Kent and Medway Primary Allocations 2020: Initial News and Comment

Wednesday, 15 April 2020 19:39

Kent and Medway Primary Allocations 2020: Initial News and Comment

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You will find much more detail about oversubscription and vacancies in Kent primary school allocations here, Medway primary school allocations for 2019 here.

There is good news for most Kent families applying for reception class places in primary schools this year although, with 88.3% of families offered their first choice school, this is the lowest proportion since 2016. However, 97.4% of families have been offered one of their three choices, coincidentally the same percentage as in 2019 and 2017. Sadly, that still leaves 457 children with no school of their choice. Altogether, the number of Kent pupils offered places through the scheme is 17,411, up by 125, but less than 1% on the 2019 figure. These details are contained in the Press Release.

In Medway, more than 88% of children have again been offered their first choice school, with 97.9% being offered a school on their application form, both figures similar to 2019. 74 children were offered no school of their choice, again, almost the same as in 2019, when there were 75. In total there was an increase of 78 pupils offered places from 2019, with a total of 3491. Most of these details are contained in the Press Release.

This year is of course very different from any other because of Coronavirus, with all schools currently closed. As a result you will probably not be able to contact them directly to raise concerns over admissions. Nevertheless, you should still accept the school you have been offered. It can do you no damage if you then pursue places elsewhere. Then follow as normal the advice below on what to do if you have not received a school or any school of your choice and wish to be reconsidered at one or more of these.

You will also find information and advice below on what to do next if you don't have a school of your choice, with information on appeals also below and here . In summary, if your school is one of the overwhelming majority where Infant Class Legislation applies, I am afraid that chances of success are negligible.

I am waiting for detailed oversubscription and vacancy figures at both Reception and Junior School level to be sent, and will publish these as soon as possible, probably into May. You may find the equivalent picture for 2019 allocations helpful, as it conducts a detailed survey of the issues in each of Kent's 16 Districts. It is, year on year, the largest article on the website and one of the most read.

Kent Primary Schools: allocation of Kent children to Reception Classes April 2020
Offers to Kent Pupils	2020		2019		2018		2017
	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%
Offered a school on the application form	16954	97.4%	16839	97.4%	16843	97.7%	16855	97.4%
Offered a first preference	15372	88.3%	15540	89.4%	15426	89.5%	15429	89.0%
Offered a second preference	1192	6.9%	1057	6.1%	1093	6.3%	1077	6.2%
Offered a third preference	390	2.2%	332	1.9%	324	1.9%	379	2.2%
Allocated by local authority	457	2.6%	447	2.6%	390	2.3%	444	2.6%
Total number of offers	17411		17286		17233		17329

Medway Primary Schools: allocation of Medway children to Reception Classes April 2020
Offers to Medway Pupils	2020		2019		2018		2017
2018 figures to follow.	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%
Offered a school on the appln form	3417	97.9%	3338*	97.8%*	3167	97.6%	3245	97.4%
Offered a first preference	>3072	>88%*	3035	89.0%	2888	89.1%	2978	89.4%
Offered a second preference			228	6.7%	220	6.7%	209	6.3%
Offered a third preference			59	1.7%	48	1.4%	49	1.5%
Offered a fourth preference			16	0.5%	10	0.3%	7	0.1%
Allocated by Council	74	2.1%	75	2.2%*	79	2.4%	85	2.6%
Total number of offers	3491		3413		3246		3330

* From Press Release. Medway Council has decided to provide a figure for the proportion of children offered one of their first three preferences, rather than for all six preferences as in previous years. I will fill this table in when I have full data.

Not offered the school of your choice?

My normal initial advice still applies. Do not panic and take possibly rash decisions. There is nothing you can do for the good immediately, as you have to work through the laid down processes, and you can undermine your prospects by taking a wrong action.

You have the right to go on the waiting list for, and appeal for any school on your application form, where you have not been offered a place. You also have the right to make a late application in Kent to any school that was not on your original list, on or after 10th June when the first reallocation of vacant places takes place to children already on the waiting list. You should use the KCC In Year Application Form and send it directly to all schools you are interested in as you choose, that were not on your application list. You are not restricted to just one school at a time. KCC will tell you which local schools still have vacancies on the day you enquire. This will not damage your chances at any school for which you are on the waiting list. If you are appealing and are offered a place at one of these schools in advance it may be taken into account. However, with the very low chances of success at appeal (see below), this is a risk worth taking.

A large number of children are offered places off waiting lists, most setting off a ‘churning process’ freeing up other places. You have nothing to lose from going on the waiting list for as many schools as you wish. Sadly, chances of success at appeal are negligible in nearly all cases, as explained below.

Medway Council Advice on Returning Documentation during Coronavirus Emergency

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic parents are advised to return any forms they need to complete, to accept or refuse their child’s offer, by email rather than visiting the school to hand them in.

If a family would like to appeal their child’s school place the appeal form should be emailed to the school, or to Medway (Kent County) Council, if the school is maintained by the local authority. There is a link in each child’s admissions offer email to the next steps guide which advises parents and carers where to return the forms. If a family decides to place their child on a waiting list for a school place forms should be returned to admissions@medway.gov.uk (or kentonlineadmissions@kent.gov.uk).

Primary School Appeals

Most Reception Class Appeals are governed by what is called Infant Class Legislation. Quite simply, you will not win an Infant Class Appeal if there are classes of 30 children in the Infant section, unless you have one of a few rare exceptional circumstances. Schools with intakes of, for example, 15, 20 or 45 children will run mixed age classes of 30, so fit the legislation. A few schools have an intake with a different number, especially some small rural schools in East Kent where this does not apply. With Infant Class Legislation in place, there was just one successful Reception Appeals in Kent out of 272 submitted, in Medway one out of 60. I also include columns recording places offered off waiting lists before appeals are heard, and the number of appeals withdrawn before the appeal was heard for other reasons.This table is for appeal Panels organised by KCC and Medway Council. A small number of primary appeals are managed by other organisations. You will find historical information here.

Kent and Medway Primary School Appeals 2019
School	Appeals Submitted	Appeals Heard	Upheld	Not Upheld	Place Offered/Withdrawn
Kent Reception Infant Legislation	246	161	2	159	74
Kent Reception other	6	6	5	1	0
Kent Junior (2017)	8	8	5	3	0
Medway Reception	57	32	1	16	15

Notes(1) The Medway Reception data is made up from Appeals heard for all maintained schools by Medway Council together with those from some academies by Kent County Council

(2) The latest Junior figures I have

(3) Medway Reception Figures are from Appeals heard through Medway Council and at Academies held through KCC

Last modified on Wednesday, 12 May 2021 02:35