Tonbridge is one of the leading boys’ boarding and day schools in the UK and is highly respected, both here and internationally, for providing a world-class education. It occupies an extensive site of 150 acres in Kent – just a 40-minute train journey from London Charing Cross. There are some 800 boys in seven boarding Houses and five day Houses. One of the key strengths of Tonbridge is that it blends tradition and innovation successfully, with high-achieving boys wearing their gifts lightly.
The School is renowned for its excellent teaching and for academic achievement. Each year, exam results at GCSE and A level are outstanding, with boys progressing to leading universities including Oxford, Cambridge and Russell Group institutions: the large majority securing their first-choice destination. Tonbridge leavers have also recently gained places (and scholarships) at top US institutions including Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dartmouth, Northeastern and UC Berkeley and, worldwide, at universities in Austria, Australia, Canada, China and Hong Kong.
Pastoral care is based around an outstanding House system. Strong and positive relationships between boys, staff and parents are central to its success, and the School strives to ensure that each pupil, whether a boarder or a day boy, feels fully at home and well supported. Tonbridge was the first school in the UK to put Mindfulness on the curriculum for all Year 10 pupils. There is also a vibrant programme of co-curricular breadth and depth, with a wide range of societies covering everything from Beekeeping to Ultimate Frisbee.
Tonbridge encourages its students to make connections – connections between academic subjects, between different sports and activities, between people, between cultures: with the aim of producing fine minds and good hearts. The School’s ethos is summed up in just two words: ‘Only Connect’.
The School has a genuine commitment to widening access: a key part of its ethos is to ensure that any bright, talented boy has the opportunity to benefit from a Tonbridge education, regardless of background or financial situation. The School aims to increase the number of boys on significant financial support by the time of its 475th anniversary in 2028.
Location. Tonbridge School is just off the M25, on the edge of the Kent/Surrey/Sussex borders, and attracts families from all over southern England and beyond. It lies in 150 acres of land on the edge of the town of Tonbridge, providing a good balance between town and country living.
Financial assistance (Foundation Awards). A limited number of Junior Foundation Scholarships (Year 6) are available for boys who are both academically talented and intellectually curious but whose families may struggle to afford school fees. Candidates must register by the end of September in Year 6. They will sit the ISEB test and participate in an interview and assessment afternoon in November, with stronger candidates returning for further tests in Maths and English in February. These scholarships, confirmed in Year 6, may offer means-tested financial support of up to 100%, enabling boys from outside the independent sector to attend prep school for Years 7 and 8, and subsequently Tonbridge from Year 9.
Scholarships. Tonbridge offers scholarships in the areas of Academia, Sport, Music, Drama, Design Technology (DTE), and Art. Scholarship recipients are awarded a one-off payment of £2,000 in recognition of their achievement. In Year 8, Academic Scholarships are awarded following examinations in early May. Additionally, up to 10 Music Scholarships, 10 Art, Drama, or DTE Scholarships, and 4 Cowdrey Scholarships (for sporting excellence and sportsmanship) are available, all assessed in early February.
Fees per term. (2025-2026). £20,693 for a boarding place and £15,526 for a day place.
Charitable status. Tonbridge School is a Registered Charity, number 1097977.
Governors & Staff:
Headmaster: J E Priory, MA Oxon
Second Master: J R Bleakley, BA
Chief Operating Officer: W R May, BA, MCIPs
Deputy Head Academic: M J Weatheritt, MA
Deputy Head Admissions & Communications: Mrs H F McLintock, BA
Deputy Head Co-Curricular: J A Fisher, BSc
Deputy Head Pastoral: C J C Swainson, MA
Lower Master: Mrs J H McNeil, BA
Director of Learning & Academic Enrichment: Mr J Blake, BA, MSc
Tonbridge Society Director: A Ballard, BA