Cunning plan for a Weald of Kent grammar annex in 7oaks?

[tonbridgemum]

One further observation. I wonder how many local parents, including those with siblings boys due to come through the school would welcome a non SS boys school in Tonbridge.
I am one who has always been against children traveling distances to schools and would always chose a local option if there was one.
Boys in Tonbridge who passed the 11+ would be able to go to a Tonbridge grammar school (hurrah) instead of sitting in traffic for 45 minutes every morning and evening getting to TWGSB.
I know JJ123 this is not what you are thinking but it is another factor and would affect a large group of children in the future.
Anyway, I digress - what time scale have they given you to reply? Is every parent in every year group entitled to their opinion?

[cs13]

Good point. Weald’s two sites in Tonbridge and Sevenoaks will be the first co-ed grammar facilities in West Kent. For the first time we'll have the choice of a co-ed grammar school for our children.

As almost all state educated children are taught in co-ed primary schools, I would expect the option of a co-ed grammar school to be very popular with both Tonbridge and Sevenoaks parents.

I went to a co-ed grammar in Kent, and have always found the single sex grammar monopoly in West Kent a bit odd, but I've accepted this because there's been no choice. But no longer.

[doodles]

Just a question.

What will happen if WOK goes co-ed (upsetting a goodly number of families along the way) but the proposed annex is still turned down. Surely all that's happened then is that the number of non-SS places for girls has been reduced and we are in a worse position than when the whole scheme was started

[mystery]

Personally co-ed does not bother me but some have strong preferences and reasons for this. Boys lower down the school would not be a concern though surely?

The new annex can't start for a while maybe? The new co-ed policy would surely need to be in force by the summer term over a year in advance of the first mixed year 7? Otherwise when people were considering schools in the summer term of year 5 they would not know if Weald was mixed or not ?

So the first co-ed year 7 could start in Sept 2016 if all the right things happened in the meantime, but surely it is after this they would have to demonstrate there was sufficient demand for this school to warrant a 100 percent expansion in to a distant annex?

There is some new dfe guidance for academies setting out the factors the dfe would consider in deciding whether a satellite expansion is a new school or not. It is called "Making Significant Changes to an Existing Academy". It covers far more than the gender mix on each site. It looks tough to comply with.

The risk is that if Weald goes co- ed and then the satellite proposal is turned down, the number of places for girls at the school would have approximately halved.

See last para - yes, this would be one of my concerns too. Parents already at the school or without younger girls are not going to be bothered much thinking about this though. If it really is consultation it needs to be done more widely.

[mystery]

The only way for the Sevenoaks annexe to be created is if Weald goes co-ed. All other legal avenues have been exhausted. The annexe will enable 180 West Kent students per year, who would otherwise be denied a grammar school place (despite passing the 11 plus), to obtain a grammar school education.

It therefore seems pretty selfish to be more worried about your daughter in year 10 being mildly inconvenienced by the existence of boys in year 7, as compared to 180 students per year being denied a grammar school place.

Can you imagine the devastation on the faces of the 180 West Kent children who pass the 11 plus, only then to be told that they won’t be getting a grammar school place? Are you volunteering to tell them?

Cs13, going co-ed is necessary, but probably not sufficient. Take a look at that document I linked to. And what about the risks of going co-ed and then not getting permission for the annex? You make it all sound so straightforward, but is it? If it was, why hasn't there been a successful proposal after all this time since the e-petition?

[JJ123]

Legislation regarding the creation of a new grammar school in Sevenoaks is not unfortunately something i have control of.

Any such creation should not be dependent upon the detrimental change to any existing school whether that be my daughters or anyone else's child. It should be built independently on its own merits and needs. The MP's are clearly making a right hash of this but i see no reason why Weald and their pupils should be pawns in the process.

Going to Grammar school is not a given. I wish it was. But currently in the UK any child takes the 11 plus knowing passing might afford them a grammar place but it might not depending on catchments/volumes etc. Any good parent would prepare their child for this.

With respect i think your figures are inflated. Extra classes at grammar schools have meant that last year I am informed 4 children did not get a grammar place and went to Knole's grammar stream. In "the site that cannot be named" he thinks there is no way that Sevenoaks grammar will be filled with local children but will need those in Surrey and Sussex to travel miles to get to it before numbers finally go up post 2020.

If i am selfish for worrying about my children then guilty as charged

[JJ123]

Just a question.

What will happen if WOK goes co-ed (upsetting a goodly number of families along the way) but the proposed annex is still turned down. Surely all that's happened then is that the number of non-SS places for girls has been reduced and we are in a worse position than when the whole scheme was started

yes you are so right doodles i think this is a real possibility.

[JJ123]

Good point. Weald’s two sites in Tonbridge and Sevenoaks will be the first co-ed grammar facilities in West Kent. For the first time we'll have the choice of a co-ed grammar school for our children.

As almost all state educated children are taught in co-ed primary schools, I would expect the option of a co-ed grammar school to be very popular with both Tonbridge and Sevenoaks parents.

I went to a co-ed grammar in Kent, and have always found the single sex grammar monopoly in West Kent a bit odd, but I've accepted this because there's been no choice. But no longer.

But the top performing 10 Grammar schools in Kent are all single sex ....
Weald should be left alone and there should be a boys grammar built in Sevenoaks. This would solve the issue but Gove will not allow. That is the sole reason Weald is being forced to consider going co-ed. political games

[JJ123]

The only way for the Sevenoaks annexe to be created is if Weald goes co-ed. All other legal avenues have been exhausted. The annexe will enable 180 West Kent students per year, who would otherwise be denied a grammar school place (despite passing the 11 plus), to obtain a grammar school education.

It therefore seems pretty selfish to be more worried about your daughter in year 10 being mildly inconvenienced by the existence of boys in year 7, as compared to 180 students per year being denied a grammar school place.

Can you imagine the devastation on the faces of the 180 West Kent children who pass the 11 plus, only then to be told that they won’t be getting a grammar school place? Are you volunteering to tell them?

Legislation regarding the creation of a new grammar school in Sevenoaks is not unfortunately something i have control of.

Any such creation should not be dependent upon the detrimental change to any existing school whether that be my daughters or anyone else's child. It should be built independently on its own merits and needs. The MP's are clearly making a right hash of this but i see no reason why Weald and their pupils should be pawns in the process.

Going to Grammar school is not a given. I wish it was. But currently in the UK any child takes the 11 plus knowing passing might afford them a grammar place but it might not depending on catchments/volumes etc. Any good parent would prepare their child for this.

With respect i think your figures are inflated. Extra classes at grammar schools have meant that last year I am informed 4 children did not get a grammar place and went to Knole's grammar stream. In "the site that cannot be named" he thinks there is no way that Sevenoaks grammar will be filled with local children but will need those in Surrey and Sussex to travel miles to get to it before numbers finally go up post 2020.

If i am selfish for worrying about my children then guilty as charged

[mystery]

I think you are right to think about it carefully. Is the school having a discussion session? Maybe you could ask there about the movement of teachers and pupils between the two sites?