Last minute school choice

[Fridgezombie]

Hi Kent score of 370. Are there any out of area kent schools that my son can apply for? Where we would live where live and travel?

Live in SE3/SE7. We would travel anywhere and then look to move. We can not move my any admission deadline

Not happy with state schools.

Did not sit any other grammars.

I get my son is not Dartford Grammar Material.

Is there any school that is a grammar that we could try go to ?

Are you meaning a Private selective school?

I am unhappy with local state schools.

I can not move this year at all.

Is there is any Kent Grammar schools that my child could apply for with a score of 370?

No, private schools would not be an option at all.

If there was a good grammar school then I would let my child travel, even long distances.

Do KCC not publish lowest scores of previous intakes? Iirc most of those within m25 have their own exam. You need to find localish schools that are acceptable rather than rely on an ooc place, or go private.

You are right.

I wish there was an acceptable local school. I wish 370 was a good enough score. I have been searching Kent schools.

There is no fix.

Grammar schools are state schools OP, which is why some PP were confused. It might be worth looking at the list at the end of the Kent admissions booklet for grammar schools that didn’t fill all their places last year and see if any would be manageable for you to travel to. Best of luck

OP: what about schools such as Kingsdale in Southwark, that admits on a lottery, irrespective of where you live.

And also has Scholarship places based on aptitude for music or sport.

Look at secondaries in neighbouring boroughs that have admissions criteria that are not all based on distance. I personally don’t know of others, but if you start a thread asking, put SE London in the thread title to attract the right people e.g “Looking for SE London secondaries with places not based on distance’

You could look at each school's admissions page, for example last year ooc score for Judd cut off at 406.

Did you visit your local schools? State schools aren't all bad!

@Fridgezombie

I am unhappy with local state schools.

Grammar Schools aren't private, they are state schools. You seem very dismissive of comprehensive schools. Lots of students do well at comprehensive schools. Maybe research which are best ones local to you. Sorry no idea about the scores you posted.

I am not dismissive of comprehensive or academy schools. I do not want my child going to the local comprehensive schools. The academy chains all operate banding test and distance and are so popular due to the other poor choice state schools that distance is now too tight. My neighbours tend to move, everyone seems to have plans by way or either expensive tutoring to achieve a grammar, or private or are somehow able to rent.

Thank you for the ideas.

I have tried contacting parents with children at the comprehensive schools I want to avoid but know I will now get. I have not found anyone positive and this is going across a wide group of people. If they are at the comprehensive or local schools they are hatching plans to leave by gcse or trying to arrange for family or tutors to tutor until they leave. They spend time trying to ensure their children don't get into some very negative behaviour or be victims of poor behaviour.

I have tried to be positive. I know I am going to be letting my child down.

On here I think you need a thread title including Kent test on it to attract attention from those with knowledge of the area.

There is also the eleven plus forum online with existing threads on this subject.

Personally as it's quite late on I would be cracking on with making a list / spreadsheet of the Kent grammar schools and going through it systematically and checking their admissions criteria which will differ. When you say prepared to travel, how far? Kent is such a large area. If Kent is not feasible is Crown Woods an option from where you are as you might get the grammar stream? I have met a few people from your area who say the same about the lack of any good options.

I used to tutor the Kent test, but I'm only familiar with schools around the Maidstone area. I would hazard a guess that his score is high enough for both Oakwood and Maidstone Boys but I'd get in touch with the schools to ask, things may have changed from when I was tutoring.

@Fridgezombie

It all sounds stressful. I think having loads of grammar schools probably means the comprehensive schools are less attractive to academic students.

You need to contact the schools nearest to you & see if they will accept that score.

Your alternative is to move to an area with no grammars and the comprehensive schools will most likely be better.

There are no grammar schools in SE3 / SE7, although travel to some of the Kent ones is likely to be doable.

I'm guessing (possibly unfairly) that the OP has fixated rather on taking the Kent Test meaning that his DS will get a high score and get into Dartford Grammar School, or (like the vast majority of similar posters over on the elevenplusexams forum, simply assumed that the Kent grammar schools all just admit in score order and didn't look at any school's actual admissions policy before putting their DC in for the test.

In reality, many / most of the Kent grammar schools operate on the basis of being a local secondary school, just having a pass in the Kent Test as their over-riding criterion for admission, with the actual oversubscription criteria being much the same as pretty much any non-selective secondary school anywhere. So getting allocated a place at the ones not admitting mainly on score from Blackheath / Kidbrooke / Charlton is unlikely, except perhaps at one of the ones which historically hasn't filled all its places initially (hence a PP's suggestion to look at the table published by Kent), where just a pass would probably be sufficient, assuming that the same pattern of applications still holds.

In the meantime, OP, you really need to get on and name at least the 'least worst' one or two of the local non-selective schools that your DS has a chance of getting into, or your offer on March 1st is likely to be somewhere even less desirable.

With a score of 370 all of the Kent schools are ruled out I'm afraid. You need 395 to have a chance of DGS.

Wilmington Boys has 10% of places for high scorers; 370 might scrape it but they have a 5mile limit for catchment within that category.

Did he take / pass Bexley? Beths would be an option.

There are some good schools in Greenwich- Blackheath Leigh Academy, Harris Academy, Greenwich Ark, St Thomas More if you're catholic. Why are you so negative about these?

Not a Catholic. Not clever enough. Not clever enough family. Not enough money. Not living in the right area. The local schools I list I wont get, unless maybe I get through on some kind of a wait list.

Thank you all for the advice.

At least if you name them now, you will be on the waiting lists from the initial offer day (and you might be lucky with one of the places, depending on this year's demographics and application patterns). Not naming them now means making late applications after March 1st, with possible delay in being ranked.

@Fridgezombie if he took the Bexley test and didn't pass then Beth's could still be an option. The head told us at the open day and it's in their admission criteria that if they will take applicants who didn't pass Bexley but passed Kent (after admitting those who passed Bexley). It may be worth keeping on your caf as long as you also put local options you have a chance of getting on there. Please don't let your child think they are not clever because they didn't get a super high mark on Kent test.

I suspect that score is high enough for Kent non super selectives- but they are unlikely to have any spaces for non catchment pupils. Worth a try, though if you're prepared for him to travel.....

@Fridgezombie would you consider Halley Academy? It's in same academy chain as Leigh Academy but currently has bigger catchment in all bands. Banding test can be done after 31 October.

I visited Halley and was very impressed by HT and ambition for the school. It's proudly comprehensive if you've got concerns about schools that are too grade focused. Happy to write more details about visit if would be useful.

Or John Roan? I know it's had a bad rep due to opposition to academisation some years ago but again was impressed by it on visit.

Are you in catchment for Ark Greenwich free school, Woolwich Poly, Leigh Academy Blackheath, John Roan? Plenty of local choice. https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/schools-by-type?step=default&table=schools&region=203&geographic=la&for=secondary&orderby=ks4.0.P8_BANDING&orderdir=asc

Crown Woods? Does it still have a grammar stream?

Haberdashers' Hatcham? Long shot but a possibility.

Leigh Academy on the old Blackheath Bluecoat site?