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Kent Secondary Transfer Admission and Appeal Statistics
2008
Much of the data in the following item has been provided by the Kent County Council
under the Freedom of Information Act, and from other documents.
Any commentary is mine.
I have focused on first choices for simplicity; the number of children on waiting lists may vary considerably from this. For example, many of those who put a grammar school in first place may also now be on the waiting list for a non selective school but won't appear in the statistics below, so the number on waiting lists for non selective schools can be considerably higher than indicated. After grammar school appeals, some of these numbers will fall as children on the lists are offered grammar school places.
Not one of the 34 most westerly secondary schools in Kent had more than three vacancies after allocation on 3rd March (these are probably all taken up by children with SEN statements). The situation will of course change, as some children will have been allocated to schools they will not take up, others will win appeals elsewhere freeing up places, or Independent Appeal Panels require some schools to take additional children.
Not one of the 34 most westerly secondary schools in Kent had more than three vacancies after allocation on 3rd March (these are probably all taken up by children with SEN statements). The situation will of course change, as some children will have been allocated to schools they will not take up, others will win appeals elsewhere freeing up places, or Independent Appeal Panels require some schools to take additional children.
- The most oversubscribed Kent School is Leigh Technology Academy in Dartford. 235 children who put the school as first choice were turned away.
- Other non selective schools that turned away more than 50 children who put them as first choice are (in order): Hugh Christie Technology College (Tonbridge) (78), Folkestone Academy, Fulston Manor School (Sittingbourne), The Archbishop's School (Canterbury), Westlands School (Canterbury), Bennett Memorial Diocesan School (Tunbridge Wells), North School (Ashford), Sandwich Technology School, Wrotham School, Mascalls School (Paddock Wood), St George's CofE School (Gravesend) (50). Some of these non-selective schools are happy for an independent appeal panel to offer additional places over the planned admission number.
- Most popular Grammar School was Judd School. 121 boys who passed the Kent Test and had the school as first choice were turned away.
- Other grammar schools that turned away more than 15 children who put them as first are (in order): The Skinner's School (90), Tonbridge Grammar (77), Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar (36), Maidstone Grammar, Simon Langton Boys Grammar, Dartford Grammar, Weald of Kent Grammar, Gravesend Girls Grammar, Gravesend Boys Grammar, Simon Langton Girls Grammar, Sir Roger Manwood's, Tunbridge Wells Boys Grammar (15). Again, precise numbers are not important, as many of these schools also have children who placed them second or third on the waiting lists, and if other appeals are heard first they will change the numbers. This does not mean it is pointless to appeal to these schools, each year one or two very strong cases of children who are non selective are successful, or the independent appeal panel may decide to admit up to a whole additional form of entry if it believes there is room.
- Kent grammar schools that still have vacancies include: Borden Grammar, Chatham House Grammar, Clarendon House Grammar, Dane Court Grammar, Dover Grammar Boys, Folkestone School for Girls, Harvey Grammar, Highsted Grammar. Others may well have children who have not taken up places offered and so have vacancies. It is a matter of note that all those on this list are coastal grammar schools in East Kent.
- 9 Kent schools have over 40 vacancies. Several others would have reached this figure if they had not been allocated children who had been offered none of their three chosen schools.
- 2 Kent schools have more than half their available places still empty.
- 9092 children took the Kent test, of whom 3778 were assessed as selective, including those who were passed at headteacher assessment.
- 762 children from outside Kent were assessed as selective, having included a Kent grammar school on their Common Application Form. These would have come mainly from Medway, East Sussex, Surrey, Bexley and Bromley. Of these, 290 were offered places at Kent grammar schools, which would have been mainly at Judd, Skinners, Tonbridge Grammar, and the four Dartford and Wilmington Grammar Schools, adding to the pressure on West Kent grammar school places. Next year's new Dartford Grammar admission criteria will add to the pressure.
- In 2007, 41% of pupils attending Tunbridge Wells secondary schools were from outside the district, 600 from outside Kent. The corresponding figure for Tonbridge and Malling was 42%.
- KCC report that this year's eleven year old cohort is the largest and that in future, falling rolls will decrease the pressure.
The Year 6 cohort in March 2008 comprised 16,339 Kent pupils (15,975 in 2007).
94% were offered a place at one of the schools named on the CAF as at 3 March 2008 (94%).
There was a total of 2,126 (1,807) secondary transfer appeal for 2008 entry, of which 800 (759) were successful. This is a total of 37% of appeals heard. This statistic covers a wide range according to individual schools.
The headline news for Kent is that the number of children who were allocated their first choice secondary school in March has fallen to 70% from 74% last year, whilst the number of out county applicants has increased from 1589 to 1795. The number of children who have been offered a school not on their list has risen from 4% to 5%.
- In
Medway it is 85% reflecting the successful new admission system including
grammar school test results before applications are made. There is
considerable information about take up in Medway secondary schools at Medway.
- The Kent
test pass mark was the same as the previous year: children need to achieve two
scores of at least 120 and one of at least 115 to achieve success, or be
awarded a place through the headteacher assessment. Out of some 1200
assessments carried out, around half were successful.
Figures for Kent Appeals, March -
December 2007. The
following figures are solely for appeal Panels organised by KCC. Many
Foundation and VA Schools organise their own Independent Appeal Panels and are
not included. Be very careful how you interpret the following, as circumstances
very enormously amongst Kent schools (it was ever thus!). The secondary school
success rate varies enormously year on year, so is unlikely to be a good guide
to 2008, especially with the new Code.
In 2008 there were 55 successful appeals
at Clarendon house Grammar School, which is likely to skew figures enormously.
Local
Authority Schools
|
Appeals |
Successes |
% success |
|
|
Grammar |
633 |
295 |
47 |
|
Non-Selective |
34 |
17 |
50 |
Foundation
and Voluntary Aided Schools
|
|
Appeals |
Successes |
% Success |
|
Grammar |
414 |
173 |
42 |
|
Non Selective |
70 |
47 |
67 |