Individual School Information - C - Kent Independent Education Advice

Individual School Information - C

updated October 2021

You will find an initial article on 2021 allocations here, an article on 2021 oversubscription data for grammar schools here, and for non-selective schools here. For Grammar School Preferences, only grammar-qualified children 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 2021 Appeals Outcomes here and exclusions 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 an explanation. 2020 GCSE and A-Level outcomes were not published, nor will they be for 2021

In the Individual performance table, under the A-Level 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. A gap between the number of students taking one and those taking three A-Levels can be indicative of the number of vocational courses being offered.

In general, the number of first choices for N/S schools fell for 2020 entry, because the delay in the Kent Test due to Covid, saw KCC offering six choices for one year only, instead of the usual four. This allowed parents room to include a grammar school, often in first place, without knowing the Kent Test outcome.

The Canterbury Academy . (previously The Canterbury High School). Is in Federation with Canterbury Primary School, and several sporting centres providing excellent facilities, together forming (slightly confusingly) The Canterbury Academy (a multi-academy trust), set up in 2010. Children at Canterbury Primary (Previously Beauherne Primary) have priority for admission after Children in Care and 15% of places going to children with musical ability. Progress 8 within normal limits. The school has a unique and massive Sixth Form. As well as a high proportion of internal students for a non-selective school staying on at 58% in 2020, each year Canterbury High admits students from a wide range of other schools, including grammar schools, totalling 185 for 2020 entry. These included seven from Simon Langton Girls, six from Barton Court, five from Highworth Grammar in Ashford, and five from Dover Boys Grammar. In addition, there were 19 from St Anselm's, 18 from Folkestone Academy, and 15 from the Abbey school, as well as 16 students as part of an overseas programme, homeschooled students, several having moved from other countries, and others from colleges, and re-starting Year 12. The Canterbury Academy has been named in The Cricketer Magazine’s top 100 senior schools for cricket. for 2021, the list mainly includes some of the country's top private schools, along with Simon Langton Boys and The Judd grammar schools in Kent.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS
	PAN	1st preferences	1st prefs not offered
2016	210	258	76
2017	210	214	33
2018	210	214	35
2019	210	220	33
2020	240	205	5
2021	210	238	87
2022	210	289	103

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES
	Appeals Heard	Upheld
2016-2019	No appeals
2020	5	5
2021	25	6

For 2020 entry, there were appeals, but numbers were less than five, so KCC who managed them, do not release individual data. 2020 and 2021 Appeals were 'Paper-Based'.

Although oversubscribed, the school expects to lose some students to grammar school appeals. As a result, if unsuccessful, it is worthwhile persisting with an application and appeal, as frequently such efforts prove successful.

PERFORMANCE DATA
	Progress 8	Attainment 8	Grade 5 or above Eng & Maths	A Level Progress Scores
2017	-0.04 (A)	42	23%	-0.22(BA)
2018	-0.48(BA)	38	25%	-0.38(BA)
2019	-0.51 (WBA)	37.5	25%	-0.34(BA,114,D+,58)

CANTERBURY OFSTED RECORD
	Inspection Type	Outcome
Oct 2017	Full	Good
May 2016	Monitoring	Effective Action
Oct 2015	Full	Requires Improvement
Apr 2012	Full	Good

===========================================================================

Castle Community College (Deal), now renamed Goodwin Academy.

Castlemount School, Dover. Historic building destroyed by fire, believed to be arson in 1973. Rebuilt. Closed 1991.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Charles Dickens School, Broadstairs. Had a chequered Ofsted history (see below) until in March 2017 the school became an academy, sponsored by Barton Court Academy Trust. The school is one of four in Thanet, all heavily oversubscribed as families try and avoid two unpopular schools. The school regularly has one of the highest exclusion rates in the county.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS
	PAN	1st preferences	1st prefs not offered
2016	232	164	30
2017	232	198	33
2018	210	214	35
2019	232	219	77
2020	232	191	37
2021	232	117	21
2022	232	224	42

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES
	Appeals Heard	Upheld
2016	15	8
2017	27	5
2018	27	6
2019	32	7
2020	24	6
2021	24	6

The 2020 & 2021 appeals were paper based. 2020 - 5 places offered before the appeals were heard, and 4 withdrawn.

2021 2 places offered before appeals were heard.

PERFORMANCE DATA
	Progress 8	Attainment 8	Grade 5 or above Eng & Maths	A Level Progress Scores
2016	-0.14	44.8
2017	-0.21 (BA)	36.8	19%	0.22(A)
2018	-0.66(WBA)	33.9	16%	n/a
2019	-0.90 (WBA)	34.3	14%	n/a

Progress 8 in 2019, fifth lowest in Kent, the last year for which GCSE and A Level results were published.

CHARLES DICKENS OFSTED RECORD
	Inspection Type	Outcome
Jun 2019	Full	Requires Improvement*
Apr 2016	Monitoring	Effective Measures
Dec 2015	Monitoring	Effective Measures
Apr 2015	Monitoring	Reasonable Progress
Dec 2014	Monitoring	Plans Fit for Purpose
Sep 2014	Full	Special Measures
May 2011	Full	Good

* After Academisation

A chequered Ofsted history began with Special Measures September 2014, from Good in May 2011 - see article. In a Monitoring Inspection in December 2014, OFSTED found rapid improvement, casting doubt on the original finding, see article. February 2015, OFSTED found further Reasonable progress. OFSTED April 2016: Effective Action to remove SM. There were 5 monitoring visits by OFSTED before academisation and the Good Report in 2019

============================================================================

Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School (The Federation of Ramsgate Grammar Schools - not to be confused with Chatham Grammar in Medway). The two Thanet grammar schools become a Federation in the light of falling rolls in Thanet in September 2009. The combined sixth form of some 500 students provides scope for new teaching options and specialisms. The Federation became a single academy in 2012 with both single sex and co-educational lessons in the main school and a fully co-educational sixth form, Mrs Liddicoat having been promoted to become Chief Executive, after a previous disastrous appointment left suddenly. Numbers well up in recent years, with 2020 a bumper year as the pass rate in Thanet soared following a high HTA pass rate following the Kent Test, with some local children denied grammar places. In some years it has added an extra form when selective numbers were high, as can be seen from the census figures below

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS
	PAN	1st preferences	1st Pref Not Offered	Vacant places	Year 7 Census Following Year
2016	180	145	0	26	180
2017	180	142	0	23	205
2018	180	168	0	0	195
2019	180	154	0	5	210
2020	180	179	29	0	240
2021	180	161	0	16	195
2022	180	144	0	2	103

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES
	Appeals Heard	Upheld
2016	113	47
2017	104	66
2018	82	54
2019	130	18
2020	78	6
2021	93	27

For 2019 entry an amazing 130 appeals, partly brought about by parents trying to avoid local unpopular non-selective schools. For 2018 the school was indirectly attacked by a neighbouring grammar school headteacher for admitting such a large number through appeals upheld, blaming it on the appeal panel for 'forcing' the school to admit the extra numbers. The consequence was the large fall in the success rate for 2019!

For 2020, three appellants were grammar qualified but none of these were successful. 2020 Appeals were 'Paper-Based'. A much higher proportion of Thanet children were found of grammar school ability, hence the oversubscription and the low number of successful appeals.

PERFORMANCE DATA
	Progress 8	Attainment 8	Grade 5 or above Eng & Maths	A Level Progress Scores
2016	0.19	65.0
2017	-0.23 (BA)	58.2	74%	-0.33(BA)
2018	-0.02(A)	61.4	80%	-0.40(BA)
2019	-0.08 (A)	62.9	83%	-0.40(BA,241.C-,215)

OFSTED RECORD
	Inspection Type	Outcome
May 2018	Short	Good
Sep 2014	Full	Good

==============================================================================

Chaucer Technology College Canterbury. CLOSED IN JULY 2014. See article for 2014 update.

==============================================================================

Community College Whitstable - now The Whitstable School

==========================================================================

Cornwallis Academy, Maidstone. Sponsored by the Future Schools Trust. This was formed from the Cornwallis School, previously a heavily oversubscribed successful secondary school in south Maidstone. The Academy was rebuilt at a cost of some £31 million. The Academy places great emphasis on technology. The Academy linked up with the failing Senacre and Oldborough Manor Schools and is now federated with their replacement the New Line Learning Academy (NLL), under one Governing Body. Details are here. OFSTED June 2013 - Good. Issued with Warning Notice November 2015 by DfE, along with NLL relating to poor standards. It was planned that both schools should be re-brokered to Every Child, Every Day Academy Trust. for September 2019, but this was scrapped after performance at both schools finally improved. Recent improvements in GCSE to eighth highest n/s in Kent 2019, Above Average and three consecutive Good Ofsted's most recently in 2017, but very unpopular. Has been hit in 2021 by the opening of the new School of Science and Technology, Maidstone. Had the sixth-highest fallout rate in Kent between allocation of places in Year Seven in 2020 and the October Census that year, losing 30% of its potential pupils (NLL was fourth).

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS
	PAN	1st preferences	1st prefs not offered	LAAs	Vacant places
2016	255	196	0	4	6
2017	255	162	0	11	10
2018	255	127	0	11	54
2019	255	144	0	50	0
2020	255	152	0	48	6
2021	210	85		7	77
2022	210	201	35	0	0

Popularity has slumped in recent years

2014 - 2018 - no appeals for school admission

PERFORMANCE DATA
	Progress 8	Attainment 8	Grade 5 or above Eng & Maths	A Level Progress Scores
2016	-0.04	45.2
2017	(BA) -0.5	35.4	19%	-0.35(BA)
2018	-0.13(A)	39.3	29%	-0.24(BA)
2019	0.17 (AA)	43.8	38%	-0.13(A,98,D+,33)

CORNWALLIS OFSTED RECORD
	Inspection Type	Outcome
Nov 2017	Full	Good
Jun 2013	Full	Good
Mar 2010	Full	Good

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

==============================================================================

Cranbrook School. Day and Boarding Grammar School, with entry at 13+ only until 2017 when it offered 30 Year Seven places. Became an academy in 2007. Latest Social Care inspection of the boarding provision was in May 2018 where it was found to be Outstanding again.

The school's introduction to admitting children was tapered over several years to counter local pressures, fought hard against by the prep school parents, and offered 30 year 7 places for the first time in September 2017. Because of high demand, the school now takes in 60 children at age 11. 38 day pupils are admitted at Year Nine (2022 entry) following a Cognitive Ability Test, with closing date for applications in line with the National Closing Date for Yer Seven entry of 1st November (2022). There are also 52 boarding places for Year 9 entry in September 2022: 34 boys and 18 girls places. Sharp increase in applications for 2021, possibly as the controversy has settled down.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS At YEAR 7
	PAN	1st preferences	1st prefs not offered
2017	30	52	24
2018	60	75	17
2019	60	74	17
2020	60	71	21
2021	60	102	44
2022	60	95	39

Recent Appeals heard by Appeals.com Panel, 2020 & 2021 Video Conference.

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES (year 7)
	Appeals Heard	Upheld
2017	10	0
2018	16	2
2019	26	1
2020	31	2
2021	33	4

For 2018 appeals, one of the 6 children who had been found selective had their appeal upheld.

For 2019 appeals, one of the 8 children who had been found selective had their appeal upheld.

For 2020 appeals, one of the 9 children who had been found selective had their appeal upheld

For 2021 appeals, three of the 22 children who had been found selective had their appeal upheld

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES (year 9)
	Appeals Heard	Upheld
2016	0	0

2019	3	0
2020	7	0
2021	8	1

I did not collect Year 9 data for 2017 and 2018

In 2020, all seven Year nine appeals were from grammar qualified children

In 2021, five of the eight appeals were from grammar qualified children of whom one was successful. Another was offered a place before the appeals.

PERFORMANCE DATA
	Progress 8	Attainment 8	Grade 5 or above Eng & Maths	A Level Progress Scores
2016	n/a	66.4
2017	Low Coverage	63.1	67%	0.09(A)
2018	Low Coverage	68.4	87%	-0.12(BA)
2019	Low Coverage	65.6	86%	0.24(AA,140,B,138)