This is a tricky situation any good advice???
Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators
This is a tricky situation any good advice???
We are returning as a family from Spain to east kent this month. We have 2 children that require secondary school placements. I have been told by just about every school that there are no places avalible 
Now for the difficult bit.
The two children we are trying to place at secondary school. had excellent sats results up until they left just under a year ago and were high potentials for passing the kent test and going to grammer school.
What i would like to know is can the kent test be sat at any other time of the year??? is there any remote possibility of then sitting this exam at all or have we really missed the chance on this??
Any helpful advice would be very gratefully recieved.
Many Thanks
Now for the difficult bit.The two children we are trying to place at secondary school. had excellent sats results up until they left just under a year ago and were high potentials for passing the kent test and going to grammer school.
What i would like to know is can the kent test be sat at any other time of the year??? is there any remote possibility of then sitting this exam at all or have we really missed the chance on this??
Any helpful advice would be very gratefully recieved.
Many Thanks
-
tonbridgemum
- Posts: 421
- Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:46 pm
Hi, are there any particular schools you are interested in?If so it can't harm you phoning them direct, although i supect they will require your children to have sat the test.
I do have a vague memory of there being an entrance exam in year 9 for some Grammar schools but i may be very out of date with this.
Let us know what KCC say - i'd be interested to know!
Good luck.
I do have a vague memory of there being an entrance exam in year 9 for some Grammar schools but i may be very out of date with this.
Let us know what KCC say - i'd be interested to know!
Good luck.From reading this site I have gleaned that it is your right under the current Admissions Code of Practice to apply for any school you want. If you are refused admission you then have a right to appeal, once for each school year group.
I think that the school also can apply its own entrance test if you did not sit the standard one at the standard time. Etienne on the Appeals section on this forum is great on this stuff.
But what you have to do is apply to all the grammars etc you are interested in, and go on their waiting list, and appeal. Don't be fobbed off by schools telling you they are full - of course the good ones most likely are, but you have the right to appeal, and to sit on their waiting lists.
I think that the school also can apply its own entrance test if you did not sit the standard one at the standard time. Etienne on the Appeals section on this forum is great on this stuff.
But what you have to do is apply to all the grammars etc you are interested in, and go on their waiting list, and appeal. Don't be fobbed off by schools telling you they are full - of course the good ones most likely are, but you have the right to appeal, and to sit on their waiting lists.
-
Kent99
Are you looking for year 7 places (i.e. for your children to start just a few weeks late) or places in other year groups?
Most grammars hold waiting lists for the various year groups (to which your children can be added if you contact the schools direct) and test children on the list (if necessary) as and when spaces become available. Tests and waiting list priority will vary from school to school so you need to phone any in which you are interested.
Even if a school is full at the start of year 7, spaces may well come up later. Really, though, the schools' admissions officers are the best people to advise you. Kent CC may also be able to give you some general advice, but at this stage the individual schools control their own admissions rather than it being done by the council.
Most grammars hold waiting lists for the various year groups (to which your children can be added if you contact the schools direct) and test children on the list (if necessary) as and when spaces become available. Tests and waiting list priority will vary from school to school so you need to phone any in which you are interested.
Even if a school is full at the start of year 7, spaces may well come up later. Really, though, the schools' admissions officers are the best people to advise you. Kent CC may also be able to give you some general advice, but at this stage the individual schools control their own admissions rather than it being done by the council.
Yes but don't be put off by school admissions officers; there are plenty of people on this website who have written in because they have been told by the school there is no space. No-one has explained to them their right to apply and appeal each year if necessary.
If told the school is full the only way forward is to apply, go on waiting lists, take any tests set, appeal if necessary. The waiting lists have to be administered in accordance with the school's admissions policy, and the right to appeal etc is enshrined in the Admissions Code of Practice.
If told the school is full the only way forward is to apply, go on waiting lists, take any tests set, appeal if necessary. The waiting lists have to be administered in accordance with the school's admissions policy, and the right to appeal etc is enshrined in the Admissions Code of Practice.
Hi,
Thank you all for your kind replies and taking the time to give me some good advice.
I am now at the stage where the 2 children needing to go in to year 7 have sat the 11+ one passed with very high scores and was deemed selective the other did not but only missed the pass by 8 points. So have put together an appeal for them both to a local grammar school as I strongly feel they both deserve to be in a grammar school. Have the date of the appeal (next week!!) have submitted a lot of information on the children and they’re past education in a glowing positive approach. Just still feel like as a parent I should be doing more!!!! I'm very very nervous as to the outcome as if one gets in and one doesn’t then it will be devastating for the one that doesn’t and could cause conflict in the future between the children. I also feel the child that does not get in will be falling short in their education and I as a parent would of let them down. Soooo many mixed emotions and a count down to the day of appeal then the awful hold your breath wait for the results!! Anything anyone else can think of to help or advise me on with regard to the appeal hearing would be fantastic.
Many thanks again for all your positive words and comments
Thank you all for your kind replies and taking the time to give me some good advice.
I am now at the stage where the 2 children needing to go in to year 7 have sat the 11+ one passed with very high scores and was deemed selective the other did not but only missed the pass by 8 points. So have put together an appeal for them both to a local grammar school as I strongly feel they both deserve to be in a grammar school. Have the date of the appeal (next week!!) have submitted a lot of information on the children and they’re past education in a glowing positive approach. Just still feel like as a parent I should be doing more!!!! I'm very very nervous as to the outcome as if one gets in and one doesn’t then it will be devastating for the one that doesn’t and could cause conflict in the future between the children. I also feel the child that does not get in will be falling short in their education and I as a parent would of let them down. Soooo many mixed emotions and a count down to the day of appeal then the awful hold your breath wait for the results!! Anything anyone else can think of to help or advise me on with regard to the appeal hearing would be fantastic.
Many thanks again for all your positive words and comments
-
reginaphalangie
- Posts: 89
- Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:31 pm
- Location: North West Kent
We had the appeal hearing today!!!! OMG!!! I would say that was one of the hardest situations I have been in. The appeal panel were very kind and very fair and did question both sides. I felt they did there job well, but being a parent on the receiving end it was terrifying, you feel that no amount of reasoning or explanation was enough or that you could convince them how much it would mean to you to have your children at that school. I have struggled to hold back the tears all day and keep it together. We are now looking at the prospect that if the children are not accepted to this grammar school then the only other school within the city that has places available is the worst performing school within 20miles!!!! Having to face that reality is very hard. We should receive the decision within the next couple of days but I cannot say I am looking forward to receiving the letter and it ending my kid’s hopes of being at a grammar school.
