Updated February 2021. March 2021 Allocations added

You will find an initial article on 2020 allocations here, an article on 2020 oversubscription data for grammar schools here, and for non-selective schoolshere. 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 2019 Appeals Outcomes here. For Attainment 8 and Progress 8 and further information on the performance of all Kent schools with 2019 GCSE scores go to here for explanation. In the Individual performance table, under KS5 Progress heading for 2019, you will find a figure like this: -0.37(BA,104,D+, 60). This tells you that the school has a Progress performance level at A Level, of -0,37, which is Below Average, 104 students took at least one A Level with an average Grade of D+, with 60 students taking three A Levels. 

Walmer Science College NOW CLOSED The school amalgamated with Castle Community College, which saw the effective closure of Walmer Science College, brought about by poor leadership. Further information and comment here. There were no further intakes from September 2014 onwards. Now part of Goodwin Academy

Weald of Kent Grammar School Tonbridge. Academy. Became an academy in February 2011. Last full Inspection was in 2007, when the school was found Outstanding. After considerable controversy, an annexe set in Sevenoaks to increase provision of girls' grammar school places in West Kent opened in 2017 which is now thriving, catering for 120 girls, out of a total of 295 in 2019. Places are awarded by preference to different geographical areas. For details of how places are allocated to each site, consult the school website, Admission Rules, final section on document, where parents will be able to make a site preference.  There is no right to choose a site. 

For 2016 entry, the school expanded again in preparation for the Annexe opening in 2017, to 230 places.For 2017, with the grammar school annexe open, the Planned Admission Number rose to 265 (90 on the Sevenoaks site). Numbers of applications appear to increase inexorably.  

 The 16 successful appellants in 2018 were all placed at the Sevenoaks site, which may have influenced decisions. Others found of grammar school ability by the Panel were placed on the waiting list. 

For 2020, there were no appellants that were already grammar qualified. All appeals were Paper-Based. 

 The school features in my article on GCSE performance 2018 with top Progress 8 performance in the county. Also features in Progress 8 and Attainment 8 tables for 2019. 

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Westlands School Sittingbourne. Lead school for the extensive Swale Academies Trust. OFSTED  Feb 2019 - Good. Became an Academy in 2010. The Trust is aggressively expansive. There is massive pressure for places at the Sittingbourne non-selective schools with residents of the Isle of Sheppey seeking places on the mainland, but historically no appeals as applications were massaged away, some encouraged to Swale Community Academy, also part of the Swale Academies Trust . This changed for 2017, but 51 out of 52 successes in 2019 was probably due to political imperative to prove the school had to take successful appeals. Controversial issue on leaders' remuneration in 2017. Fall of 12% in roll, Year 10-11 from 2017 to 19, suspicion of off-rolling?  

2019 intake swollen by successful appeals (see above and below), to be second largest intake in Kent. 

In the past, the school has had a way of massaging away those on its waiting list, that according to regular Freedom of Information Requests does not involve hearing appeals. For 2018, 24 requests for appeal filed. All were offered places in advance. The school was very unhappy with the appeal process for 2019 managed by KCC, which let all but one appellant through. It therefore switched to Clerks Associates for 2020 with a very different outcome. All appeals were heard by video conferencing.  

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2014 - 2019 - no appeals for school admission 

2020 were heard through Video Conferencing by Clerks Associates. 

Wilmington Academy. Became an Academy September 2010, converting from the failed Wilmington Enterprise College which was placed in Special Measures in 2009. Part of the thriving Leigh Academies Trust. OFSTED May 2017- Good again. For 2015 admission, this was the fifth most oversubscribed non-selective school in Kent on allocation in March, turning away 94 disappointed first choices, not only because of its own success, but the failure of nearby Oasis Hextable Academy, now closed. My memory goes back a few years to when I supported families in appeals to Hextable as they attempted to flee Wilmington. How times change! Very difficult to win an appeal, so numbers have fallen. 

Popularity still strong but below the heady days of 2015. 

Furthest Distance offered on allocation in miles                                        

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Wilmington Grammar School for Boys. Became an academy in August Part of the Endeavour Academy Trust with Wilmington Grammar Girls (see below) Heavily oversubscribed because of large number of applications from across the county boundary, but in 2015 changed oversubscription criteria to favour local boys along with 10% high scorers, and siblings include those of Wilmington Girls which has also changed its character to match. The sibling priority for OOC boys has now nearly worked through, hence the continued fall in OOC numbers with most of these coming from Bexley (14 in 2020), included as local because they live less than 1.5 miles from the school.  Sharp increase in grammar qualified applicants again in 2019. PAN increase by 30 boys to 180 for 2020.  

 2018 allocation data shows its increasing popularity, with many children previously placing it second choice to one of the Dartford Grammars. The high number of  first choices rejected will be mainly London children, although for 2018, Kent children living outside the defined priority area also lost out. More popular again for 2019. For 2020, a lot of first preferences lost out, because other boys living closer had not been offered their first choice, but lived closer. for 2021, 18 of the 22 ooc offers went to boys living in Bexley. 

Unusual in that PAN almost always coincides with October Census figures, so that small number of successful appeals covers some loss of boys dropping out, with other losses being brought up to PAN from Waiting List. 

Furthest Distance offered on allocation in miles                                        

 The school sticks rigidly to its five form entry so appeal success is very difficult. It appears as if after appeals, school replaces spaces arising only back to original PAN.

2020, All six successes came from the 78 appellants who were already grammar school qualified. All appeals were paper-based.

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Wilmington Grammar School for Girls. Became an academy August 2011. Academy part of Endeavour Trust with Wilmington Grammar School for Boys (above). Heavily oversubscribed because of large number of applications from across the county boundary,but in 2015 changed oversubscription criteria to favour local girls along with 10% high scorers, and siblings include those of Wilmington Boys which is changing its character, although still large number of ooc girls, mainly siblings, and parts of Bexley (41)  regarded as local. OFSTED Nov 2015: Outstanding, up from Good.  PAN increased to 180 for 2020 entry. 

 Like Wilmington Boys, it looks as if it only replaces spaces arising after appeals back to PAN. 48 of the 50 ooc offers were to girls living in Bexley. 

Furthest Distance offered on allocation in miles 

 In 2020, 38 of the appellants were previously grammar assessed. All appeals were paper-based.

Wrotham School. Became April 2013. Popular rural school always oversubscribed. Manages over nearby failing Aylesford School but this can't convert because of the PFI bind. In Jun 2018, the school had a short Ofsted Inspection which recommended a Full follow-up to consider offering Outstanding. Sadly for the school, the follow up in May 2019 did not agree and it was Good again. 

Loses children after allocation because of large number of successful appeals in Maidstone grammar schools.

Surge in applications for 2019 reflects problems at nearby Holmesdale School. 

 Large number of successful appeals at Maidstone grammars, create spaces, hence limited need for appeals. 

* See introduction to school above. 

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Wye School, Ashford. This new Free School for an intake of just 90 children opened in September 2013, and rapidly became very popular, although troubles in 2017/18 saw a sharp downturn which appears to have been reversed. The school now has permanent accommodation, including new buildings and has pupils through the whole age range to A Level. The proposal to focus on the academic curriculum of the English Baccalaureate indicated the philosophy of the proposers, although their website paints a highly ambitious programme, apparently catering for all interests and aptitudes (nothing wrong with that) which may be difficult to achieve in such a small school, although intake temporarily increased to 128 in 2019.'Woven into the broad and balanced curriculum is the school’s theme of sustainability within the rural and built environment'. Part of the thinking behind the proposal may be for children to avoid the large and socially diverse non-selective schools in Ashford and Kennington, with GCSE performance very strong. Problems at the top saw the headteacher depart suddenly summer 2017, a temporary replacement appointed and now a new permanent head has been in place for two years, presumably the reason for the recent upswing in popularity.    

Number of first choices dropped back again sharply for 2021. 

In 2020, all appeals were paper-based. 

Strong GCSE performance in its first year, as featured in my 2018 article.