Best place to live in Kent for Grammar school

[vik2017]

Hi,
This is my first question on this board....
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

I lived in Tun Wells at the time my we’re going to secondary but have an absolute distaste of sorting kids at aged 11 and to their primary heads horror refused to enter any of mine . This is because we are lucky enough to have an ‘outstanding’ COMPREHENSIVE called Bennett Memorial. Contrary to what another poster wrote, Bennett became comprehensive in 1976. It’s now an all ability academy. Children come from all over the Kent diocese as it’s a Church of England Diocesan School . However I am not C of E . All 3 of mine went there. Two are at RG Unis. One already finished.
It’s not all about Grammars. They were disbanded for a reason.

Sorry, I did not see the next page (where there were loads responses) so thanks to everyone for your suggestion, it is really a great place to get the opinion from real and experienced people....

The thing is, it's not just whether an individual school selects that makes it comprehensive or not...it's what the other schools in the areas do too.

So in Kent, because the Grammars do select, it means the other schools cannot be truly comprehensive - because for schools to be truly comprehensive, all state schools in that area need to be non-selective by ability.

So the Schools such as Bennet may not select, but because many children in that area took the Kent test and some passed and went to Grammars, there isn't a fully comprehensive intake available to go to Bennet any longer, regardless of whether Bennet itself selects. The key thing isn't whether those kids there are bright and doing better generally than those in true comprehensive areas, for defining the type of school it is - the key is whether they take from an area of all abilities where no selective options exist....and they don't. Of course, whether it is effectively a secondary modern or not does not make it a bad school or stop it being a good school. As has been said, it does better than many truly comprehensives in real comprehensive areas. Perhaps then the key thing for parents is to find a good school for their kid and the title of grammar or Upper or secondary modern or whatever doesn't matter.

I don't think any schools have the name Sec Mod in their official title anymore. It has negative connotations associated with non academic education for those who haven't passed an 11+. The reality is that in fully selective counties such as Bucks and Kent that they are Sec Mods and actually in lots of council records about different schools are still referred to as such, as a group collectively. People don't like the idea of their child going to a Sec Modern (as this thread shows) and so often the word Comp is used for schools which aren't selective, even in selective areas.....but it is incorrectly used.

@AvonCallingBarksdale : this is really confusing...first I want to get my son into Grammar if he cannot then I will be left with two choices, first, I will try to get him to independent (but dont know if I will have to move again because if I am paying then better pay for the best) second, get him into a nice non selective but again, if it is really good then I will be competing with loads and may move again as near as possible to the school to get in...

vik
Where in Hampshire do you live at the moment ?
District name is plenty

Just that I'm genuinely wondering why you would consider the risk of moving to a grammar area
when Hampshire gets the same results as Kent with less spending on tuition fees and a LOT less stress ....

If it’s not rude to ask, how likely is it that your son will pass? Before anyone jumps on me, I know very able children sometimes don’t pass etc. I’m just asking about likelihood. Is he top tables in a top performing school etc?

The most stressful place to be in Kent, IME, is borderline.

Vik, it's the same dilemma as lots of people face.

The Grammar seems great...but there's no certainty.
A great Comp is great...but you have to live very nearby ....if you can get on the doorstep there might be certainty, but lots of people have been caught out thinking they are near enough, but aren't.

If you've got to move, I'd move for certainty, not risk which means you might not be satisfied with the result of the move. That might be a move for a Comp or for Independent.

@Ta1kinPeece: I live in Basingstoke..

Thanks..

vik
Aha, now your thread makes a LOT more sense.
The Basingstoke comps (particularly Everest) are the bits of the county that the rest of us like to airbrush out !!!

Seriously though ...
There are other areas within BDBC that have good schools : Yateley springs to mind
west to Andover can be a bit variable
but east into EHDC you will find the same houses, the same market towns and better schools
while still staying in the same commuter and weekend range as you are used to

I work all over the county so am relatively clued up on most of the secondaries
and the 6th forms are a luxury that much of the rest of the country would love to gave

@Taffeta: not rude to ask but I would say that my efforts will be 100% even that includes tuition and all but how he will perform in test is not easy to say but I can say 70% chances he will pass..

Thanks

Is there a particular boys grammar in Kent you’re interested in?

Kittens-Bennett Memorial is not a comprehensive. It selects on faith.

Bennett oversubscription criteria is a harrowing read if you aren’t a churchgoer. And Tunbridge Wells is expensive to both live and commute to London.

vik2017 how he will perform in test is not easy to say but I can say 70% chances he will pass..

Before you make any assumptions it might be worth reading some of these threads:

www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/11plus/viewforum.php?f=35

If you decide to try for a Grammar, make sure you are equally happy with the non-selective alternatives.

What school year is your son in at the moment (sorry if you have already stated and I've missed it)?

Vik
I dislike selective areas because they shaft those least able to cope with the stress
Hampshire ain't perfect (Everest is a dump, as is my local school, as are some of the ones down Paulsgrove way)
BUT
the joy of Comps is that if you move into a catchment, you are in.
Stress ends at that point.
Even if your kid utterly ferks up year 6, they still get the top chances at year 11
and get to reinvent themselves in year 12

all without you paying out school fees or tuition (or stamp duty)

I live in Bexley. If you move to Sidcup, Bromley or Chislehurst you have access to Chis and Sid or Bexley Grammar. There are also good non grammars in Bromley.

There are also good non grammars in Bromley.
What are they called ?
Just that if they are good, they deserve names

Hayes is a good non grammar, Langley parks boys School, Darrick wood

I think I’d probably say Bromley or Maidstone might be the best bet.

@Taffeta: no, I dont have any preference but only a good Grammar...else as I mentioned, nice Comp in case my son dont pass test..

thanks,
Viki

So Bromley you have Chis & Sid, Bexley grammars if your DS passes Bexley test and you live in catchment, plus super selective Kent grammars if he scores very highly in the Kent test eg Dartford or Judd.

If he doesn’t pass you have Darrick Wood, Hayes, Langley Park.

With Bromley, for all the grammar options, you’d need to prep him for both Kent and Bexley tests, which are different and require different prep.

In Maidstone you have MGS if he gets a decent score in the Kent test, or Judd in Tonbridge if higher score. Also Oakwood Park, and Valley Park if he doesn’t pass.

Don’t know about independents.

The other thing I’d just flag is his ability. Whilst one can prep a child to take the tests so they are familiar with the papers, and even plug a few gaps, if you are tutoring very intensively to get a high score which in no way really reflects ability, to then attend a super selective - be warned that the pace of work once at the superselective can be eye watering, and those unable to keep up are miserable and often leave.

In my experience ( I have one at SS, one at normal grammar ), the normal grammars aren’t like this.

Totally agree with Taffeta - I have one at SS, one at 'normal' grammar (she chose not to go to the SS), and they do have to be able to cope once they are in.

I would also say that the character of each school is different - so I would be worried about the 'any Kent grammar or bust' attitude of the OP. I have four children, and have just done the rounds of open evening/day visits for child number 3. Each time I have visited, I have had to think about whether each school suits my individual child....it may not be the case. And actually this time around, I had totally different impressions of some of the schools from the first time I went. Don't just look at them on paper - you have to visit, consider your individual child, think about the effect of a long commute, on top of a very demanding day, and make a decision that is best for your child. Several friends here in TW chose not to send their children to grammar schools, despite them passing the Kent test, because they wanted either a mixed education, or different sports, or a different experience from grammar for their children.

no, I dont have any preference but only a good Grammar...else as I mentioned, nice Comp in case my son dont pass test.
You can't choose a school for your child like that! They are a real person with different likes & needs. Make sure you think the school will suit him, grammar or otherwise! Statements like this horrify me.

Visiting the schools is important. There is only so much a league table position and OFSTED report can tell you. I appreciate that visiting all the schools in Kent however isn’t really feasible.