Displaying items by tag: Primary Reception Pressures

Entries on this page include the OFSTED Grade for each Primary School updated twice a year, also recording change from previous Inspection result, together with some other relevant information below. It is worth using the search engine on the Home Page to pick up other references to individual schools.

You will find advice on Primary school Admissions and Appeals here. 

You can read the full Report on each Primary School at OFSTED. Each school is awarded a main Grade: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement (previously Satisfactory), and Inadequate (two sub categories - A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better - A school that requires special measures is one where the school is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school). Each Report carries a brief description of the school before justifying its decision in more detail. If a school is in Special Measures or Serious Weaknesses, the results of further monitoring visits are noted.

A majority of the schools that have previously had a 'Good' or 'Outstanding' assessment are given a Short Inspection (known as Section 8). These are indicated by 'Good (S). These will be confirmed in their assessment grade. However for some of these schools, the Inspection Team may consider that there are concerns, or in the case of a Good school, grounds for raising the Grade and this can only be done by a full Section Five Grade. These are recorded for example as  'Outstanding (SC) or 'Good (SR). 

You will find an analysis of oversubscription and vacancies for  Tunbridge Wells Primary Places for September 2019 Allocations here, for 2018 here, for 2017 here, and for 2016 here.

You will find a good website to provide a host of factual data about individual Kent schools here.

Reports on Inspections between between September 2019 and February 2020  are in the first table, followed by other tables containing older ones.

(A) Indicates the school is an Academy (2017 onwards)  

Excerpt from TW Section of article on Oversubscription and Vacancies in Kent Primary Schools 2015: "Just 29 places free at two schools, 3% of the total, 23 being at Rusthall St Paul’s CofE. The other 6 are at the new Skinners Kent Primary Academy, which has also had nine children allocated. " 

Information from Oversubscription Survey of Kent primary schools, for entry September 2014.

Tunbridge Wells is usually the eye of the storm, but the situation has eased this year, even though several schools have actually reduced intake. The controversial plan to expand Bishops Down Primary from 30 to 60 places was once again reversed, this time by governors frustrated by KCC’s inability to sort out the problems,  and with Claremont School again taking just 60 children instead of the 90 in 2012, there is a much higher proportion of siblings than normal offered places in both schools, so non-siblings have lost out. Even though Claremont turned away 30 first choices, this is surprisingly a fall from last year’s 45 when it was the fifth most oversubscribed school in Kent. Pembury and St Matthew’s High Brooms CofE have both reduced their intakes by 30 down to 60 children. Most oversubscribed schools are St John’s CofE and St James CofE, the Wells Free School, in its second year with an intake of just 24 in fifth place with 20 first choices turned away. Even though there are four schools with vacancies, 71 children were allocated to schools they did not apply for, with nearly half of these going to Temple Grove Academy, showing it has not yet lost the mantle of its previous name, Sherwood Park.

2012-2013 Reports

Pre September 2012 Reports

See articles on Tunbridge Wells Primary Schools and Bishops Down

Pressures on Tunbridge Wells Primary Schools for 2012 Entry (written March 2012)

Entries on this page include the OFSTED Grade for each Primary School updated twice a year, also recording change from previous Inspection result, together with some other relevant information below. It is worth using the search engine on the Home Page to pick up other references to individual schools.

You will find advice on Primary school Admissions and Appeals here. 

You can read the full Report on each Primary School at OFSTED. Each school is awarded a main Grade: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement (previously Satisfactory), and Inadequate (two sub categories - A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better - A school that requires special measures is one where the school is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school). Each Report carries a brief description of the school before justifying its decision in more detail. If a school is in Special Measures or Serious Weaknesses, the results of further monitoring visits are noted.

A majority of the schools that have previously had a 'Good' or 'Outstanding' assessment are given a Short Inspection (known as Section 8). These are indicated by 'Good (S). These will be confirmed in their assessment grade. However for some of these schools, the Inspection Team may consider that there are concerns, or in the case of a Good school, grounds for raising the Grade and this can only be done by a full Section Five Grade. These are recorded for example as  'Outstanding (SC) or 'Good (SR). 

You will find an analysis of oversubscription and vacancies for  Tonbridge Primary Places for September 2019 Allocations here, 2018  here, for 2017 here, and for 2016 here.

You will find a commercial site providing a comprehensive analysis of  different 11 Plus exams, preparation and appeals at 11 Plus Exams.

Reports on Inspections between between September 2018 and July 2019  are in the first table, followed by other tables containing older ones.

(A) Indicates the school is an Academy (2017 onwards)  

  * First Inspection as an academy after Woodlands Junior (Good) and Infant (Outstanding) combined

Information from Oversubscription Survey of Kent primary schools, for entry September 2014.

Tonbridge town once again has no vacancies in any of its Reception classes for September with first choices polarising again around Slade Primary, which turned away 47 children. However, just 29 allocations to two schools suggests most parents are not unhappy with their offers.

Long Mead Community Primary School is Federated with Hugh Christie Technology College. 

In March 2010, Brenchley & Matfield was placed in Special Measures with an absolutely dreadful OFSTED Report. In October 2010, a Monitoring Inspection again hammered the school, with particular criticism being levelled at KCC's inadequate response. A subsequent inspection in October 2011 found the school to be 'Satisfactory' and since then it has completed a hard earned climb. The school is situated in a prosperous part of the Tonbridge District and although the initial failure came as a shock to many, the disruption in staffing provision, including some poor staff should have sent warning signs to the Authority which clearly failed to act. 

2012-13 OFSTED Reports 

  Pre September 2012 Reports 

The following comment on September 2012 admissions was written March 2012

The town of Tonbridge has fewer children than the other pressure points, but still only has vacancies in one school. Cage Green Primary had its PAN increased by 6 to manage the increasing numbers but finished with 20 spaces. Oddly most children who were allocated, 15 in number, have been sent to Long Mead Community Primary, filling it, with just one to Cage Green. Slade Primary is the sixth most oversubscribed primary school in Kent. Woodlands Infant School, the only recent OFSTED Outstanding school in Tonbridge, turned away just 2 first choices.

The following primary school had additional Reception intake places added in March for 2011 entry, to meet local pressures:

Long Mead Primary, up from 20 to 30 places

Updated May 2020

Coronavirus; There are a number of articles on this site exploring the implications of the pandemic on school applications and appeals. You will find them by putting 'Coronavirus' in the search engine on the top left hand corner of this page. This page contains outcomes of Ofsted Inspections carried out up until 4th February 2020, the last ones published before schools were closed. I estimate about another 10 will have been completed but results are waiting until schools are opened, which may not be until September. I think it most unlikely there will be any more this school year.  

Entries on this page include the OFSTED Grade for each Primary School updated twice a year, also recording change from previous Inspection result, together with some other relevant information below. It is worth using the search engine on the Home Page to pick up other references to individual schools.

You will find advice on Primary school Admissions and Appeals here. 

You can read the full Report on each Primary School at OFSTED. Each school is awarded a main Grade: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement (previously Satisfactory), and Inadequate (two sub categories - A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better - A school that requires special measures is one where the school is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school). Each Report carries a brief description of the school before justifying its decision in more detail. If a school is in Special Measures or Serious Weaknesses, the results of further monitoring visits are noted.

A majority of the schools that have previously had a 'Good' or 'Outstanding' assessment are given a Short Inspection (known as Section 8). These are indicated by 'Good (S). These will be confirmed in their assessment grade. However for some of these schools, the Inspection Team may consider that there are concerns, or in the case of a Good school, grounds for raising the Grade and this can only be done by a full Section Five Grade. These are recorded for example as  'Outstanding (SC) or 'Good (SR). 

You will find an analysis of oversubscription and vacancies for  Sevenoaks Primary Places for September 2019 Allocations here, for 2018  here, for 2017 here, and for 2016 here.

You will find a commercial site providing a comprehensive analysis of  different 11 Plus exams, preparation and appeals at 11 Plus Exams.

Reports on Inspections between between September 2018 and July 2019  are in the first table, followed by other tables containing older ones.

(A) Indicates the school is an Academy (2017 onwards) 

 * Following Short Inspection in Jan 2019, recommending full inspection to follow

Excerpt from the Sevenoaks section of an article on Oversubscription and Vacancies in Kent Primary schools 2015: "As in previous years, there are no vacancies at all in the seven town schools, four being heavily oversubscribed each with between 26 and 30 first choices turned away: Riverhead Infant; Sevenoaks; Lady Boswell’s CofE and St John’s CofE. With 360 offers, a third of these did not get their first choice".

  (1) See article about Stansted. Stansted is to close July 2015.

Information from Oversubscription Survey of Kent primary schools, for entry September 2014. 

Biggest problems overall appear to be in Sevenoaks town and District, where there are just 10 vacancies overall across the 27 schools, at Churchill in Westerham and Fordcombe. There is intense pressure on Sevenoaks town again, even following last year’s expansions of an additional 60 places being pumped into Sevenoaks and Lady Boswell’s CofE Primaries. As a result, many families will find their children diverted to schools in neighbouring villages, filling these, a total of 75 families in the District getting no school of their choice. It is often falsely stated that the problems are caused by parental choice, although there is a polarisation towards Riverhead Infants in the town. But, if all schools in the town and district are oversubscribed, then parents have no choice! In total 186 of the 940 children applying for places did not get their first choice.

 2012-13 OFSTED Reports 

Pre September 2012 Reports

Admission Issues for September 2012 entry (written March 2012)

Sevenoaks has the dubious honour of having two of the four most oversubscribed primary schools in the county. Riverhead Infants School heads the list with 54 first choices not offered places, with Sevenoaks Primary School in fourth place with 44 first choices turned away.  For some reason, Sevenoaks Primary which admitted 90 children last year, has seen this reduced  to 60 for 2012 entry (possibly because of pressure on space in the school) but the impact of this reduction itself does not explain the leap in popularity of the two schools which turned away 26 first choices between them in 2011. However, there was an increase of around 80 children in Sevenoaks and District, some of which will be Sevenoaks residents. Some of the displaced children were absorbed by those parents who had also put St John's on their list. St John's had its PAN increased by 15 to 30 for 2011, and this year its numbers were increased by another 20 to try and tackle the problems.  In other words St John's has seen its intake change from 15 to 50 in just two years and one has to wonder if it has the facilities to cope with this dramatic change in character of the school.

41 of the remaining children were allocated to Seal Primary School, 2 miles out of Sevenoaks, along the A25, which is already solid with traffic at 8.30 in the morning. For the second year running Seal has been doubled in size to take in a temporary intake of 60, although in 2011 the extra places were not taken up.  This time the school is technically full, with just 19 local children taking up places, and one wonders how many children will wander off to private schools where parents can afford to pay, to avoid the journey and the enforced placement of so many children out of town.

In this district there is also considerable pressure in the area around Sevenoaks, with Chevening St Botolph's, Chiddingstone, Crockham Hill, Fawkham, and Kemsing, all turning away more than 10 first choices. Many of those children who were offered none of their choices will have been placed at Edenbridge (24 allocations), and Halsted (16). An additional 10 last minute places were put in at Shoreham and another 5 at Weald Primary School to eas the pressures. When all the numbers are added up, there are just 7 vacant places in the rural areas, with none in Sevenoaks itself.

The following primary schools had additional Reception intake places added in March for 2011 entry, to meet local pressures:

Chiddingstone CofE Primary, up from 20 to 25 places

Churchill CofE Primary up from 40 to 50 places

Ide Hill CofE Primary up from 15 to 20 places

St John's CofE Primary (Sevenoaks), up from 15 to 30 places

St Katherine's Knockholt CofE Primary, up from 20 to 30 places

For 2011, the following additional places were added.

Chiddingstone Primary: PAN increased by 5, a further 5 places added in March.

Otford Primary: 10 additional places were in March

Seal CofE VC Primary: 30 additional places in March

Sevenoaks Primary: , 30 additional places in March

Weald Community Primary: 5 additional places in March

 Updated May 2020

Coronavirus; There are a number of articles on this site exploring the implications of the pandemic on school applications and appeals. You will find them by putting 'Coronavirus' in the search engine on the top left hand corner of this page. This page contains outcomes of Ofsted Inspections carried out up until 4th February 2020, the last ones published before schools were closed. I estimate about another 10 will have been completed but results are waiting until schools are opened, which may not be until September. I think it most unlikely there will be any more this school year.  

Entries on this page include the OFSTED Grade for each Primary School updated twice a year, also recording change from previous Inspection result, together with some other relevant information below. It is worth using the search engine on the Home Page to pick up other references to individual schools.

You will find advice on Primary school Admissions and Appeals here. 

You can read the full Report on each Primary School at OFSTED. Each school is awarded a main Grade: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement (previously Satisfactory), and Inadequate (two sub categories - A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better - A school that requires special measures is one where the school is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school). Each Report carries a brief description of the school before justifying its decision in more detail. If a school is in Special Measures or Serious Weaknesses, the results of further monitoring visits are noted.

A majority of the schools that have previously had a 'Good' or 'Outstanding' assessment are given a Short Inspection (known as Section 8). These are indicated by 'Good (S). These will be confirmed in their assessment grade. However for some of these schools, the Inspection Team may consider that there are concerns, or in the case of a Good school, grounds for raising the Grade and this can only be done by a full Section Five Grade. These are recorded for example as  'Outstanding (SC) or 'Good (SR). 

You will find an analysis of oversubscription and vacancies for  Gravesham Primary Places for September 2019 Allocations here, for 2018 here, for 2017 here, and for 2016 here.

You will find a commercial site providing a comprehensive analysis of  different 11 Plus exams, preparation and appeals at 11 Plus Exams.

Reports on Inspections between between September 2019 and July 2020  are in the first table, followed by other tables containing older ones.

(A) Indicates the school is an Academy (2017 onwards) 

* Put Copperfield in Search Engine for further information. Early allocation information has Copperfield with 42 LAAs and still 19 free places out of its 90. 

 *Copperfield Academy has had a dreadful record for as long as I have run this website, most recently covered here. You will find a positive Monitoring Report here.  

** Istead Rise has also had a dreadful history both as a KCC school and being run by Meopham Community Trust. Now run by Swale Academies Trust and Good for the first time. See Ofsted record below.

 Item on Copperfield Academy here

* Article on renaissance of Kings Farm here. 

Excerpt from Gravesham section of article on oversubscription and vacancies in Kent primary schools 2015: "Gravesend and Northfleet families have most difficulties across Kent in finding good schools for their children".

*Chantry: See article here. 

**Kings Farm: See article on Inspection Report here. Further article on Whitehill and Kings Farm here.

Information from Oversubscription Survey of Kent primary schools, for entry September 2014. 

Next up is probably Gravesham, and certainly the town where I have had most concerns expressed (Sevenoaks parents may be used to it!).  Quite simply, there are just two vacancies in the whole urban district of Gravesend and Northfleet, and 12 in the rural south at Vigo. Every other one of the 24 other schools is full. The two Catholic schools, St John’s in Gravesend (second in Kent), and St Joseph’s in Northfleet (last year’s most oversubscribed school) account for 86 first choices turned away. Here 129 children, 10% of the total applicants, were offered no school of their choice, five schools all of whom have had difficult histories, mopping up the large majority of these, headed up by Whitehill, with a remarkable 30 Local Authority Allocations out of its 90 places. No extra places created to tackle this issue, although I have been warning about it for some years.

 2012-13 OFSTED Reports 

Both Raynehust and Dover Road are being taken over by Reach2 to become Sponsored academies. 

Pre September 2012 Reports

Chantry Primary School working in tandem with Meopham Community Academy for a year from Jun 2011 under executive Head from Meopham.

Riverview Junior School: The notice to improve was issued solely because the schoool failed to complete satfety checks on staff, thus potlentially placing children at risk. This is part of the statutory safeguarding required, where failure to comply produces an automatic failure at an OFSTED Inspection. The Report states: "Were it not for the safeguarding weakness noted, this would be a good school with a number of outstanding features". The July 2011 Report confirms it is back to its previous status as a good school. 

Updated May 2020

Coronavirus; There are a number of articles on this site exploring the implications of the pandemic on school applications and appeals. You will find them by putting 'Coronavirus' in the search engine on the top left hand corner of this page. This page contains outcomes of Ofsted Inspections carried out up until 4th February 20120, the last ones published before schools were closed. I estimate about another 10 will have been completed but results are waiting until schools are opened, which may not be until September. I think it most unlikely there will be any more this school year. 

Entries on this page include the OFSTED Grade for each Primary School updated twice a year, also recording change from previous Inspection result, together with some other relevant information below. It is worth using the search engine on the Home Page to pick up other references to individual schools.

You will find advice on Primary school Admissions and Appeals here. 

You can read the full Report on each Primary School at OFSTED. Each school is awarded a main Grade: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement (previously Satisfactory), and Inadequate (two sub categories - A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better - A school that requires special measures is one where the school is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school). Each Report carries a brief description of the school before justifying its decision in more detail. If a school is in Special Measures or Serious Weaknesses, the results of further monitoring visits are noted.

A majority of the schools that have previously had a 'Good' or 'Outstanding' assessment are given a Short Inspection (known as Section 8). These are indicated by 'Good (S). These will be confirmed in their assessment grade. However for some of these schools, the Inspection Team may consider that there are concerns, or in the case of a Good school, grounds for raising the Grade and this can only be done by a full Section Five Grade. These are recorded for example as  'Outstanding (SC) or 'Good (SR). 

You will find an analysis of oversubscription and vacancies for  Dartford Primary Places for September 2019 Allocations here, for 2018 here, for 2017 here, and for 2016 here. (2020 to follow). 

You will find a commercial site providing a comprehensive analysis of  different 11 Plus exams, preparation and appeals at 11 Plus Exams.

Reports on Inspections between between September 2019 and Feb 2020  are in the first table, followed by other tables containing older ones.

(A) Indicates the school is an Academy 

*Dartford Bridge Community: A shocking and sudden decline from 'Good' in just twelve months. The Report talks about decline over years, so begging two questions: how did it get Good in a Short Inspection just twelve months previously, suggesting the Short Inspection was itself inadequate: secondly what has happened with KCC monitoring given the warning of declining KS2 results. I understand that the headteacher went missing shortly before the inspection, but rarely does one see a statement such as:'Parents’ confidence and trust in the wider leadership of the school has broken down'.

**The Joyden's Wood concerns appear mainly historical now being addressed. Four years since previous inspection so no doubt plenty of work being done.

*** Another Kent school off the KCC failed list, by academisation. 

 Knockhall Primary, previously a Lilac Sky school continues to be a matter of concern. 

Excerpt from article in the Dartford section on oversubscription and vacancies in Kent primary schools: "There are no vacancies in any school in the town, but again, most parents have been offered one school of their choice, with 34 being allocated places by KCC, nearly all at Temple Hill or Holy Trinity CofE". 

 Excerpt from an article on oversubscription in Kent's primary schools, 2014: Dartford’s problems fall mainly on the Western side, where not one of its 16 primary schools has any vacancies, with Westgate (42 first choices turned away) and Brent (35) both in the top ten most popular schools across the county. With just 41 children being allocated by the Local Authority, most to the two very large infant schools, there are no schools that parents appear trying to avoid; however, 222 children, over 20% of the total did not get their first choice of school. Just 20 extra places were created to meet this demand. In the rest of the Borough, there are vacancies in just two schools, at Knockhall (14), which has 26 children allocated to it, and at Manor Primary in Swanscombe (8).

2012-13 OFSTED Reports 

Pre September 2012 Reports

The following primary schools had additional Reception intake places added in March for 2010 entry, to meet local pressures:

Manor Community Primary, up from 60 to 90 places

Maypole Primary up from 30 to 60 places

Kent has seen a dramatic fall in the number of vacant primary school places in the past six years from 3299 in the Reception Year in 2005-6, to an estimated 108 across the whole county next September. KCC recommends a vacancy rate of from 5-7%, but these figures represent a surplus of just 0.7%.