Explain Kent school system (to a foreigner!)

[Ashthatsme]

We are looking to move to somewhere between Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Tunbridge Wells from abroad (New Zealand originally but been travelling for past 2 years) and are trying to get our head around the very different school system here. We'll be looking to start our kids at school for the new school year in September (B9, G11). Can anyone please explain the system in a nutshell?! So confused! 😆

When are exactly their birthdays, (month is fine) ad this could change advice.

B turns 9 Mch 2025, G will be 12 in Nov 2025

Unfortunately bad timing for your eldest as they would be year 7 (first year senior) and those applications have already closed for September 2025 including academically selective grammar schools. So they would be allocated whatever local school had space as a late applicant but would at least join with a new cohort. Your youngest would be year 5 and you would make an In Year application for a primary place. There is information for overseas applicants here www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/move-to-a-different-school#tab-5

Kent is probably the worst county to search for a Sept 25 year 7 place without an address because it has the most grammar schools in England and they are already full for Sept 25 year 7. This means your dc is immediately being considered for the spaces left in the other secondary schools that aren't creaming off the top students.
You would do better to move to an area with a more transient population like Greater London where pupils dip in and out and free up spaces.
I wouldn't consider Surrey either because of the pressure on state school secondary places (due to vat on school fees), Surrey currently has almost 20% of pupils in private schools.

Your ds will be fine because the pressure in primary schools for places is much reduced.

If you choose Kent because of the grammar system you can see a full list of grammar schools on elevenplusexams.co.uk

You can still apply to be put on waiting lists for grammar schools for your eldest. She would have to take an exam but perhaps worth it if she’s bright and you think it would be the right fit. In the link @LIZS shared above there’s more info under ‘Moving to a Kent grammar school’ for those wanting to move after the Kent test has taken place. That said, I agree with @tennissquare that you might be better off choosing a different area.

When you say she would be allocated to whatever local school has place - does that mean it's a 'lesser' school?

Not local to Kent, but live in an area with a grammar.

Because of the grammar system, most of the academically most able will go to the grammars. Leaving everyone else at the local comprehensives. So this impacts her peer group and possibly also her teachers - as possibly harder to attract teachers at the less academic schools.

but if your daughter isn’t academic herself , she might enjoy being in a more comprehensive/ inclusive setting. and plenty teachers are philosophically opposed to grammars and will only teach at comps.

you need to have a look at the local schools in person.

In grammar areas like Kent, the ‘top' 30% percent (or so) go to grammar schools and then the remaining children go to non-selective schools (sometimes called secondary moderns). A school with a place available for your daughter would be a non-selective school. A non-grammar area might be better for late/in-year applications because they have comprehensive schools, which have children of all ability levels.

I do live in Kent and two of my DC went to grammar school.
The state grammar schools i(n Tonbridge particularly)come very high in the league table and are super selective .
I live in Maidstone and so I can't comment personally on the non grammars in the areas you are talking about, but I do have loads of local knowledge.

The highest achievers go to the grammars (they call it creaming off the best)

In Maidstone St Simon Stock is a catholic comprehensive secondary school and has excellent results, some of the other non selectives are not that good.

Good luck.

I do have a friend who lives in Tonbridge if you want any information on good areas etc I'm sure she'd advise.

So about a quarter of Kent children go to grammar and the rest secondary modern type schools. Yes, your daughter will be offered what would be considered to be a 'lesser' school as unpopular schools will be the only school with places. If private school is an option, Walthamstow Hall in Sevenoaks is good. Or you could sign your daughter up to the last 2 years of a prep school which might be a bit cheaper then try for grammar for a year 8 or 9 entry. If your daughter is more interested in the arts, then a good option would be Hillview in Tonbridge. This is a state school but specialises in the arts. Once you have moved you could ask to be put on the waiting list / appeal for a place.

It should be more straight forward to get a place for your son.

When you say she would be allocated to whatever local school has place - does that mean it's a 'lesser' school? an undersubscribed school, possibly less popular or one where applicants placed it lower on their preferences than one they were allocated. You can go on waiting lists for others you might prefer and there may be a place come up, but you would be ranked according to the admissions policy with others in same situation.

@Ashthatsme , the difference is if you moved to a non grammar area like Norfolk or Cambridgeshire the secondary school Wait list your dd would be placed on would be related to your home address postcode, in Kent a significant proportion of secondary schools (grammar) are already out of reach.

OK, follow on question - Looking on the KCC site - what's an Academy school?? As opposed to a grammar or comp school. Also a Wide Ability School & a Secondary School vs High School?? So many different classifications! 😖

Academy is the type of funding, state schools are funded directly via the department of education (academy) or via the local council (maintained). There is a move in England to secondary schools all being academized. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

A secondary school covers the ages 11-16 but some counties like Bedfordshire have a different system where a High school might apply.

Is there a reason why you want to move to Kent or could you consider nearer to London instead? If Kent is your only option it would help to know.

That isn't a simple question unfortunately.
Sometimes its just the name of the school.
Sometimes it refers to s particular type of school.

Grammar school... a school that has an exam for entry.
Secondary school... a school covering at least 11-16 years old (but maybe 11-18)
Academy... a school that is run outside of the local authority, either as a standalone school or by a Multi Academy Trust. These can be primary schools, secondary schools, grammar schools...
High school... usually just a name, but some areas still have First, Middle and High schools.
Sixth form/college... a stand alone school for 16-18yos.
Free School... an alternative school that is free to attend, but completely free of the LA
Private School... a fee paying school
Public School... a very posh private school, usually very expensive
Infant school... for 4-7yos
Junior school... 7'11yos
Primary school... 4-11yos.

To add to @TickingAlongNicely 's list. Some "grammar" schools are fee paying (in 1970s/80s state selective education was abolished in most areas in favour of comprehensives but some went private and retained site and name) . Prep schools and pre prep schools are private junior schools, age 4-11 or 4-13, can be standalone or attached to a private senior school. There are entrance tests for private senior schools(11+,13+, Common Entrance), although some are more academically selective than others.

In England, we broadly have 2 levels of school, primary and secondary. Children usually start primary the September after they turn 4 and secondary the September after they turn 11. Even if there are names like academy, grammar etc, they are still all secondary schools. A few regions also have middle school, but not many.

There is no selection by academic ability in state primary, so most people find one they feel would suit their child close to where they live. For secondary, the grammar schools tend to want the top 25% of academic ability, with some being more selective than that. If you want a private school, you pay lots of money, but can then chose where you go as long as you fit their criteria.

In grammar areas, there are still good other secondaries. But they are likely to have more children with higher support needs. If you are choosing that area due to family, you can ask them about the local schools in more detail.

Just to add... Waiting lists (ad you are likely to be on one!)

Waiting lists are held by schools/Council in order of priority, not by length of time on the list. Generally the order is roughly

• children in care or with ECHP
• siblings
• other children by distance from school.

Some areas have added twists like priority admissions areas or feeder schools, but its that basic pattern. So the closer you are to a school, the higher up their waiting list you would be.

Another thing that hasn't been mentioned is Religious Schools... these can prioritise children of a certain faith, and sometimes other faiths, usually evidenced by attendance at the place of worship.

So if you are looking at property, look at the surrounding schools. This will be most relevant for your younger child, as he will go through the normal admissions for Secondary in September 2026.

Good luck. Did the In Years admissions process several times due to DHs job and house moves. Its a lottery unfortunately... sometimes you win, sometimes its a horrible drawn out process.

I live in West Kent and have 3 DCs at a non-selective school. We missed Grammar school applications as moved at wrong time (long story - Covid related). They have done really well at their school. The teachers have been lovely, it has good staff retention. It has loads of facilities - more than some grammars in music, and arts and of course more vocational stuff.

Grammars cream off the clever kids, true, but they then have to plough a good amount of their resources into the academic subjects and keeping up with the (very many) paying schools in Kent (you won't have a prob getting a place in one of them these days) on exam results. The downside to that is other subject choices...

FWIW all my DCs have done really well - one getting into a very very competitive performing arts school, one on course for Russell Group uni in one of the most competitive subjects, and one following his favourite subject in the arts. They have really lovely friends too.

It's worth you having a proper look at the schools with an open mind. Its a really beautiful area. We love it.

Definitely moving to Kent, around the areas mentioned

Yikes, so it sounds like we will really struggle to get our daughter a place somewhere. We plan to arrive in July & find a rental property so I'm guessing we can't actually apply anywhere until we have an address and by that time it will be incredibly late in the process.

The council has an obligation to find you a place somewhere. However it might be wise to be prepared for a few weeks at home in September.

In September there's often children that don't turn up...moved away, gone private or home educated and parents not bothered to cancel the place

If not, there is the Appeals process, and then the Fair Access Protocol

I’d start researching what the best non-selective schools are in the areas you’re looking at and then closer to the time try to find a rental property as close to one of them as possible to increase your chances of getting a place. As @TickingAlongNicely notes, there are always pupils that don’t turn up on the first day (including at grammar schools), so there is always movement the first few weeks of September. Being very close to a school means you would have a better chance of getting a place off their waiting list. It wouldn't matter if you were only added to that list in July.

As mentioned earlier, you can still have your daughter tested to be put on grammar school waiting lists as well if that is something you think would suit her. If you are not arriving until July, that would make it trickier but not impossible I don’t think. Probably worth contacting KCC directly about your situation, and they should be able to advise what you should do and when.

I'd ring one of the grammar schools and ask for advice. They quite often have a place here and there open for people moving in from out of area, your daughter would have to sit the exam. In the meantime you will probably have to put her where you're told, once she's in the system you might be able to move her.
Something to consider is your daughter's intelligence but also her personality. Grammar tend to be much more driven and pressured than normal secondary/high-school.
Is she intelligent but also thrive on pressure? If not grammar may not be for her. (I speak from personal experience)
At 9 for your son, just look around the local primary/junior schools and pick the best, most convenient that has space and a nice vibe.
They will let you know if he's 11+ material nearer the time.
Are you here yet? 😁