Primary School Statistics for Kent & Medway - Kent Independent Education Advice

Primary School Statistics

All data on this page is provided by Kent County or Medway Council, often under the Freedom of Information Act

Admission September 2020 Statistics

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

You will find more detail on initial applications for Kent and Medway 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School	Appeals Submitted	Appeals Heard	Upheld	Not Upheld	Place Offered/Withdrawn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

Admission September 2018 Statistics

Kent Primary Schools: allocation of Kent children to Reception Classes April 2018
Offers to Kent Pupils	2018		2017		2016		2015
	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%
Offered a school on the application form	16843	97.7%	16855	97.4%	17400	96.6%	16691	95.8%
Offered a first preference	15426	89.5%	15429	89.0%	15705	87.2%	14943	85.8%
Offered a second preference	1093	6.3%	1077	6.2%	1229	6.8%	1272	7.3%
Offered a third preference	324	1.9%	379	2.2%	466	2.58%	476	2.7%
Allocated by local authority	390	2.3%	444	2.6%	606	3.4%	724	4.2%
Total number of offers	17233		17329		18006		17415

Medway Primary Schools: allocation of Medway children to Reception Classes April 2018
Offers to Medway Pupils	2018		2017		2016		2015
2018 figures to follow.	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%
Offered a school on the appln form	3167	97.6%	3245	97.4%	3360	96.2%	3396	96.4%
Offered a first preference	2888	89.1%	2978	89.4%	3039	87.1%	3067	87.1%
Offered a second preference	220	6.7%	209	6.3%	220	6.3%	256	7.3%
Offered a third preference	48	1.4%	49	1.5%	61	1.8%	55	1.5%
Offered a fourth preference	10	0.3%	7	0.1%	27	0.8%	20	0.6%
Allocated by Council	79	2.4%	85	2.6%	134	4.0%	126	3.6%
Total number of offers	3246*		3330		3490		3522

*In addition 102 Medway children were offered places at non-Medway schools

You will find more detail on initial applications for Kent and Medway here.

Kent and Medway Primary School Appeals 2017
School	Appeals Submitted	Appeals Heard	Upheld	Not Upheld	Place Offered	Withdrawn
Kent Reception Infant Legislation	272	196	1	195	23	53
Kent Reception other	38	36	14	22	0	2
Kent Junior	8	8	5	3	0	0
Medway Reception	60	31	1	30	8	21
Medway Junior	106	1	0	1	1	4

Admission September 2016 Statistics

Kent Primary Schools: allocation of Kent children to Reception Classes April 2016
Offers to Kent Pupils	2016		2015		2014		2013
	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%
Offered a school on the application form	17400	96.6%	16691	95.8%	16301	95.3%	15,838	96.0%
Offered a first preference	15705	87.2%	14943	85.8%	14516	84.9%	14,264	86.5%
Offered a second preference	1229	6.8%	1272	7.3%	1239	7.3%	1,127	6.8%
Offered a third preference	466	2.58%	476	2.7%	546	3.2%	447	2.7%
Allocated by local authority	606	3.4%	724	4.2%	796	4.7%	661	4.0%
Total number of offers	18006		17415		17097		16,499

Medway Primary Schools: allocation of Medway children and 121 from ooc to Reception classes April 2016
Offers made by Medway Primary schools	2016		2015		2014		2013
	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%
Offered a school named on the appln form	3360	96.2%	3396	96.4%	3171	95.5%	3058	96.0%
Offered a first preference	3039	87.1%	3067	87.1%	2847	85.7%	2803	88.0%
Offered a second preference	220	6.3%	256	7.3%	231	7.0%	189	5.9%
Offered a third preference	61	1.8%	55	1.5%	78	2.4%	48	1.5%
Offered a fourth preference*	27	0.8%	20	0.6%	15	0.5%	18	0.6%
Medway children allocated by Council	134	4.0%	126	3.6%	151	4.6%	129	4.1%
Total number of offers	3490		3522		3322		3187

*This also includes a small number of 5th and 6th preferences.

Kent and Medway Primary School Appeals 2016
School	Appeals Submitted	Appeals Heard	Upheld	Not Upheld	Place Offered	Withdrawn
Kent Reception Infant Legislation	426	292	2	290	103	31
Kent Reception other	25	24	14	10	0	1
Kent Junior	23	11	8	3	8	4
Medway Reception	106	63	1	62	20	23
Medway Junior	10	6	3	3	4	0

This table is for appeal Panels organised by KCC. A small number of primary appeals are managed by other organisations. Commentary here. You will find further information here.

Admission September 2015 Statistics

You will find more detail on initial applications for Kent and Medway here.

Kent Primary Schools: allocation to Reception classes April 2015
Offers to Kent Pupils	2015		2014		2013		2012
	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%
Offered a school on the application form	16691	95.84%	16301	95.34%	15,838	95.99%	15,476	94.98%
Offered a first preference	14943	85.81%	14516	84.90%	14,264	86.45%	13,879	85.18%
Offered a second preference	1272	7.30%	1239	7.25%	1,127	6.83%	1,145	7.03%
Offered a third preference	476	2.73%	546	3.19%	447	2.71%	452	2.77%
Allocated by local authority	724	4.16%	796	4.65%	661	4.01%	818	5.02%
Total number of offers	17415		17097		16,499		16,249

Further Information on Oversubscription and Vacancies for Kent here.

Medway Primary Schools: allocation to Reception classes April 2015
Offers made by Medway Primary schools	2015		2014		2013		2012
	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%
Offered a school named on the application form	3396	96.43%	3171	95.45%	3058	95.95%	2949	97.00%
Offered a first preference	3067	87.08%	2847	85.7%	2803	88.00%	2707	89.05%
Offered a second preference	256	7.27%	231	6.95%	189	5.93%	176	5.79%
Offered a third preference	55	1.5%	78	2.35%	48	1.51%	55	1.81%
Offered a fourth preference*	20	0.58%	15	0.45%	18	0.56%	11	0.36%
Allocated by local authority	126		151	4.55%	129	4.05%	91	2.99%
Total number of offers	3522		3322		3187		3040

*Note: this entry is given as third preference on the Medway statement, with no fourth preference provided, but given the size of the figures, I suspect my interpretation is correct.

Further Information on Oversubscription and Vacancies for Medway here.

Kent and Medway School Primary Appeals Heard Outcomes 2015
	2015		2014
Appeals Held	Number	% Upheld	Number	% Upheld
Kent Primary Infant Class Legislation	292	0.7%	340	1.5%
Kent Primary other	36	61%	30	63%
Medway Primary ICL	63	1.6%	65	0%
Medway Primary Other	6	50%

Further details here.

Kent Primary School Appeal Outcomes 2014
	Appeals Registered	Upheld	Turned down	% upheld	place offered before appeal	withdrawn
Primary Schools: Infant Class Legislation	537	5	355	1.4%	30	147
Other Primary schools	43	19	11	63%	8	5
Primary Total	580	24	366	6%	38	152

This table is for appeal Panels organised by KCC. A small number of primary appeals are managed by other organisations. Commentary here. You will find further information here.

I did not collect the 2015 figures for Medway Appeals, but you will find the 2013 data here.

Kent Reception Year Admissions 2013

I have provided commentary to these statistics here.

Offers to Kent Reception Year Pupils	2013		2012		2011
	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%
Offered a school named on the application form	15,838	95.99%	15,476	94.98%	15,151	95.18%
Offered a first preference	14,264	86.45%	13,879	85.18%	13,682	85.95%
Offered a second preference	1,127	6.83%	1,145	7.03%	1,062	6.67%
Offered a third preference	447	2.71%	452	2.77%	407	2.56%
Allocated by local authority	661	4.01%	818	5.02%	768	4.82%
Total number of offers	16,499		16,249		15919

IKent and Medway Primary School Appeals 2013.

I have provided commentary to these statistics here.

Kent Primary School Appeal Outcomes 2013
	Number of Appeals	Upheld	Rejected	Appeal Withdrawn	Place offered before Appeal
Appeals where Infant Class Legislation Applies	546	18	364	132	30
No ICL	86	22	48	12	4
Junior Schools	33	10	20	2	1

Medway Primary School Appeal Outcomes 2013
	Number of Appeals	Upheld	Rejected	Appeal Withdrawn	Place offered before Appeal
Reception Class Appeals	157	6	98	28	25
Junior Schools	6	2	0	0	4

I now have details of KCC primary admission data for 2011 entry as below

Pupils	2011		2010
	No of pupils	%	No of pupils	%
Offered a named school	15,299	94.2%	14,298	95.8%
Offered first preference	13,801	84.9%	13,118	88%
Offered second preference	1,080	6.7%	842	5.6%
Offered third preference	414	2.6%	329	2.2%
ooc offered fourth pref	4	0.02%	N/A	N/A
Allocated by KCC	768	4.7%	564	3.8%
ooc not offered a place	182	1.1%	67	0.4%
Total of applications	16,249		14,920

Early thoughts: These are very disappointing results given that KCC itself warned of pressures on Kent Primary places in 2011. In fact the percentage of children not offered one of their choices and hence have been allocated places by KCC has increased steadily from 1.6% in 2006 to the 4.7% of this year, a 25% increase in the past year. This is not because parents are chasing the very popular schools, but overwhelmingly because parents want a reasonable school in their own area. The increase in numbers of 1,329 (which conceals an increase of well over 100 out of county applicants not offered places) was entirely predictable two years ago, yet KCC has had to put in 345 temporary (emergency) places since January. Where is the planning? Biggest problem is likely to be once again in Gravesham and other parts of West and North West Kent, as I warned last summer in Kent on Sunday and Gravesend Reporter. See below for further information on primary admissions.

For Medway the infant class position is much more positive given the continued fall in numbers. However, their statistics differ slightly from the Kent method of analysis. Also the 2010 system of admission was not coordinated with other Local Authorities and so is not directly comparable.

Pupils	2011		2010
	No of Medway pupils	%	No of pupils	%
Offered a named Medway school	2842	97.4	2873	96.0
Offered first preference	2678	91.8	2775	92.7
Offered second preference	127	4.3	98	3.3
Offered third preference	31	1.1
ooc offered fourth pref	6	0.2
Allocated by Medway	75	2.5	107	3.6
Total of applications	2917		2980

44 out of Medway children (nearly all Kent) were offered places in Medway Primary Schools and 63 Medway children were offered places outside Medway (nearly all Kent).

2010 Statistics

Infant class allocations for entry in September 2010 or January 2011 were made in March. The pattern countywide is almost identical to 2009, with 96% of all children being offered a school on there form and 88% being offered their first choice. although of course there may be regional variations.

Pupils	2010		2009
	No. of pupils	%	No. of pupils	%
Offered a school named on the application form	14,289	96%	14,105	96%
Offered a first preference	13,118	88%	12,998	88%
Offered a second preference	842	6%	810	6%
Offered a third preference	329	2%	297	2%
Allocated by Local Authority	564	3.8%	527	3.6%
Out of County pupils not offered a place	67	0.4%	98	0.6%
Total number of applications	14,920		14,730

Kent Primary School Appeals for entry in September 2010 or January 2011

	Number	Successful	Not Successful
Reception Class Appeals	541	69	472
Infant Class Legislation	463	22	441
Other Infant Appeals (Yrs 1& 2)	46	13	33
Infant Class Legislation (Years 1&2)	28	3	25
Junior Class Appeals	71	40	31

Some Reception class appeals are not subject to Infant Class Appeals where the Planned Admission Number does not easily allow classes of 30 to be formed. 15, 20, 45 PANs are all used for split age classes to be put together, comprising 30 children.

Last modified on Sunday, 19 April 2020 13:29