secondary school selections

[Skanna]

we live in Orpington area, looking for out of catchment information about grammar schools in Kent and Bexley.
With Kent score: 373, Bexley: 223, can any one suggest if the below schools will consider this score?

1.Weald of Kent Grammar School
2.Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School
3.Dartford Grammar School for Girls
4.Townley Grammar School
5.Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School
6.Tonbridge Grammar School
7.Wilmington Grammar School for Girls

Any suggestions will be great help!

With the Bexley grammars once you’re outside of the top 180 the score is not important so long as you are deemed selective. It’s purely distance that then counts which differs year on year. My daughter is at C&S and has friends in Petts Wood for what it’s worth.

The elevenplusforum will have received info.
Your DD would be in with a good chance for Weald as that only requires a pass, maybe not on offer day but the past few years they’ve come out as far as Orpington. Dartford and Tonbridge are unlikely with that score as OOC but do check on last scores on the elevenplusexams forum, from what I know it is a fair bit short.

Townley has been hit and miss on distance as far as Orpington. Chis n Sid has gone as far most years.

Wilmington has a priority area, if you are not in it then score is irrelevant. I think it is 3 miles main area and five miles for top Maths score.

TWGGS, check the admissions page but I don’t think they have OOC places.

Did your DD sit for Newstead? That would be the obvious choice if it feels like the right fit. A score of 220 is almost certain to get a place, a few points below also within a good chance although this year is unusual so it is anybody’s guess. DD is in Y11 there and very happy.

I can’t add anything more on @PettsWoodParadise which all sounds correct. I would have thought TOGS would be unlikely and Weald would be your best bet. It is increasingly the most popular local choice though to be be aware. I’m Sevenoaks and Weald (either the annexe or Tonbridge) tends to be where a lot of our girls go.

Thank you for valuable information, I will check in elevenplusexam for further data.

Thanks for inputs, any idea about how Townley reached last year?

The 2021 Bexley booklet (GIYF) says last year as of July 2020 the distance for Townley went out to to 5.8 miles, straight line. Year before (2019 entry) was 6.6 miles ‘road route’.

Chis n Sid had the biggest change going from 9.3 miles down to 5 miles but that probably came out a bit further by September.

The admissions people at the schools will be able to confirm more current info.

Did you not have to submit your preferences in October for September 2021 entry?

Neighbouring Bromley are allowing changes to the CAF with the cut off sometime this week I believe, so if you’d submitted on time you can request changes depending on selective school outcomes. I don’t know what Bexley have agreed or other neighbouring LAs.

I stay in Orpington and bit confused between Townley and Weald of kent schools, any input is appreciated.

What confuses you Skanna? They are very different schools, one is more urban and diverse, one is more rural and less diverse. One is in Bexley, one is in Kent. Geographically they are very far apart.

Weald is in reality two schools. One based in Sevenoaks (the annexe) and the other in Tonbridge.i think parents have organised a mini bus for kids from Orpington to the Sevenoaks site and I assume the Orpington kids all get to the Tonbridge site by train. Weald is a 15 minute walk from the Tonbridge train station although buses do go from the station out towards Weald. From Sevenoaks station there are regular buses out to Weald (usually marked as Trinity on the bus route guides, Trinity is on the same site as Weald).

DDs 2 Primary friends are at Weald Sevenoaks. It has a small school feel. Both girls seem to be doing well and enjoying it and both sets of parents are happy with their choice. I’d agree it’s not especially ethnically diverse (but then that’s Sevenoaks for you!) & largely White with some BAME students from what I can see at the train station.

Grammar choice advice…. Could anyone advise from experience please??
My girl has passed the 11+ Live in TW.
Any advice /experience on Weald of Kent grammar vs TWIGGS? In terms of culture / environment ?