Updated December 2020, March 2021 Allocations added

Maidstone Grammar School.MGS Is a Foundation school so one of a small minority of secondary schools still under the aegis of Kent County Council. OFSTED January 2019: Good, down from Outstanding, a shock for this prestige school, but reflected performance. Was 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. It has now recovered its reputation, hence the surge in first choices for 2020. 

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.

Performance at GCSE was shocking with Progress 8 at -0.12 in 2018, the same as the struggling non-selective school, New Line Learning Academy, also in Maidstone. Some improvement for 2019. As with all four Maidstone grammar schools, there was an average staying on rate into the Sixth Form for Kent grammars, of 72%, but picked up 26 students from the two girls grammars in 2020.  

 Progress 8 scores were not flattering in 2017, coming in the bottom third of grammar schools in the list, although higher (15/32 in the Attainment 8 Table). However, for 2018 they declined further, in both  tables (to 29/32 in Progress 8, 26/32 for Attainment 8)), which must be very worrying for such a prestige school. At A Level Progress, second lowest grammar school performer in 2017, but improved in 2018 and 2019.

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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 had see-sawed in popularity in previous years.  Its Outstanding OFSTED dates back as far as 2009, way beyond the normal span. 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 in 2017 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 2020, probably to cover up for this. For 2020 allocation, the lowest number of first choices for many years. One of the lowest staying on rates for Kent grammar schools into the Sixth Form at 65% in 2020, although still picked up 26 students from other grammars to compensate. Something needs to change!  

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 The Malling School, Foundation School. OFSTED 2019 Good for the third time. Has had a chequered history in the past but is now on the up, was one of the most oversubscribed schools in Maidstone and district, until 2020. 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. Performance still not strong, as weaker cohorts arrive at Year 11.

Was linked with Holmesdale School which provided Malling with support,  but roles are reversed and the Federation was dissolved as Malling has flourished and Holmesdale plunged into Special Measures and beyond.  

The school’s strong progress can be tracked by its increasing popularity year on year. The school had an official PAN of 159 for some years, increasing its intake to 180,  which was the PAN for 2019, but then reduced this again somehow for 2020, back to 159 as popularity dipped again a little. 

For 2020 & 2021, all appeals heard were 'Paper-Based'.  KCC Appeal Panel

 Still working through the lower ability intake when the school was very unpopular. However, it needs to see improvement for 2020. 

 Maplesden Noakes School Maidstone. Became an Academy in 2012. Increasingly heavily oversubscribed as popularity of schools in Maidstone polarises and population is rapidly increasing. Normally sound academic performance. Proposal to expand from 180 to 240 for 2021. No success at appeals for 2020. 

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The Marsh Academy, New Romney, previously Southlands School, where I nearly became headteacher in the 1980's after a scandal involving the previous head led to his departure! Serves the very rural Romney Marsh. It was one of the early old style old style Academies, opened in 2007, and completely rebuilt in 2011 with Sixth Form on seperate site. It struggled for some years under 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. They were supported by Microsoft and KCC. Tonbridge School has now stepped back after discovering, as have other private schools at other academies, that it is somewhat of a challenge and the school is now run by The Skinners Company which has recently transformed the now highly successful Skinners Kent Academy. Still has sponsor governors from Tonbridge, Microsoft and KCC. Went through a period a few years ago of being managed by senior staff at Folkestone School for Girls. 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 Park in Hythe, previously a popular destination for Marsh children.  

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

  No appeals heard 2014-21

 Has had a very small sixth form for several years, but Year 12 has expanded to 91 students for 2019 (46 in 2018), and 105 in 2020.  Some students will take vocational courses only. 

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 Mascalls School Paddock Wood. Became an academy in 2011. Popular school with a rural hinterland, loses some able pupils to Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells Grammars, but still has a comprehensive intake. Regularly oversubscribed, but considerable churning particularly as it offers places to TW n/s pupils initially unable to get into schools local to them, so all applications pursued have been successful in recent years with no appeals needed. Significant rise in first choices 2019. 

No appeals heard 2014- 21

Consistent strong academic performance for a non-selective school. 

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

  Furthest Distance offered on allocation in miles                                        

No appeals heard 2014-18

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 in 2017. For 2018, third highest Progress 8 and again seventh for Attainment 8.