Updated March 2018

You will find an article on 2018 oversubscription data for grammar schools here, and for non-selective schools here. For Grammar School Preferences, only grammar qualified are counted. The PAN is the Published Admission Number and refers to the number of places available in the year group for each school. If additional places were offered, I have recorded this under PAN.  

A Report on 2017 Appeals Outcomes here. For Attainment 8 and Progress 8 and further information on the performance of all Kent schools with 2017 GCSE scores go to here for explanation. 

Maidstone Grammar School.OFSTED September 2013: Outstanding. Is a Foundation school so one of a small minority of secondary schools still under the aegis of Kent County Council.Has been significantly oversubscribed until 2017, when a major new building investment allowed the school to open a permanent additional form of entry, thus creating a surplus of selective boys’ places across Maidstone,

Its oversubscription criteria include residence in a named parish, with priority from 2019 entry to high scoring boys being clarified to read an aggregate Kent Test score of 360; then other local boys who are grammar qualified. As parents know Kent test scores before applications are made, it is clearly important that those scoring less than 360 should include Oakwood Park Grammar on their list, as some families living apparently close to the school can lose out.

For a school prioritising high scorers, the older GCSE scores reflected a weakness in English teaching; the newer Progress 8 scores are not flattering, coming in the bottom third of grammar schools in the list, although higher (15th in the Attainment 8 Table). At A Level Progress, second lowest grammar school performer.

Maidstone Grammar School for Girls. Is a Foundation school so another of the small minority of secondary schools still under the aegis of Kent County Council. Regularly undersubscribed, struggling to compete with Invicta Grammar, although the two have see-sawed in popularity in previous years.  Its Outstanding OFSTED dates back as far as 2009, way beyond the normal span, for reasons unclear. It may be because of its good academic performance, although it has a reputation for putting girls under pressure, with a high fall out rate at the end of Year 11. An article I wrote last year highlighted its illegal and private selection system to try and recruit the highest performers to the Sixth Form, which was condemned by the Ombudsman, after the school was caught out lying about it. 

Popularity has plummeted in recent years, in spite of three changes of headteacher, most recently in 2015.  Very high rate of successful admission appeals up to and including 2017, probably to cover up for this.  

 The Malling school, Foundation School. OFSTED May 2015 Good for the second time. Has had a chequered history in the past but is now on top, one of the most oversubscribed schools in Maidstone and district. Has the largest and most sought after SEN Unit in the County, the Tydeman Centre which is in great demand, taking in children with Speech and Language difficulties and ASD. Whilst this has a negative effect on academic performance it appears good for the school as a whole.

Was linked with Holmesdale School which provided Malling with support,  but roles are reversed and the Federation appears to have been dissolved as Malling has flourished. 

The school’s strong progress can be tracked by its increasing popularity year on year and it is currently heavily oversubscribed for 2018 . 

 The first for many years

 Some SEN Unit children tend to underperform academically, but are counted in with the whole school for performance purposes, so attainment levels in particular will be dampened. 

 Maplesden Noakes School Maidstone.  OFSTED September 2013 - Good; December 18 - Good again. Increasingly heavily oversubscribed as popularity of schools in Maidstone polarises and population is rapidly increasing. Normally sound academic performance.

The Marsh Academy, New Romney. OFSTED February 2017: Good again. Struggled for some years under previous sponsors Tonbridge School, who clearly did not understand the issues of a very rural state school, the assumption being that rich independent schools catering for highly able and wealthy pupils have skills which transfer to the management of state schools. Tonbridge School has now withdrawn after discovering, as have other private schools at other academies, that it is somewhat of a challenge. Although it is still advertised on the school website, it has been replaced by The Skinners Company which has recently transformed the now highly successful Skinners Kent Academy. Loses a lot of able Marsh children to the Folkestone grammar schools, which select an additional high proportion of pupils through the Shepway Test. Popularity has picked up sharply since the closure of Pent Valley School in Folkestone causing pressure all round the Shepway District, especially at Brockhill in Park, previoulsy a popular destination for Marsh children..  

Dip in first choices for 2019 will be due to opening of new Turner Free School in Folkestone

  No appeals heard 2014-17

 Mascalls School Paddock Wood. OFSTED Nov 16: - Good. Regularly oversubscribed, but considerable churning, so all applications pursued have been successful in recent years with no appeals needed. 

No appeals heard 2014-18

Consistent strong academic performance for a non-selective school. 

Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend. OFSTED Jun 2013 - Outstanding 

Mayfield introduced its own admission test for September 2015 entry to serve as an alternative to the Kent Test. Girls can be considered via either process and I can see little disadvantage in taking both tests.  The only possible downside is that both results will be quoted if there is an appeal although, as there is no way of knowing at the time of testing whether either or which test will reflect poorly, this should not discourage parents from entering girls for both assessments.  The Mayfield Test uses a complex process with a computer assessed component and a written English Test. Understanding the pass score is even more complex. For 2016 admission girls were required to achieve EITHER 100.15 in the computer test and a score of 10 in the English, OR 97.07 in the computer test and 15 in the English. I am afraid I don't have any idea of the standard being sought.

The school attracts a considerable number of lower preference choices, including many from from London and Essex, which are mainly rejected on distance grounds.

  No appeals heard 2014-17 

For coverage of excellent GCSE results, 2018, see here. Meopham was second highest Kent non-selective school for Progress 8 'Well Above Average' and seventh highest for Attainment 8. For 2018, third highest Progress 8 and again seventh for Attainment 8.