RGS-from East of Maidstone.

[dadofkent]

Last year my dd took both Kent and Medway tests (passed both), and at the time we lived in Aylesford. I know it's not your side of Maidstone, but we found a bus that came from Maidstone, through Aylesford, Burham and Eccles to a bus stop near RGS. You would have to pay for it though, which is partly why we made the rather drastic decision to move into Rochester! If you could get your dd into the centre of Maidstone and she got this bus (think it was the 150 something) it wouldn't be a problem. My dd looked at the Maidstone Grammars first and then RGS. Once she had seen RGS there was no way she was going anywhere else! If your dd loves to excel in her academic work, likes music, drama and the arts generally and is happy to conform to high standards RGS is the right place for her. I can't speak highly enough of the school. My other three children all went to Maidstone Grammars so I do have a lot of experience of them, but they are just not in the same league as RGS.
Hope this helps. I realise we are all looking from our own perspective, but I just thought I'd share ours.

Thankyou Orangebear for your detailed reply. I had already had a look at a number of your previous posts from last year. I agree with what you say about the two schools, and there is no doubt that RGS is a superb school, and despite the logistics I would be very happy for DD to go there. However, DD's first choice is MGGS, and its feel and perceived ethos did seem to suit her. Further, whilst she did score well in the two tests, well above the respective pass marks, she may not be an academic "high-flyer", and one gets the impression that MGGS is less pressured academically (relatively speaking for two highly rated schools). Therefore, when also taking into account geography, the fact that many of DD's friends will be going to MGGS, the MGGS v RGS question only has one answer.

RGS only really now comes into the frame in the unlikely event that DD cannot get into MGGS. We are only 3 miles or so away, but I am slightly concerned that Invicta, our more local GS, seems to be falling out of favour, and that this may cause a shift towards MGGS this year. Certainly I did not like the feel of the place, and some parents of children there I know are critical of the school. "It's trying to be too trendy", and they are "too results orientated, at the expense of pastoral care".

If it was a choice between Invicta and RGS, despite the extra difficulties for travel, I would prefer DD to go to RGS. Hence the reason for the initial post. However, she does now seem more relaxed about the possibility of going to Invicta, despite a few weeks ago saying she definitely did not want attend Invicta. Just as well the CAF forms are due in at the end of this week, before another complete change of mind.

To be quite honest, I am grateful that, as a result of DD passing two 11+ exams, she has, in effect, a choice of between at least three, and possibly more, good GS's. I am aware that many children who have passed the 11+ are not even able to get into a selective school. Further, if DD had been deemed non-selective, due to geography, and the present popularity of "our local" non-selective school, if last year is anything to go by, she would probably not have been able to get a place at any of the first four choices of non-selective school (the closest four schools), and been allocated some sink school miles away in the next town.

What a crazy system.

[dadofkent]

Dad of kent it sounds like you dont live far from me....The nearest gramma for us is invicta too and I had set my eyes on it....

My DD just got into year 5 and Invicta was my number 1 too and last week I met a teacher through a friend and he was a teacher at both schools doing supply teaching and he said MGGS is really a better more rounded school than invicta....so maybe your daughter could be right....He said quite a lot about invicta and it wasnt very pleasant but i guess you'll need an open mind.

And the ho ha that happened last year, I know kids from my local school madginford who didnt make it were all given the new line academy and its got over 2500 kids...

Hello

You have the correct general area.

Agree with you regards MGGS/Invicta. See above post.

Yes, it was because of the "hoo ha" last year that DD was entered for the Medway test.

In practice, once the dust had settled, and no doubt helped by press coverage, I understand most children eventually got places at acceptable schools. But you never know what will happen this year.

Fortunately our 11+ saga is almost over. Best wishes to your DD for next year.