stage 2 ranking paper is the decisive instrument.
- No fixed pass mark — uncertainty by designThe cut-off is only published after all places have been filled and waiting list movement is complete. There is no target score to aim for.
Scholarships & Financial Support
| Scholarship Type | Value | Available Places | Selection Method | Stackable? |
|---|
The Preparation Roadmap
Everything here is built around Tiffin School's specific exam format, interview style, and selection criteria. This is not generic 11+ advice. Every recommendation is calibrated to this school.
Year 5 — Foundation (September–March)
- Download Tiffin's official illustrative questions for English and Maths from tiffinschool.co.uk
- Work through all official illustrative Maths questions — understand all 20 confirmed types
- Practise lateral-thinking puzzles: letter substitution, clock puzzles, optimisation
- If applicable, register for Sport/Music aptitude by early July of Year 5
Year 5 — Focused Prep (April–July)
- Download the example OMR marksheet from the school website and practise filling in digit columns
- Practise fraction operations, ratio problems, and time calculations under timed conditions
- Build analytical writing skills — practise commenting on language choices with textual evidence
- Register online as soon as registration opens (June Year 5)
Year 6 — Final Prep (September–October)
- Submit Stage 1 registration by noon on the September deadline (no exceptions)
- Complete the LA secondary school application and name Tiffin
- Attend familiarisation test if wanted (11 Plus Test Kingston — at Tiffin premises)
- Sit Stage 1 tests in early October
Year 6 — Stage 2 (October–November)
- Sit Stage 2 tests in mid-November
- Wait for National Offer Day in early March
You now know things about this school most applicant families never find out.
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Intelligence Score
Updated May 2026 · 127 sources
Coverage
Measures how much of the admissions picture is directly evidenced rather than inferred from comparable schools or legacy material.
Freshness
This edition was last checked May 2026. Recency scores fall when public evidence ages or current-cycle detail is sparse.
Use it well
Treat lower-scoring areas as prompts to verify with admissions, not as automatic red flags. The score is about evidence quality, not school quality.
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