Individual School Information - D - Kent Independent Education Advice

Individual School Information - D

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.

Dane Court Grammar School.

Both Thanet grammar schools are mixed, out of a total of five across Kent and Medway. Last full Ofsted in 2007 found the school Outstanding. Highest proportion of grammar school Fixed Term Exclusions in Kent 2018-19. The school is one of four in Kent and Medway that take the International Baccalaureate instead of A-Level and, like two of the others, loses some students at Sixth form level as a consequence, in September 2020, thirty to Chatham & Clarendon (article on Sixth Form movement).

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS
	PAN	Offers	1st prefs	1st prefs not offered
2016	165	164	162	0
2017	165	165	178	13
2018	165	175	180	7
2019	165	165	194	29
2020	165	165	213	50
2021	165	158	158	0

There was an exceptionally high Kent Test pass rate for 2020 entry, hence the large number of first preferences created and turned down.

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES
	Appeals Heard	Upheld
2016	71	15
2017	70	19
2018	56	6
2019	68	21
2020	51	6
2021	61	10

For 2020, 3 appellants were grammar qualified but only one was offered a place. For 2021, the one grammar qualified candidate (who had probably put another school first choice and had it not offered) was offered a place. 2020 and 2021 Appeals were 'Paper-Based'.

PERFORMANCE DATA
	Progress 8	Attainment 8	Grade 5 GCSE Maths & Eng)	A Level Progress Scores
2017	0.06	62	n/a	0.39(WAA)
2018	0.00(A)	63.0	84%	International Baccalaureate
2019	0.04 (A)	63.5	85%	International Baccalaureate

Second Highest Progress Score at A Level in Kent (highest grammar school), for 2017, based on a small number of subject entries with most students taking solely IB.

OFSTED RECORD
	Type of Inspection	Outcome
2010	Interim	Sustained
2007	Full Inspection	Outstanding

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Dartford Grammar School

Regularly the most oversubscribed school in the county, with enormous pressure coming from London Boroughs. Takes the International Baccalaureate, and The Middle School Years Baccalaureate already, and so follows a broad academic curriculum. There is a limit on the number of 'local' boys to 90 boys being accepted, which is reached each year. A complaint to the Schools Adjudicator when the new Admission Rules were set up, was turned down partly on the basis that few local boys would be disadvantaged on this basis.This is clearly untrue and the school can no longer be regarded as 'local', chasing high ability boys. For September 2020, 81 ooc students were offered places, for 2021 it was 82. The Sixth Form, the largest in county, and biggest increase over Year 11. At the 2020 census, Year 12 was 334 boys and girls, from a base of 180 in Year 11. That year the school Sixth Form admitted 181 from other schools, including at least 66 from girls' grammars. No Ofsted since conversion to academy in 2012, as it is an Outstanding Academy.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS
	PAN	1st prefs	1st prefs not offered
2016	180	355	226
2017	180	413	257
2018	180	460	313
2019	180	476	336
2020	180	551	409
2021	180	489	355

An interesting insight from a Freedom of Information Request in 2020:

From the Dartford Grammar School offers made on Secondary National Offer Day 2018, eight were rejected by applicants and five were offered back out in Kent County Council’s reallocation process on 25th April. The difference between these two numbers for a school can be attributed to different causes such as the finalisation of an Education, Health and Care Plan naming that school or errors in the admissions process resulting in offers being made over the intake number that would prevent further regular offers being made until the number fell back below the planned intake. All of the offers rejected and offered back out were to children living outside of Kent.

Aggregate Pass Score
Entry Year	County Pass Aggregate	Local	Outer
2018	320	358	383/4
2019	320	369	391
2020	330	379	399
2021	322	381	401

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES
	Appeals Heard	Upheld
2016	103	6
2017	116	3
2018	129	4
2019	130	6
2020	134	5
2021	116	3

I don't see the number of appeals reducing, or the success rate increasing in the near future. For the 2019 appeals, all those upheld had previously passed the Kent Test, probably with high scores.

For 2020, of the 108 grammar qualified appellants, five appeals were upheld. For 2021, of the 88 grammar qualified appellants, three appeals were upheld. None who had not passed were successful in either year. 2020 & 2021 Appeals were 'Paper-Based'.

PERFORMANCE DATA
	Progress 8	Attainment 8	Grade 5 GCSE Maths & Eng	A Level Progress Scores
2017	0.78	73.8	n/a	-0.24(A)
2018	0.93(WAA)	73.3	97%	n/a (as IB)
2019	0.75 (WAA) P	74.3	96%	International Baccalaureate

But KS 5(A Level) Progress measured according to International Baccalaureate in 2017.

GCSE Progress 8 ninth highest in Kent 2019

OFSTED RECORD
	Type of Inspection	Outcome
2011	Interim	Sustained
2008	Full Inspection	Outstanding

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Dartford Grammar School for Girls

The school admission criteria for 2020 entry, offers 180 places, with all girls attracting Pupil Premium who have passed the Kent Test being offered places. There is an initial limit of 100 for highest perfoming girls living in local parishes. After that places are awarded to highest scorers, wherever they reside. OFSTED June 2016- Outstanding. A complaint to the Schools Adjudicator when the new Admission Rules were set up, was turned down partly on the basis that few local girls would be disadvantaged on this basis.This is clearly untrue. For 2016 admission there was a cut off for inner area girls living in named parishes for the first time as the 100 girls offered places were required to score 333. The cut off for the remaining out of area girls, after children in care and siblings were offered, was 363, so that for the first time a number of grammar qualified girls living near to the school will not have been offered places. For 2018, inner was 341, ooc 385, falling to 383 on second round.

Converted to an Academy late, in June 2017.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS
	PAN	Offers	1st prefs	1st prefs not offered
2016	180	180	275	119
2017	180	180	345	188
2018	180	180	300	153
2019	180	180	379	230
2020	180	180	404	246
2021	180	180	353	198

Usually second most oversubscribed Kent school (to Dartford Grammar), under enormous pressure from London families.

DGSG Aggregate Pass Score
Entry Year	County Pass Aggregate	Local	Outer
2018	320	341	385
2019	320	359	385
2020	330	372	393
2021	322	369	396

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES
	Appeals Heard	Upheld
2016	79	3
2017	93	0
2018	71	2
2019	91	0
2020	76	7
2021	75	0

Yes, that is correct. No successful appeals for 2017, 2019 or 2021.

In 2020, of the 54 grammar qualified appellants, seven appeals were upheld. None who were not initially qualified were successful. 47 of the unsuccessful candidates in 2021 were already grammar qualified. 2020 Appeals were 'Paper-Based'.

PERFORMANCE DATA
	Progress 8	Attainment 8	% 5A*-C (inc Eng and Maths)	A Level Progress Scores
2014	n/a	n/a	99%
2015	n/a	n/a
2016			Grade 5 GCSE Maths & Eng
2017	0.66	69.7	n/a	0.04(A)
2018	0.74(WAA)	73.2	97%	-0.09(A)
2019	1.09 (WAA)	75.3	98%	-0.08(A,158,B-,149)

Highest GCSE Progress 8 in Kent 2019

OFSTED RECORD
	Type of Appeal	Outcome
2011	Full Inspection	Outstanding
2011	Full Inspection	Good

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Dartford Science and Technology College.

The only single sex N/S school in Dartford, after a boys' school closed many years ago. Ofsted Mar 2017 - again Good. One of few Kent secondary schools chosen to remain with the Local Authority.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS
	PAN	1st prefs	1st prefs not offered	Vacancies
2016	145	97	0	10
2017	150	150	0	0
2018	150	155	23	0
2019	150	169	40	0
2020	150	122	5	0
2021	150	107	8	0

Furthest Distance offered on allocation in miles

	2019	2018	2017
Dartford STC	1.869	2.903	5.918

There were no appeals: 2014-2017

Appeals for School Places
	Appeals	Upheld
2018	1	1
2019	7	1

In 2020 & 2021 there were fewer than five appeals. As a result, KCC who managed them has not released data. 2020 & 2021 Appeals were 'Paper-Based'.

PERFORMANCE DATA
	Progress 8	Attainment 8	Grade 5 GCSE Maths & Eng	A Level Progress Scores
2017	-0.27	39.1	n/a	-0.15(A)
2018	-0.02(A)	41.1	31%	-0.55(BA)
2019	-0.25(A)	41.8	38%	-0.33(BA,30,C-,8)

OFSTED RECORD
	Type of Inspection	Outcome
2017	Full Inspection	Good
2012	Full Inspection	Good

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Dover Christ Church Academy

Replaced Archer's Court Maths and Computing College and opened in September 2010 as an academy. It is sponsored by Christ Church University, Canterbury, along with Kent County Council and the two Dover Grammar schools. Most recent Ofsted March 2019 - Requires Improvement, for fourth time, so comes under the Ofsted Category of stuck schools. A new principal and assistant vice-principal were appointed in September 2017 and 'Since being appointed, the principal has transformed the school. The curriculum is now broad and balanced. A range of strategies have been put in place to improve teaching and pupils’ progress. Staff morale is high. Almost all staff feel well supported and are committed to improving the school'. Suffers loss of more able pupils because of the high proportion in the area going to grammar schools through Dover Test. Nevertheless, GCSE performance not bad, although weighed down by results from the Aspen Centre, attached to the school which is the District Specialist Provision, within the school for secondary aged students with an EHC plan identifying their profound, severe and complex learning needs. Appears to be winning the popularity contest across the three Dover N/S schools.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS
	PAN	1st prefs	1st prefs not offered	Vacancies
2016	145	104	0	23
2017	160	167	37	0
2018	150	117	0	8
2019	150	118	0	11
2020	180	159	4	0
2021	180	131	6	0

There were no appeals 2014-2021

PERFORMANCE DATA
	Progress 8	Attainment 8	Grade 5 GCSE Maths & Eng	KS5 Progress Scores
2017	-0.43	37.9	n/a	-0.31(A)
2018	-0.66(WBA)	30.3	11%	-0.60 (BA)
2019	-0.94(WBA,)	30.9	7%	-0.94(WBA,10,D,0)

Fourth lowest GCSE Progress 8 in Kent 2019 , third lowest in Attainment 8.

OFSTED RECORD
	Type of Inspection	Outcome
2019	Full Inspection	Requires Improvement
2018	Monitoring	Effective Action
2016	Full Inspection	Requires Improvement
2014	Full Inspection	Requires Improvement
2013	Monitoring	Satisfactory
2012	Full Inspection	Requires Improvement

Meets Ofsted Criterion of a 'stuck school'.

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Dover Grammar School for Boys. Admission is either by the Dover Test (for boys) or the Kent Test, children also being able to take both. The Dover test comprises VR, NVR, maths and English and pass is by an aggregate score. The Dover Test is not recognised by KCC as valid for entrance to any other grammar school and a pass has not generally been considered a valid case by Independent Appeal Panels for other grammar schools. As much as half of the intake is through the Dover Test. For 2021 entry, 95 boys were found of grammar school ability by the Dover Test out of a total of 144 offered places. OFSTED Feb 2016- Good, up from Requires Improvement (the only Kent grammar school to be given RI).

From an FOI Request for the 2019 Dover Test: 329 children sat the Dover Test that had not been assessed suitable for a Kent grammar after sitting the Kent Test. Of those, 168 were successful in the Dover Test

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS (see notes)
	PAN	Offers	Offered under Dover Test	1st prefs	1st prefs not offered	Vacancies
2016	150	127	88	119	0	0
2017	150	138	105	145	0	0
2018	150	150	100	139	10	0
2019	150	138	99	134	0	0
2020	150	127	64	106	0	23
2021	150	144	95	118	0	6

For 2017 entry, 33 boys qualified through Kent Test, 105 through Dover Test. 2018 entry, 50 boys qualified through Kent Test, 100 through Dover Test.

For 2019 entry, 37 boys qualified through Kent Test, 101 through Dover Test. 2020 entry, 63 boys qualified through Kent Test, 64 through Dover Test.

2021 entry, 49 boys qualified through Kent Test, 95 through Dover Test.

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES
	Appeals Heard	Upheld
2016	23	7
2017	20	6
2018	16	2
2019	9	4
2020	21	14
2021	15	5

2020 & 2021 Appeals were 'Paper-Based'.

PERFORMANCE DATA
	Progress 8	Attainment 8	Grade 5 GCSE Maths & Eng	KS5 Progress Scores
2017	-0.06	57.4	n/a	-0.24(BA)
2018	-0.17(A)	56.2	67%	-0.28(BA)
2019	-0.07(A)	56.4	71%	-0.18(BA,78,C,73)

GCSE outcomes low for a grammar school, unsurprising given nature of intake. Attainment 8 Second lowest in county for a grammar school

OFSTED RECORD
	Type of Inspection	Outcome
2019	Interim	Continues Good
2016	Full Inspection	Good
2013	Full Inspection	Requires Improvement
2010	Full Inspection	Outstanding

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Dover Grammar School for Girls.OFSTED Nov 2013: Outstanding - as in 2007. Admission is either by the Dover Test (for boys and girls) or the Kent Test, children also being able to take both. The Dover test comprises VR, NVER, maths and English and pass is by an aggregate score. The Dover Test is not recognised by KCC as valid for entrance to any other grammar school and a pass has not generally been considered a valid case by Independent Appeal Panels for other grammar schools.

From an FOI Request for the 2019 Dover Test: 329 children sat the Dover Test that had not been assessed suitable for a Kent grammar after sitting the Kent Test (Kent Test plus HTA). Of those, 168 boys and girls were successful in the Dover Test.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS (see notes)
	PAN	Offers	Offered under Dover Test	1st pref	1st prefs not offered
2016	130	130	71	146	25
2017	140	144	88	142	7
2018	140	147	80	140	9
2019	140	140	80	156	4
2020	140	140	84	136	1
2021	140	140	95	127	0

For 2018, 80 of the 140 offers went to girls who passed the Dover Test only. For 2019, 84 of the 140 offers went to girls who passed the Dover Test only. For 2020, 84 of the 140 offers again went to girls who passed the Dover Test only. For 2021, 90 of the 140 offers again went to girls who passed the Dover Test only.

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES
	Appeals Heard	Upheld
2016	24	14
2017	12	3
2018	21	10
2019	31	5
2020	15	4
2021	21	0

In 2020 & 2021, there were fewer than five grammar qualified girls who appealed. One of these was upheld in 2020. 2020 & 2021 Appeals were 'Paper-Based'.

PERFORMANCE DATA
	Progress 8	Attainment 8	Grade 5 GCSE Maths & Eng)	KS5 Progress Scores
2017	0.39	61.8	n/a	-0.14(BA)
2018	0.45(AA)	64.0	85%	-0.07 (A)
2019	0.36(AA)	62.8	83%	-0.23(BA,100,C+,99)

OFSTED RECORD
	Type of Inspection	Outcome
2013	Full Inspection	Outstanding
2010	Interim	Sustained
2007	Full Inspection	Outstanding

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Duke of York's Academy, Dover. This once private school run by the MOD became a mainstream state funded part boarding academy with military traditions from September 2010, sponsored by the Secretary of State for Defence. Although it remains primarily focused on providing continuity of education for the children of those serving in the Armed Forces who live in the region, the current ratio of intake is 80% non-military 20% military, providing one of many important breaks with tradition. This priority is reflected in the oversubscription criteria, other children qualifying for access after all military preferences have been met, subject to a "Suitability for Boarding" assessment by the school which appears to offer no right of appeal if the child is turned down. In terms of cost alone, the boarding school offers excellent value for money: Boarding fees are £15,498 per year and education is paid for by the state. If parents qualify for Continuity of Education Allowance (Service families only), they could pay just £1,240 a year. One correspondent notes this equates to less than £40 per day for all boarding fees.

The school concluded a £24 million building programme as a result of its change of status, a large sum in spite of its small size. Upon becoming an academy, the school was forced to change its admission rules to become non-selective; a dramatic change from its previous role as a private grammar school. However, its boast that 'We are unique as the country’s only state full boarding school based on an independent school model' is a key to its style and clashes with the non-military intake which, along with the change to an all-ability school has led to a rise in the proportion of children with Special Education Needs to 30%. The further revelation that 'References from previous schools are mandatory, and if full disclosure has not been made by parents or schools regarding bad behaviour but later transpires, we reserve the right to withdraw our boarding suitability assessment which is essential to gain a place at DOYRMS' suggests illegal filtering according to the School Admissions Code as the school is reported to use 'suitability for boarding' to select the most 'desirable' pupils, leading to the excellent GCSE results.

The school was haunted by controversy and allegations for years, and was the subject of a police investigation (April 2018), as reported here. There have been a number of OFSTED Reports trying to pin down the issues, most recently looking at overall effectiveness most recently in a Monitoring Report January 2017; and an unannounced Social Care Inspection at the same time. Problems have mainly occurred with children from civilian families who often find it difficult to adapt to a military ethos, although military parents find it difficult to complain. One parent who did complain, Georgina Halford-Hall, finished up on trial in Canterbury court, military families came under pressure. Two police officers were suspended but other organisations came to the support of the school! In the event, the case was dropped and from her experiences, Mrs Halford-Hall went on to set up Whistleblowers UK and is now a well known public speaker on such issues.

A counter point of view was sent me recently by a current parent (March 2020) which you will find here.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS
	PAN	Offers	1st prefs	1st Prefs not offered	Vacancies*
2016	104	36	44	10	68
2017	104	12	25	14	92
2018	104	21	27	10	83
2019	104	25	34	9	79
2020	104	22	26	6	82
2021	104	24	24	6	80

*The 100% Boarding arrangements for this school and its mainly military family intake mean both that some families can apply outside the normal arrangements (hence the discrepancy in figures) and also that some boarding applications are rejected as 'Unsuitable for Boarding', on grounds put forward by the school in a 'Suitability for Boarding Assessment'. Because of the nature of the primarily military intake (mainly NCOs and below), numbers rise significantly year on year. As an example, the 12 offers in March 2017 (at the height of the controversy), swelled to 46 admitted that September (Schools Census), the same cohort being 60 in October 2018 and 69 in Year Nine, October 2019. They must still rattle around in the new premises built for an intake of 104.

No appeals known of 2014-17

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES
	Appeals Heard	Upheld
2018	2	0
2019	0	0
2020	0	0

OCTOBER 2020 CENSUS OUTCOMES
	Pupils on Roll
Year 7	54
Year 8	59
Year 9	71
Year 10	79
Year 11	89
Year 12	72
Year 13	50

For the 2020 Year Seven intake, 26 children had the school as their first preference. 20 of these were offered places, presumably passing the suitability of boarding criterion. Two others were also offered places, the number then more than doubling by October's 54 on roll at the schools' census.

PERFORMANCE DATA
	Progress 8	Attainment 8	Grade 5 GCSE Maths & Eng	KS5 Progress Scores
2017	0.25	49.1	n/a	-0.91(BA)
2018	0.16(A)	49.9	37%	-0.22(BA)
2019	0.56(WAA)	52.5	50%	-0.2(A,35,C,23)

24 of the 91 Year 11 pupils did not take GCSE

DUKE OF YORK'S OFSTED RECORD
	Type of Inspection	Outcome
2018	Short Inspection	Continues Good
2017	No Formal Designation	Safeguarding Effective
2014	Full Inspection	Good
2012	Full Inspection	Good

You will also find a series of five Social, Residential and Boarding Inspections since 2011 here, as the school was investigated by Ofsted amongst other agencies, following a variety of allegations. One result of these was that several Dover police officers were disciplined.

Published in Kent Secondary Schools and Academies

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