Thank you for this evening (FaceTime appeal preparation), your advice has been superb; whatever the outcome, you could not have prepared us any better - every area completely covered - bless you
For details of Review and appeal process, go to Review.
Medway children are selected for grammar school using different tests and a different process of selection to that operated in Kent; see below.
Following the Medway Test debacle for 2012 entry, Medway Council scrapped the large test centres moving to more manageable units. For children in most primary schools, they will take the Tests in their own school on Tuesday 17th & Wednesday 18th September. Some schools will arrange the tests for the following Saturday, 21stSeptember. Children from outside Medway & at Kings School, Rochester, will take the tests in independent test centres.
Another big change is at Fort Pitt Grammar School, regularly oversubscribed, that has changed its oversubscription criteria dramatically. Whereas previously it gave priority to children living nearest the school, it now gives priority to children living within two miles, and then to those living on the Hoo Peninsula, together with Cuxton. This will cut out many girls who would traditionally have gone to the school. However, school was not oversubscribed for 2013 entry.
The Medway test pass mark for entry in 2011 was 508, for 2012 it was 505, for 2013 itr was 509. .
TIMETABLE
Key Action
Key Dates in Scheme
Opening Date for Registration for Medway Tests
Monday 3 June 2013
Closing Date for Registration for Medway Tests
Monday 1 July 2013
Medway Tests in school during week
17/18th September 2013
Medway tests for schools on Saturdays & other applicants
Saturday 21 September 2013
Parents informed of test results
posted 4 October 2013 (by email after 4 p.m. 4 Oct
Closing Date for review requests
Friday 11 October 2013
Parents informed of review results
posted by Friday 25 October 2013
National Closing Date for Common Application Form
Thursday 31 October 2013
National Offer Day
Monday 3 March 2014
Vacant places re-allocated
w/b 7 April 2014
THE MEDWAY TESTS
Children take three tests: verbal reasoning, mathematics and extended writing. The first two tests are multiple choice, the English is a single piece of extended writing, usually to an essay title, but it can be any Key Stage 2 theme. The scores on each test are standardised according to the scores of Medway children taking the tests, so that a score of 100 is allocated to the average child who took the test. Scores then range from 70 to 140.
The scores from the three tests are then added together in the following way: verbal reasoning score given a weighting of one, and the maths and English scores given a weighting of two, so for example:
EXAMPLE:
Test
Score
Weighted Score
Verbal Reasoning
110
110
Mathematics
98
196
Extended Writing
100
200
Total Score
506
The pass score is then determined to admit 23% of Medway children (those from out of Medway are found selective in the same way, but their scores do not influence the calculations). In 2013 the pass score was 509 so this child would not have passed.
I am quite critical of this pattern, as Extended Writing is the least reliable of all tests used for selection processes, according to NFER who are the country's leading experts in test setting. Because it receives a double weighting, the result dwarfs that of verbal reasoning, the best predictor of academic success according to NFER. As a result, a child can gain a pass on the strength of a single strong essay, or similarly lose a place because they have misunderstood the extended writing question. For these reasons, different children will perform well in Kent and Medway and so it may well be worth taking both sets of entrance tests, to secure a grammar school assessment (although each is only accepted in the Authority in which it is taken).
Kent and Medway
Kent parents who apply for a Medway grammar school place and need to go to Review (see below) will only receive the outcome a few days before the Kent SCAF needs to be submitted. You cannot appeal for a Medway grammar school place unless it is named on the SCAF.
The Schools
A grammar school assessment does not necessarily secure a place at the school of one's choice. Rochester Grammar School is regularly oversubscribed and takes those girls with the highest scores (together with able musicians). Rainham Mark Grammar School takes highest scorers but in recent years these have included nearly all who were assessed grammar. Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School takes those boys who live nearest (but in recent years have usually taken most who have passed and appealed, in several of those years after complaints by me to the ombudsman). Fort Pitt reduced its Planned Admission Number to 120 following its change to Foundation status. It has now changed its oversubscription crtieria to give priority to childrne living within two miles and hten the Hoo Peninsula (not oversubscribed for the first time for entry in 2013). Chatham Grammars for Boys and Grisl will take all who have passed so if your son or daughter has passed the Medway test and so if one of the Chathams' is named on your application form above any non selective school you name, you can be confident you will offered a grammar school place.
