11 Plus Exams Forum

My daughter has passed her 11 plus- scoring 375.
We have visited both schools several times and my daughter strongly favours Invicta.
We are fairly rural,and Invicta would mean over an hour bus journey, WOK would have a shorter journey using the train.
Am concerned that my daughter doesn't really appreciate the amount of time she would spend traveling if she goes to Invicta.
Wondered if anybody else's child travels this kind of journey to Invicta?
Also any opinions on either school would be much appreciated as not long now to make such an important decision!

If she can catch the train to Tonbridge, why can't she catch the train to Maidstone?

Some Invicta students do catch trains to Maidstone Barracks and Maidstone East, then walk.

Mggs is very close to the both those stations, have you considered that option?

Trains do not go from our nearest station to Maidstone ,she would need to change at Tonbridge- more complicated for her to get to MGGS than Invicta- thank you tho frangipani.
She loves Invicta and has been to a number of events there- just worried how she will cope with catching a 7am bus for 6 years!

I see.

Sounds like the Tonbridge school would be more practical, but it's a difficult decision when your dc has a strong preference.

I have a similar dilemma with DS. Great GS 15mins walk away but his preferred GS is 1hour 15mins away by train plus walking. I have deliberated for ages and still not sure 100% but have decided to go with what DS wants.

However yours dd's does sound a longer journey. And for me, I think leaving home before 7am is too early and would have to draw the line there. But I'm sure some people do it.

Could you do the journey with her in half term to show her how long it is?

Does she want to go to Invicta because she's been there before and so knows the layout etc a bit and it feels 'safer' than going to a different school she's never been to?

Hi, I have a similar dilemma. We all prefer Invicta which would mean catching a bus at 7.10 to Maidstone town centre and either walking or catching another bus to the school. Her brothers catch this bus to Maidstone boys and really aren't bothered by the long journey. We do pick them up sometimes to break up the week. I think choosing the best school is more important then the journey and there will be a lot of children in the same position . When you looked round the school, did you see the board which had all the public transport possibilities from different areas ? I did discuss this with the school and they said they would provide a buddy for dd to help her catch the right bus .

Scarlet, could you let me know about Maidstone boys grammar school please, I'm keen to hear from anyone whose son goes there? Thank you.

We have a similar journey to Skinners from a rural village. I will be honest and say that it is a complete pain, our whole life is dominated by getting up at 6am in order to get out of the house at 6.45 to get the bus, its bad enough in the spring/summer but getting up in the dark and home in the dark is awful and then your child needs to do homework for several hours...... By Friday night we are knackered and spend the weekend recovering.

I do believe that you should send your child to the best school for them but I am slightly coming around to the view that our family live and my son's home/school work potential would be better if he was at a more local school, he could gain potentially 3 hours a day!!

No I in team wrote:Scarlet, could you let me know about Maidstone boys grammar school please, I'm keen to hear from anyone whose son goes there? Thank you.

I'll pm you so not to hijack this thread

We are in rural kent but I dont have a girl so cant comment on the individual schools but I can understand your concerns re the journey. There are girls from my DSs primary school who get the 7.00 bus into Maidstone. The bus becomes part of their social scene and if you get on it early, you get a seat - I hear that these buses can be very crowded.

But as anotherworriedmum says, it is tiring, espcially as they learning to be independent and Invicta girls have to carry their Netbooks every day, so their bags are heavy. But remember - there is quite a long walk down from the station at Tonbridge to WOK. Really - it could be six of one and half a dozen of the other. As long as your DD know what is expected then maybe she should have the choice. As Twinkles suggests - try out the bus route over half term, you have time before you need to submit your SCAF.