Life has been made much easier for me this year through the full co-operation of Medway Council, enabling me to get information out quicker for the benefit of concerned families. However, the Medway Council Press Release to cover School Allocations continues to operate on a minimalist basis, grudgingly giving out limited information.
The two major differences since my 2019 article are the increase in non-selective places and the changes at The Rochester Grammar School. I You can find the 2019 articles for Non-Selective Schools and Grammar Schools via the links.
Medway Secondary School Allocations March 2020
|
||||||||
Medway Pupils | 2020 | 2019** | 2018 |
2017 |
||||
Number | Number | % | Number | % | Num | % | Num | |
Offered a first preference | 2791 | 80.2% | 2937 | 89% |
2580 |
79.4% | 2505 | 84.3% |
Offered a second preference | 379 | 10.9% | 381 | 11.7% | 371 | 9.4% | ||
Offered a third preference
|
112 | 3.2% | 91 | 2.8% | 115 | 2.3%% | ||
Offered one of their six choices | 3326 | 95.6% | 2987 | 90.5% | 3117 | 95.6% | 3029 | 97.4% |
Allocated a place by Medway | 154 | 4.4% | 313 | >9.5% | 142 | 4.4% | 145 | 2.6% |
Total number of Medway
children offered places
|
3480 | 3300 | 3259 | 3174 | 3008 |
I anticipate that once again Chatham Grammar will increase its numbers through a large number of successful appeals, freeing up places elsewhere.
Over two thirds of the 265 out of county places offered to children at Medway schools are at grammar schools, the large majority at Rochester (83) and also Chatham (43) and Holcombe (42) grammars. For non-selective schools, the District of Walderslade part of which is in Kent north of the M2, Bluebell Hill and the Malling road over the Downs each play a significant part. 22 Kent children were offered places at Greenacre and Walderslade schools this year, with 50 Medway children going to at Aylesford, Holmesdale, Meopham and Malling schools. Another 46 Medway children have looked to Kent for a Catholic education at St John’s, Gravesend and St Simon Stock, Maidstone as St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive in Medway continues to be unpopular. St George’s CofE in Gravesend picked up another 10. In total 140 Medway children were offered places in Kent secondary schools.
So what next? If you are not awarded the school of your choice, then certainly go on the waiting list for every school you have applied for and still wish to consider.
You have the right to appeal to any and every school for which you have been turned down. My article on 2019 appeals should be taken as guidance only, with a breakdown of outcomes, other data and comment for each individual Medway school here. You will also find plenty of free advice in the appeals sections of this website at: Medway Grammar Appeals (complete with a warning about the Review process); Kent Grammar Appeals; and Oversubscription Appeals (in the process of rewriting). There is also copious grammar school appeal advice on the 11 plus Exams website, although it is not Medway specific and in any case often written for out of county candidates who have different expectations and perceptions, so be careful. Mention of Kentadvice is banned from the site.
Obviously, you should talk to your primary school who should be able to offer advice and, if you are not sure of the school to which you have been allocated, ask for another visit, which is likely to be as an individual rather than with the crowd who were there on Open Day.
You also have the option of making a late application for a fresh school. Unfortunately, Medway operates a very centralised and convoluted process in contrast to Kent's simple system. As a result, parents and I have often found it difficult to pin down a shifting procedure, the Medway Admission Booklet being of limited assistance. The phrase ‘at the discretion of the Student Services Management Team’ is used too often in discussion. Medway Council has scrapped late testing for grammar schools, and at present there are no schemes for individual schools, so there is no way in except for Chatham Grammar and Holcombe. These offer places in return for success at the Kent Test, or an Appeal possibility if your child has been unsuccessful at the Kent Test.
Every year we see a considerable ‘churning’ effect as children take up places off waiting lists, as children win appeals at higher preferences, and some unhappy families remove themselves from the state system, so don't lose hope!