Kent schools help please :)

[FrenchFriend]

I have friends who are potentially moving over from France to England, probably looking at schools from Easter next year.

They have 2 boys - Y7 & Y3 and youngest (girl) will start YR in Sept 2015.

Currently looking at Orpington/Sevenoaks area for commute into City/Canary Wharf and wondered if anyone has some information on Kent schooling? I don't know the Kent system at all but a few thoughts I had to cover off were:

1. General availability for in-year applications?
2. Areas with good primary and secondary schools?
3. How widespread is the grammar system and do children have to be exceptional to pass 11+?
4. How would grammar entry work for Y7 child?
5. Can you apply to any school (esp in catchment) or do the children have to have attended a feeder school? - I believe my school in Surrey now require this
6. Any other gems to link good London commute and good schools (albeit I am sure this is the holy grail being chased by most people moving to the area with DC and London jobs.......)

TIA

One thing you need to take into account: Orpington is part of the London Borough of Bromley, not Kent despite a Kent postal address.

The grammars in the area are quite oversubscribed so you need very good 11+ results to get a place.

Bromley, and I assume most areas, is very oversubscribed, both primary and secondary so distance is very often the main admission point after siblings but it still very much depends on the school. Bromley pushes all primaries to become academies by 2015.

We live in West Wickham, also part of Bromley and commute is easy to London and Docklands. Schools in Bromley are mostly good and, if you want, there are also a number of independent schools.

Thanks Nora - do you know how in year applications work for Grammars? Also is there a massive divide between the grammars and secondary moderns or are there only a few and therefore the majority of schooling ends up more 'comprehensive' in style?

OP, have a look on the map - Bromley has 2 grammar schools, both superselective and thus very competitive to get into. Bexley has several, and Kent has more, but I believe in-year admission is very difficult.

Your friend might find it helpful to approach the Good Schools Guide for school consultancy - a friend of mine relocating from Dubai did this and found it invaluable.

Orpington or 7oaks makes quite a difference- in Kent approx 25% go to grammar schools so no real comps. Knole in 7oaks now has a grammar stream but that is quite new. Bromley has a couple if grammars but they are more selective, and the other schools are more comprehensive.

Kent secondarys tend not to have feeder primaries- but you would need to look at the admissions criteria for individual schools.

There is quite a lot of Kent info here:

www.kentadvice.co.uk/individual-schools.html

And here

www.elevenplusforum.org.uk/index.php

Thanks all for the advice so far and eltee I think that's probably a good idea re school consultancy given the different ages and myriad of differing county/borough/school rules.
Good to hear no general feeder requirements though.

tanaqui I have only opened and skimmed that Kent Advice link and it looks great - thankyou

No idea about grammar, DD is only in Y3. Your friend needs to contact Bromley LEA and Kent county LEA and find out what the procedures are.

But, secondaries are quite good as well. Is there a reason to be so focused on Grammar?

Unless there are any specific reasons I would check living first and see what is around. The grammars in Bromley are boys and girls only, so she needs to take this into account. It is also unknown how grammar schools will work in the future. But then, "normal" secondaries can change in a couple of years.

If she has the funds looking at indie schools may be worth as well. Bromley has several and London obviously as well.

Thanks all - I'll share this thread link with her so she may be on herself to ask a few more Q's herself. Thanks for all the resources/insights so far.

Nora - Shes not 'focussed' on grammars but I wanted to understand how prevalent they are and therefore what the bulk of the schools are like. I was brought up in a comprehensive area and now live in a grammar heavy area so was unsure where Kent fell between these two stools IYSWIM?