Index
There has been a fall in pupil numbers taking up places in Kent Primary Reception Classes for the second year. There were also 49 additional permanent and temporary places created in the last year (after six schools had temporary classes removed). These two factors have produced an improvement in the proportion of families being offered schools of their choice as reported in my previous article on the initial data. The total number of children offered places in Kent reception classes on allocation in April is 17274, down by 121 on 2017’s 17395, and an even larger large fall from the 18066 of 2016.
A number of schools have kept temporary increases in place for several years, so there can be confusion about changes in the number of places available since allocation in 2017. Although there are 539 new places since the official 2017 Planned Admission Number (PAN), the great majority of these have been in place for one or more years. 286 of the additional places have not been taken up. The actual increase includes 60 completely new places for the new Bishop Chavasse school in Tonbridge. As a result, there are vacancies in every District, including the urban areas. The tightest parts are Dartford, with just 3% vacancies and urban Maidstone and Sevenoaks with 4%, there also being a local issue in Northfleet. Comparison with my 2017 oversubscription and vacancy article shows the easing of numbers across the board.
There is still no let-up in numbers chasing the most heavily oversubscribed schools, headed this year by Brent Primary in Dartford, turning away 73 first choices, followed by East Borough in Maidstone with 52 and Herne CofE Infant School with 43. Just two schools, Great Chart, Ashford and Cecil Road, Gravesham, have featured in the ten most oversubscribed schools in each of the last three years. The changes in popularity often reflect events relating to the schools such as Ofsted Reports and Key Stage 2 outcomes.
The problem comes at the other end, with 22 schools having more than half their places empty, up from 18 in 2017, with six in both years, all of which will now be under financial pressure.
I look at the issues in more detail below, including a survey of each separate District. You will find advice on what to do if you do not have the school or your choice here, and the reality of primary school appeals here.
This annual report is the longest article I write in the year and will become one of the most visited in time. Please let me know of any errors or areas that need expansion. You will find Ofsted outcomes for all schools in the Individual Schools section, and a survey of 2017-18 outcomes here. There is a survey of Key Stage 2 results for 2016-17 here.
KCC has a target of securing 5% to 10% vacancies in each District, but the norm is that this often hides a sharp distinction between urban and rural areas, with many towns coming under more pressure. I separate these below, the table showing the only rural area with fewer than 10% vacancies is the countryside hinterland of Canterbury.
| District Vacancies | |
| Dartford West | 3% |
| Sevenoaks Urban | 3% |
| Maidstone Urban | 4% |
| Canterbury Country | 5% |
| Ashford Urban | 7% |
| Gravesham Urban | 7% |
| Tunbridge Wells | 8% |
| Folkestone | 9% |
Whilst the pattern of the most popular schools changes each year, demand remains high, and it is lower down where there are more satisfied families. Brent Primary in Dartford has shot to the top of the list after its ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted in January 2017, up from ‘Requires Improvement’, with Newington rising for the same reason. Herne Infants’ leap in popularity, is less explicable especially as it is the only oversubscribed school across Whitstable and Herne Bay. Herne and St James also both have ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted Reports, but now well out of date in 2010 and 2011 respectively. There is no doubt there is a high correlation between Ofsted category and parental preference, underlining the importance of a strong Ofsted assessment to a school.
| MOST OVERSUBSCRIBED KENT PRIMARY SCHOOLS, APRIL 2018 | ||||
| School | District |
Intake
Number
|
Oversubscribed
First Choices
|
Oversubscribed
2017
|
| Brent Primary |
Dartford |
90 |
73 |
0 |
|
East Borough Primary |
Maidstone |
60 | 52 |
34 |
| Herne CofE Infant | Canterbury | 90 | 43 |
9 |
| Great Chart Primary |
Ashford | 60 |
40 | 40 |
| Loose Primary | Maidstone | 90 |
37 |
24 |
| Newington Primary | Ramsgate | 90 | 35 |
11 |
| Cecil Road Primary | Gravesham |
54 |
32 |
34 |
| St James' CofE VA Infant |
Tunbridge Wells | 90 | 32 | 11 |
| St Michael's CofE Infant | Maidstone | 40 | 32 | 25 |
| Riverhead Infant | Sevenoaks | 90 | 29 | 1 |
The Districts surveyed are:
Page 2 - Ashford; Canterbury (including Whitstable and Herne Bay); Cranbrook; Dartford;
Page 3 – Dover, Deal & Sandwich; Faversham; Gravesham; Maidstone; Malling (including Kings Hill)
Page 4 -Sevenoaks; Sheppey; Shepway (including Folkestone and Hythe); Sittingbourne; Swanley
Page 5 -Thanet; Tonbridge;Tunbridge Wells; Junior Schools
