Fair Treatment of Kent and Medway Test 11+ Results

[KentTestConcerned]

Due to the exceptional circumstances of the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Kent and Medway tests were later than normal this year.

Medway extended its deadline for submitting school preferences to 30/Nov, so parents would know their results before choosing schools, but Kent didn't - their cut off date is 2/Nov, but their results dont come out until 26/Nov.
This means that you have to hedge your bets and apply blind to Kent schools this year.

In an email exchange with KCC, they have revealed to me that you can CHANGE your school preferences after their "deadline" and up to 11/Dec (two weeks after their "deadline") by emailing [email protected]. This means that you CAN make an INFORMED school choice, knowing the 11+ results for your child.

Most parents will be blissfully unaware of this, as it is outside of the normal system, and not mentioned on their website.

If the real deadline is 11/Dec, why dont KCC come clean and publicise this to ALL parents ?

For completeness, here are both documents together:

Here is the link to the 9page KCC Admission to Secondary school in Kent 2021 “brown supplement” for everybody
www.kentadvice.co.uk/images/kentadvice/documents/Admission%20to%20secondary%20school%20in%20Kent%202021.pdf

Here is the link to the 47page KCC Admission to Secondary school in Kent 2021 “pink book”
www.kent.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/17930/Secondary-admissions-booklet-all-areas.pdf

@TW2013

But why isn't it on the KCC website? This is really clear, it should be there front and centre, not tucked away somewhere.

Left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing?

Kentadvice.co.uk isn't part of KCC. It seems as if it was just a memo sent to (some) primary schools to pass on to parents and one of the schools has passed it on to Kentadvice.co.uk. I can see why they might have wanted to send it via primary schools as some parents will have registered a long time ago and wouldn't necessarily look on the website again until offer day, however they should have it there too.

The list of dates used to be on the website but was taken off

Some people have been asking about SIFs

There are 50 schools in the county that ask for extra information about applicants on a “Supplementary Information Form” (“SIF”), for details that could affect your DC’s ranking for a place, if the school is oversubscribed.

For those schools, no completed SIF means your DC might not get that extra ranking when it comes down to allocating the last available place. Your application will still be considered without a SIF.

Information requested might include whether your child attracts Pupil Premium ... or ... whether they attend a place of worship regularly, for a faith school, for example.

There is a list of schools in the “pink book” from pages 29-40, that lists which ones do and don’t.

The forms are designed by each school for itself, so you must obtain one from them.

The list of dates used to be on the website but was taken off

Typical !

@krds2

The list of dates used to be on the website but was taken off

Typical !

@thumperandsnowball But why isn't it on the KCC website? This is really clear, it should be there front and centre, not tucked away somewhere.

Your guess is as good as mine. The KIA theory is that KCC have realised late that doing it this way instead of just changing the online closing date for preferences – like Medway Authority have simply done to after the test results date – is going to create them a lot of extra manual admin and they are trying to get out of doing the work if few people know about it. But at the same time they can “honestly” claim that they publicised it, even though they don’t carry it on their own website or notify parents. Devious. Sneaky.

Wow. This is unravelling like a Columbo movie !

@andthentherewerefive

Wow. This is unravelling like a Columbo movie !

in the Columbo movies, the guilty party "wot dunnit" is always the big actor with the reputation to protect that we see first.

cant see any parallels here, of course

Just in case this is helpful for anyone out of area, Bexley and Bromley are applying a similar policy of allowing changes after the results come out.

Yes, the difference is, they’re telling their parents about it in their Admissions Booklet www.bexley.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2020-09/admission-to-secondary-schools-in-bexley-2021.pdf
(anyone from KCC listening ? - now there’s a novel idea !).

Page 2, “3-10 December: Window permitted for change of preference related to selection test outcome”

DD sits it next week.

We live in Rainham and come under Medway. We’ve not heard of these dates, but it doesn’t affect us as we apply for the Kent schools through Medway. We have up to the 30th of November to put in our choices for any of the schools (we are thinking of both sides) which means we will have known the Kent Test results for 4 days (and the Medway Test results for nearly a month). Don’t get how there can be such a difference in results dates as our ds took both tests in the space of a few days, but we will be able to go for the grammar schools or the non selective schools depending on his results in any case. Medway results on Monday - everything crossed.

I think it is a different in terms review/headteacher appeals. Medway are I think done after you get the results and Kent before the results are released, plus I guess an impact of scale, many applying for Medway will also apply to Kent whereas Medway is too far for much of Kent.

We’re just outside Sittingbourne and applying for Kent Grammar schools in Sittingbourne and Maidstone, and Medway Grammar schools. We’ve got about 7 hours between getting the Medway Test results c.4:30 on Monday, and Midnight when the Kent online deadline closes to get the Medway schools right.
But can we change the Medway schools by mailing KCC when we get the Kent Test results on the 26th and change the Kent schools ?

Yes, but do bear in mind that if you really liked a school which you don't qualify for then you can appeal but to be heard in the first round, usually you need to have applied for that school at this stage. So say your favourite school was a Kent school but your child only passes the Medway test, but you are fairly confident they will get a Medway Grammar, you might still want to put your favourite Kent school first. Then if they haven't passed you still have the option of appealing to your favourite school, knowing that you have the Medway school as back up.

But why isn't it on the KCC website? This is really clear, it should be there front and centre, not tucked away somewhere.

Of course the KCC cant change the website to show you - their man is still busy writing alternative facts for the Trump campaign !

Do be aware that an ‘Appeal’ is not against the result of your dc’s 11+. The Right to Appeal comes after National Offer Day 4pm on Monday March 1st , if you have not been awarded a place at your preferred school(s).
You have a statutory right to appeal directly to any school you named on your SCAF.
BUT
If you named a grammar school, and your dc was not assessed selective, you have next to no chance of getting in on appeal. Most grammar schools will be oversubscribed and even some children who ‘passed’ the 11+ will not get a place if it is full.

Grammar school appeals will be mainly for children who were assessed as selective, but still didn’t get a place at their chosen grammar. Schools have a handful (1...2...3…) of places kept aside from the selection process for appeals. Oversubscribed schools simply cannot offer a place if there is no table and chair left. All those who were selective can compete for the reserve places by appealing, but there will still be some disappointed faces.

If your dc was one or two points below passing it might be worth a ‘punt’ – especially if your grammar was undersubscribed (it does happen sometimes), but likely any more away than that the Appeal outcome will simply explain to you that there were not enough places and that the school’s admissions policy was applied fairly.

If your dc’s result was non selective, you should carefully consider loading your SCAF with good non selective schools, where you will secure your Right of Appeal in the case that they are oversubscribed.

A blank space or impossible choices on your SCAF increases your risk that your LA will allocate your dc to an unpopular school with empty places, to which not enough parents have applied, if none of your remaining school choices do not offer you a place.

If you were unsuccessful for any school named on your SCAF, and unsuccessful at appeal, you may put your dc down on a waiting list for any places that might become vacant during the year, and these will be considered in priority to ordinary in-year applications. For a grammar school though, your dc will still have to pass an entrance exam.

I don't agree with the previous poster's "you have next to no chance getting in on appeal"
We appealed my stepdaughters non qualification at 11+ and her (and 50% of the appeals ) were granted (weald put on an extra class)
They are sympathetic to near misses especially with family factors etc.

Although I do personally know five children who have won appeals in recent years against non-qualifcation. It is difficult but not impossible and worth a punt if you have a good banker (which we fortunately do). The schools are not technically allowed to keep places aside for parental appeals, although a head teacher appeal is inbuilt in the system. Yet they do tend to be able to magic up a few spaces each year.

Thank you for this, we did not know.
I’m so relieved that we can change the choices up to december that takes the guesswork out of it. I’m glad Ive found out but I’m actually upset for the people who still dont know and are still stressing out for monday.

They should write to everyone who registered for the kent test, and include a timetable copy.

“Extended Deadline - 15th December”
Extended means it came from somewhere. The only other “deadline” is 2nd November, so why confuse everyone with two deadlines for the same thing ?

You can refine your Kent schools selection online up to midnight tonight, and after that by email only.

Todays “deadline” is for getting your initial choices in, the 11th December deadline is the last date for sending in changes by email.

*So make sure you get your initial choices in by the end of the day !

Dont be late !*

Although it is not for the current year, I found this very detailed list of dates on the KCC website for the Kent Test and secondary applications process. You can see that they send out applicant numbers to secondary schools roughly mid-December ... hence the December 11th deadline for changes to school choices.
www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjeqsGThuTsAhXFUMAKHREVDQgQFjABegQIAxAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kent.gov.uk%2F__data%2Fassets%2Fpdf_file%2F0006%2F78576%2FDetermined-Secondary-Scheme-2019.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1DKk60tHjZmQC7FH57aG2w

I’ve found the “latest” information published on the KCC’s own website, under “Admissions Criteria”:
www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/admissions-criteria/admissions-criteria-202022
It says that the “Summary of applicant numbers [will be] sent to Secondary schools “by Friday December 11 2020” … but they are accepting emailed changes to school choices up to the end of December 11th – so they are sending out to schools before parents’ final choices are processed ?