Advise - Good Boys Secondary Schools, Kent/Essex or anywhere outside London

[blueyes99]

Hope everyone is doing well. Is there any area preferably outside London, doesn't matter east, west, north or south, which anyone could recommend with good secondary school for our son and eventually for his two little sisters? I know its last minute, our son is in year 6 and daughters in year 4 and year 1. Only thing to consider is my husbands commute to London for work. Catholic schools are also preferable as it will give us some advantage.

We live in east London and our son wrote the 11+ exams in couple of places. Two of the results came which he didn't make. The only remaining is Essex and Kent which I am not too hopeful at this point. I always wanted to move out of London and was hoping to move where my son would get selected and doesn't seem to go that way.
Thanking you all in advance and looking forward to some helpful advise to reach a decision.

So has your son sat any exams yet? I'm not sure how it works as I only really know the Essex systems - KEGS and the Southend grammars.

Essex has grammar schools.

Have you considered Campion in Havering for your son, and the Brentwood Ursuline for your daughters? These are non selective single sex Catholic schools if that is your preference?

You're not leaving yourself very long to move if your son is in year 6 and applications close imminently!

Bishop Stortford also has excellent schools but you won't stand a chance unless you move.

Bexley has numerous good grammars.

Considering a move that way before Y6.

Surely all the registration deadlines for any 11+ tests have passed by now?

Croydon has RC state secondaries but single sex and very competitive entry. Worth might be possible. Day/boarding and operates buses from a wide area so a range of locations from Kent, Sussex and Surrey to live.

If including private you could look at New Hall near Chelmsford -- that's a Catholic school and I've heard good things.

St Gregory's Catholic School in Tunbridge Wells is a very sought after co-ed secondary....and next door to the boys grammar so if he has passed the Kent Test you would have a choice.

@DrinkFeckArseGirls

Surely all the registration deadlines for any 11+ tests have passed by now?

He has already done the tests and results are being published. I am not too hopeful.

@ILookAtTheFloor

So has your son sat any exams yet? I'm not sure how it works as I only really know the Essex systems - KEGS and the Southend grammars.

Essex has grammar schools.

Have you considered Campion in Havering for your son, and the Brentwood Ursuline for your daughters? These are non selective single sex Catholic schools if that is your preference?

Thank you. He sat the exams and I am not too hopeful. For the girls would I think we would attempt the 11+ when they are at that stage. I will consider your valuable suggestions.

@NatashaRf

Bexley has numerous good grammars.

Considering a move that way before Y6.

Unfortunately he didn't get selected in the Bexley one. But for girls it would be a good choice.

Did he sit the Kent as well as the Bexley? If he did and passes, there are excellent grammars in Wilmington and Dartford - all single sex though

Thank you, @ILookAtTheFloor, @NatashaRf, @DrinkFeckArseGirls @LIZSL, @kalidas, @Panicmode1 would it work , when we fill the secondary form before the 31st of October; put the schools in the desired area as the 1st preferences and move to that area later during this year?

Worth is private so location not relevant but you need to check registration dates for exams and the fees are £££. Croydon schools are state so you need to be local - John Fisher is the boys, Coloma girls. There may be a window to update address before places are allocated.

Not quite outside London but look at Langley girls and boys in bromley. Also chance off 11plus at newstead for the girls. Catchment is about a mile for boys and a bit more for the girls.

@blueyes99

Thank you, *@ILookAtTheFloor, @NatashaRf, @DrinkFeckArseGirls* *@LIZSL, @kalidas, @Panicmode1* would it work , when we fill the secondary form before the 31st of October; put the schools in the desired area as the 1st preferences and move to that area later during this year?

Each council has separate rules about when to move, to be considered for a place. I would advise you to check the details before taking any decision. If you think the results are good enough for in catchment then you might consider a move and then submit a late application with the change in the preference. Then this will really depend if the council considers late application at all.

@timetochangeagainforever

Did he sit the Kent as well as the Bexley? If he did and passes, there are excellent grammars in Wilmington and Dartford - all single sex though

He sat bexley, didnt make it. We are awaiting kent results which will be out on the 21st.

www.johnfisherschool.org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/The%20John%20Fisher%20School%20Determined%20Admissions%20policy%202022%20(2)(1).pdf
I suspect you need to be already living locally for your application to stand a chance.

As @annaseal says, you would need to check the rules on residency. I think (but please check) that although the Kent SCAF goes in at the end of Oct, if you move before Dec, you are still eligible for first round offers, but you would have to read the rules and I'm sure that someone more informed than me will be able to better advise.

@LIZS

https://www.johnfisherschool.org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/The%20John%20Fisher%20School%20Determined%20Admissions%20policy%202022%20(2)(1).pdf I suspect you need to be already living locally for your application to stand a chance.

But according to https://www.sutton.gov.uk/info/200439/schooladmissions/1071/applyinggtotransferrfromprimaryytosecondaryyschool_2022/7 the final deadline to change address is 9th December.

If you're not in the Dartford parishes or Bexley Borough then it's top scorers only who get offered unfortunately. Why not research areas with very good comprehensives? Might be too late to get a place for your ds but your dd's will benefit.

blueyes99 sorry, OP, I must have misunderstood then. I thought you were asking about grammars outside London as you didn't think your DS did well in the exam he sat. But I think you are asking about not necessarily selective but good schools, my mistake.

As well as St Greg’s, another Kent Catholic option is St Simons Stock in Maidstone. It’s a high performing school and over subscribed and you’d need to be a practising Catholic:
www.ssscs.co.uk/

I wouldn’t personally live in Maidstone (it’s got some nice parts but has drug and homelessness issues) but Borough Green (45 mins into Victoria) or West Malling (50 mins into Victoria) would be good options. West Malling is very pretty, just avoid Kings Hill (large housing estate on its edge, perfectly safe and respectable just a bit blah).

Another good option is Meopham Secondary. Meopham is the best performing State in Kent that isn’t a grammar or faith school. www.meophamschool.org.uk/

Meopham is on the Trainline. The village itself is ok - it’s got some really nice bits at the heart of the village, some of it is less attractive. There are some nice villages nearby - I’d research its catchment area as it’s over subscribed though.

I will make a shortlist from your suggestions and check with the schools for the deadline. All I am after is to find an area where I can find a spacious house than my London home and good schools. I couldn't narrow this down in time and was too hopeful that my son would make it for one of the 11+ and left it too late.

For both St Greg’s & St Simon Stock, you’ll need to have a separate supplementary doc in by the end of this month with the details of your DS’ confirmation etc and where you worship so you’d need to start getting info together ASAP. You have some pretty serious life decisions to make in a short space of time so good luck!