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Original poster

Best place to live in Kent for Grammar school

750 replies

vik2017 · 30/10/2017 15:31

Hi,
This is my first question on this board....Smile
and I wanted to know which is the best place to live in Kent and falls into Grammar catchment area and also if my son dont get to the Grammar at least will go to a very good comprehensive school.
Any suggestion will be appreciated even suggest to move to another place considering we both work in London.

Many thanks in advance...
Viki

OP posts:
Floralnomad · 30/10/2017 15:39

Dartford has an excellent boys grammar and there is also Wilmington boys nearby , not sure about the secondary options though . For what I would consider good secondary and grammar Maidstone is ok , 2 boys grammars and try to get in the catchment for Valley Park secondary if you miss the grammar .

Original poster
vik2017 · 30/10/2017 15:49

I also heard about Tonbridge and Tonbridge Well, how are these areas...

OP posts:
Original poster
vik2017 · 30/10/2017 15:50

sorry, I mean Tonbridge and Tunbridge wells

OP posts:
elfinpre · 30/10/2017 15:56

Tonbridge/TW probably for catchment. There are some very nice areas around. Tonbridge is cheaper. Though you can get into the schools if you live in Sevenoaks district too. Sevenoaks has a girls grammar annexe now. With the super selective schools, if you are in the catchment districts, distance from the schools doesn't matter unless you are tied on scores.

blametheparents · 30/10/2017 18:45

Dartford Grammar is a fantastic school and requires a pass to get in if you live in certain parishes, but a high score to get in if you love outside of these parishes.
My DS is there and has just got fantastic GCSE results. He is now in 6th form there. Couldn't recommend it more highly.

bonbonours · 30/10/2017 18:50

Canterbury has 2 single sex grammars, 1 mixed grammar and another mixed one in Faversham which is an option if you're that side of town. Also has 2 regular and decent comps and a Catholic one, plus another comp in Faversham.

icelollycraving · 30/10/2017 18:53

Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells have excellent grammars. It really depends on your budget for a home. Dartford and Canterbury are less expensive.

PettsWoodParadise · 30/10/2017 18:57

Do you have to be in Kent? What about SE London. Here in Petts Wood / Orpington you have access to the Bexley grammars which are pass and distance and many Petts Wood children go to Bexley grammars and are within distance. Then you have the local Orpington Superselectives. Then also the Kent grammars, as out of county you do have to get a higher score, but there are direct coaches. Dartford has been oversubscriptes in-county for years now so even score for in county but lower than that for it of county - more on the elevenplusforum with past cut off scores etc. Then if grammar doesn’t suit you jevecthe likes of excellent comp Darrick Wood.

Original poster
vik2017 · 30/10/2017 20:22

@PettsWoodParadise: I am in Hampshire so can move to any nice place as long as I can commute to London...

Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
vik2017 · 30/10/2017 20:27

@blametheparents - thanks, can you please give me a postcode (nice area) of the catchment area so I can just browse some properties in the catchment area..

Thanks...

OP posts:
PettsWoodParadise · 30/10/2017 21:06

Commuting from Petts Wood or Orpington is very easy, direct trains to Victoria, London Bridge, Blackfriars, Cannon St, Charing Cross in around half an hour.

Ta1kinPeece · 30/10/2017 21:37

Why do you want to move away from the safety of the Hampshire comps to the risks and stress of the 11+ ?

bonbonours · 30/10/2017 21:47

Ta1kinPeece has a point, I know people who live here in Kent who have moved away to get away from the grammar system. The downside of having grammars is the comps are no longer comprehensive because they have lost out on the top 20% academically speaking and so always struggle to perform.

Original poster
vik2017 · 31/10/2017 08:45

@Ta1kinPeece, @bonbonours: you both have a point but I want to move to a place where my son can get a very nice school. The problem is comprehensive schools are not so good or if it is, you have to live just at their door step therefore, I thought better I move somewhere near to Grammar and get him ready for that but again it is not 100% he will get a place. I also thought about independent but only as last resort.
It is quite stressing to find a place with good comprehensive, Grammar and independent...and that's why I am out here to seek some advise....and getting really good responses.

Thanks

OP posts:
Ta1kinPeece · 31/10/2017 09:08

The problem is comprehensive schools are not so good or if it is, you have to live just at their door step therefore
WOW
sweeping generalisation !!!!

Kings in Winchester takes kids from five miles away (catchment).
Bohunt in Liphook takes kids from 4 miles away (catchment)
Thornden in Chandlers Ford takes kids from two miles away (catchment)

And if you look, you'll see that those three out perform many of the Kent Grammars on raw exam scores, despite being Comps .

Original poster
vik2017 · 31/10/2017 13:22

@Ta1kinPeece: Thanks for the reply.
Sorry, dont take me wrong, I just checked top result and on top there were independent or Grammar and comprehensive ones were few and when I read about them, people mentioned about catchment area to be nearly as on their door step. It may be only my personal research.
Trouble is, I want to be at a place which is easy to get to London. I know I cannot have everything hence, requesting people for their opinion so I can find a place I need....

Thanks...

OP posts:
nancy75 · 31/10/2017 13:29

Certain parts of Bromley - easy commute, if you don't get St Olaves or the Bexley Grammars there is Langley Boys or Hayes which are both very good schools (you have to live very close to get in to either school so chose a house within catchment of one of the comps just in case)

Original poster
vik2017 · 31/10/2017 15:38

Thanks everyone for your answers...I will keep researching.

OP posts:
Ta1kinPeece · 31/10/2017 15:41

vik
selective schools will ALWAYS get higher exam results than comps
because they are selective
and St Olaves will be more careful about illegal exclusions from now on

but by moving to a grammar area you have to be darned certain that your kid will pass the 11+
or be very happy with the secondary modern school next door

in a Comp area, every school caters for each and every child

berliozwooler · 31/10/2017 15:46

if you don't get St Olaves or the Bexley Grammars there is Langley Boys or Hayes which are both very good schools (you have to live very close to get in to either school so chose a house within catchment of one of the comps just in case)

in a Comp area, every school caters for each and every child

It caters for every child whose parents can afford a house in the catchment area, yes. Which can be hundreds of thousands different to other areas. Tutoring for 11+ can be the cheaper option!

BertrandRussell · 31/10/2017 15:49

There are no comprehensive schools in Kent.

berliozwooler · 31/10/2017 15:51

Well, more like the 80k end in Bromley anyway...

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/04/04/parents-pay-52000-live-areas-outstanding-schools-new-survey/

Tutoring costs us £40 for an hour and 20 minutes a week. About £1,600 a year at the most. It's not an insignificant amount of money but it's hardly fifty to eighty grand in one go either.

Ta1kinPeece · 31/10/2017 15:51

Every house in Hampshire is in a catchment.
My house is in a shit catchment, but my kids went to a school a few miles away that had spaces and got good results.

Nearest selective school to here is 25 miles away bliss

Not everywhere is like London.

berliozwooler · 31/10/2017 16:00

This may help, OP.

www.telegraph.co.uk/property/house-prices/mapped-which-top-state-schools-are-in-bargain-property-areas/

None of these are in Hampshire! A number are in Kent.

Ta1kinPeece · 31/10/2017 16:07

That will be because almost all of those schools are selective and Hampshire schools are Comps.

Folkestone is not my choice as the best place to go for schools in Kent though !

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