Kent Grammar Schools

[MumDagKent]

Hello Mums,,

Please can anyone recommend Grammar Schools that are not super selective in Kent? we are willing to move to any part of Kent..

Thank you

MumDagKent

Sir Roger Manwoods in Sandwich
Both Dover Grammars

The Maidstone Grammar Schools are not 'Super-Selective' . Also the Sixth Form requirements at the Maidstone are not daunting, For instance Invicta Grammar only require 4 Grade 6's and 4 grade 5's @ GCSE for Sixth Form Entry. These relatively low entry requirements can be both positive and negative factors. The positive being pupils don't spend endless time emoting, their fear of not attaining the grades required for 6th form entry. The negatives being that perhaps some students admitted, are not capable of 'Grammar' school grades @ A Level. Invicta Grammar I know a few years ago, got into trouble for refusing some girls entry to year 13 because these girls were working at D grade A Level standard.

Kent is a big county that varies a lot by house prices, demographics, geography and commutability. Strood for instance is hugely different to say Sevenoaks. A good place to start would be what your house budget is and what you’d look to get for that.

Secondly, only 25% of children pass the Kent test. Coaching/tutoring often starts in Year 4. While I’m sure there are some DC who pass the Kent Test without external tutoring or parental coaching, I don’t personally know any. So if your DC are one of the 75% who fail then you need a good Secondary Modern back up. This we are in short supply of so you need to pick your area wisely. Or go private which if you’ve gone to the max on the mortgage in the more expensive parts of Kent might be a strain.

Non Supers in my area (outer Sevenoaks) are Tunbridge Wells for Boys Annex (Sevenoaks) and it’s parent in TW, Weald of Kent Girls (Tonbridge & Sevenoaks Annex), Oakwood in Maidstone (Boys), Invicta and Maidstone grammar school for girls both in Maidstone and Maidstone Grammar School (Boys). As the PP has said, the Maidstone Grammars are the least oversubscribed with the exception of Maidstone Grammar for Boys (which if it isn’t now, definitely was until recently).

@Whohashiddenthebiscuits

Kent is a big county that varies a lot by house prices, demographics, geography and commutability. Strood for instance is hugely different to say Sevenoaks. A good place to start would be what your house budget is and what you’d look to get for that.

Secondly, only 25% of children pass the Kent test. Coaching/tutoring often starts in Year 4. While I’m sure there are some DC who pass the Kent Test without external tutoring or parental coaching, I don’t personally know any. So if your DC are one of the 75% who fail then you need a good Secondary Modern back up. This we are in short supply of so you need to pick your area wisely. Or go private which if you’ve gone to the max on the mortgage in the more expensive parts of Kent might be a strain.

Non Supers in my area (outer Sevenoaks) are Tunbridge Wells for Boys Annex (Sevenoaks) and it’s parent in TW, Weald of Kent Girls (Tonbridge & Sevenoaks Annex), Oakwood in Maidstone (Boys), Invicta and Maidstone grammar school for girls both in Maidstone and Maidstone Grammar School (Boys). As the PP has said, the Maidstone Grammars are the least oversubscribed with the exception of Maidstone Grammar for Boys (which if it isn’t now, definitely was until recently).

Thank you so much for the breakdown. We were thinking of moving to Ashford but Maidstone is over an hour journey by bus to Ashford. over an hour journey is too much for a 11 year old

@redhilary

The Maidstone Grammar Schools are not 'Super-Selective' . Also the Sixth Form requirements at the Maidstone are not daunting, For instance Invicta Grammar only require 4 Grade 6's and 4 grade 5's @ GCSE for Sixth Form Entry. These relatively low entry requirements can be both positive and negative factors. The positive being pupils don't spend endless time emoting, their fear of not attaining the grades required for 6th form entry. The negatives being that perhaps some students admitted, are not capable of 'Grammar' school grades @ A Level. Invicta Grammar I know a few years ago, got into trouble for refusing some girls entry to year 13 because these girls were working at D grade A Level standard.

Thank you so much.

True it might be an hour by bus. Just over 30 minutes by train though and they are very regular. Times attached for you if it’s something that you would consider.

I don’t know Ashford extremely well but DH has family there. The town itself really isn’t very attractive but house prices are cheaper as a result. I think there might be some pretty villages surrounding it though.

I live in Wye near Ashford. The Ashford grammars are not super selective and the non-selective school in Wye also has very good results. We are waiting for our son's Kent test results tomorrow but even if he does pass we may well put Wye School as our first option. The Ashford boys' grammar, Norton Knatchbull, also has a wealth of information on its website about admissions and appeals processes which can be applied to any Kent grammar.

...

@Whohashiddenthebiscuits

True it might be an hour by bus. Just over 30 minutes by train though and they are very regular. Times attached for you if it’s something that you would consider.

I don’t know Ashford extremely well but DH has family there. The town itself really isn’t very attractive but house prices are cheaper as a result. I think there might be some pretty villages surrounding it though.

thank you so much

Canterbury has Barton Court and Langton girls both as non super selective. Langton boys is super selective.

However lots of the other secondary schools in the area offer a grammar stream as well.

It is definitely easier to get in to a grammar in east Kent than west Kent. Less population and the Thames/sea stopping large catchment areas. Ashford and Folkestone grammars are single sex, Faversham and Canterbury mixed so that might narrow down what you might prefer. It’s the same test for all the schools in this part of Kent.

@Cupidity

Canterbury has Barton Court and Langton girls both as non super selective. Langton boys is super selective.

However lots of the other secondary schools in the area offer a grammar stream as well.

Thank you

@NaturalBlondeYeahRight

It is definitely easier to get in to a grammar in east Kent than west Kent. Less population and the Thames/sea stopping large catchment areas. Ashford and Folkestone grammars are single sex, Faversham and Canterbury mixed so that might narrow down what you might prefer. It’s the same test for all the schools in this part of Kent.

Thank you

I went to one of the Canterbury grammars mentioned. Very easy bus routes even though I lived 9 miles away and some of my friends lived even further. I'm not sure the non grammars are great though if DC don't pass the 11+ (though lots of pupils got in on appeal). Chaucer was so bad it was closed and Canterbury high and spires didnt have the best reputation.

Thank you ladies

Knole Academy offered us a Grammar Stream place for sept 22. Please is anyone familiar with his school?
Thank you

Yes. I live in one of the Sevenoaks villages. Knole has a really bad reputation locally - only one child from her Primary class went to Knole (which considering we are in catchment speaks volumes for it’s considered desirability). However, to be fair to Knole, our local alternative (Wrotham) is much closer and higher performing. While parents here seem to avoid it like the plague, I think they’ve spent quite a lot of money on it and it’s reputation is to an extent a historical legacy.

Of the parents I know with DC there, one (DDs Brownie leader) had both her sons in the grammar stream and she was very happy with it. At least one of her DS’ went on to University (although was doing a Sports Management degree so perhaps not the most academic of courses). The other parents are of the boy in DDs class who went - their older son was already there and they both felt it was a good school that didn’t deserve it’s bad rep.

Location wise, it’s a bus ride from the station heading out to Greatness. It’s a huge school. It wasn’t what we wanted to DD but has some very good facilities. Performance wise it’s under par compared to the other local alternatives in Sevenoaks (Trinity and Wrotham). I’ve attached the stats for you. However if he was in the grammar stream he would obviously be with higher performing children.

While DC do go to Knole from a pretty wide area I believe. I really don’t think it’s do-able from Maidstone (and would involve some complicated train route, changing at Otford then getting a bus from outside the station out to Knole). It really wouldn’t be do-able from Ashford. House budget wise (and you haven’t stated what you’d be looking at), Sevenoaks is obviously a very expensive area. Great if you’ve got the budget but if not then I’d suggest looking at Tonbridge if you want a town. Bat and Ball & Dunton Green are the cheaper parts of Sevenoaks. Bat & Ball is very close to Knole. Sevenoaks villages where you’ll find cheaper properties include Borough Green and Wrotham which have a direct bus to Knole. But when I say cheap, you’d be looking at £450-500K at least for a 3 bed.

You say conditional so I assume that’s on listing Knole first? Truthfully, if you are offered any of the Faith schools (Bennett’s, St Simon Stock or Trinity, I know I’d plump for them over Knole but that reflects probably a bit of bias on my part!

Stats from Gov.uk

Arrggh! That should have read ‘only one child from DDs Primary class’.

Both my niece and nephew go there (Grammar steam) and they are super happy and doing very well. I love nowhere near so have nothing to go on except that. That being said, I thought you didn’t live in Kent yet?

@Whohashiddenthebiscuits Schools are not allowed to make offers conditional on putting them first. Obviously if the OP lists it further down and is offered a school higher up on her list then she won't be offered Knole as well, but they cannot say that they will not offer a place if you don't list them first/will prioritise people putting them first. I would assume that the conditional refers to listing it on the form/putting in an application- what have they said the offer is conditional on @MumDagKent?

Not sure if you're aware but Medway has it's own grammar schools (with a separate test).

@ChildOfFriday, my DD got offered a music place three years ago conditional on her placing the school first! So yes it does happen.

[quote Whohashiddenthebiscuits]@ChildOfFriday, my DD got offered a music place three years ago conditional on her placing the school first! So yes it does happen.[/quote]
As far as I'm aware this is against the admissions code. The equal preference system has been law in England for many years and the whole point is that you can list the schools in your genuine order of preference, and are not disadvantaged by not putting a school first.

Depending on how it was worded, they may have meant that you may lose your place if you didn't put it first because you can only get one offer and may instead get a place at a school you listed higher (IYSWIM).