Moving to Kent - area/schools advice

[tomhazard]

We are having to move to Kent - this is so DH can transfer offices, he has a choice between London and Ashford so will decide based on where we end up moving to.

DC are still quite young but we are aware of grammar system for secondary. I think DD would stand a good chance with this, but DS is still too young for us to be able to tell. So, looking for an area with decent state primaries that fall within the catchment of a grammar school. Nearby private secondary options would be gratefully received too, in case DC turn out not to be grammar material.

I know it is a big county - currently live in Sussex and the only part I'm familiar with is Tunbridge Wells which is lovely. Open to hearing about the rest of the county though!

Canterbury ticks your boxes. 1 girls grammar, 1 boys grammar, 1 mixed grammar, 2 secondary moderns & a Church secondary. By the time your DCs are secondary age there will be a free school there as well. Plenty of private school options, I can think of 3 straight off the top of my head but there's probably more!

It takes about 35mins to get from Canterbury to Ashford, but if you were after something village-y Chartham and Chilham are only 20mins from Ashford and Canterbury schools catchment.

hello MummySparkle thanks so much for that, great place for me to start searching. I'm open to city, town and country living so will take a look in these areas.

Maidstone and Medway have both boys and girls Grammar schools, one mixed in Rainham. Kent test schools come under Kent County Council, which would be Maidstone/Tonbridge and Malling but two accept Kent test passes in Medway instead of the Medway Test pass for 11+, children can take both. It gets very confusing especially if you live on the border of two councils!

sounds complicated !

If you want a big town Canterbury is the obvious choice 15 mins on the train to Ashford I think 50 mins into London. You could also consider villages: Wye, Chillham, Chatham , Great Chart. Lovely villages with easy commute to London or Ashford. Ashford itself isn't a great place to live but useful to have nearby and has an excellent girls grammar. The Wye free school is a good comprehensive school (unusual in Kent which has lots of poorly performing secondary moderns) and would be a good option for DS if he turns out not to be overly academic. There are lots of outstanding primaries in the area.

Canterbury also has good grammars. There is a boys grammar in Ashford too although some boys choose to get the train into canterbury for better performing grammar schools there.

Yes it is complicated. The Council's do not make it easy for the Parents!

Canterbury sounds like a good option. Can anyone recommend a specific borough or area with good primary schools (that we stand a chance of getting a place at!)

I don't know anything about Canterbury primary schools I'm afraid. I'm sure someone else can advise though