OOC (Orpington) Kent grammar options for boys

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PettswoodFiona
Posts: 2134
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:24 pm
Location: Petts Wood, Bromley, Kent

Re: OOC (Orpington) Kent grammar options for boys

Post by PettswoodFiona »

Chismummy wrote:Does anyone know how far Wilmington Boys Grammar went out this year?
According to the FAQs here https://docs.google.com/gview?url=https ... edded=true" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They state:

Q. What was the distance of the last place offered in March 2021?
A. This year we offered 180 places within our parish boundaries (under criteria 5 of our Admission Criteria). We went out to everyone within our parish boundaries and 2.66 miles
outside of parish (approx. 5 students)
Muggle
Posts: 441
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2009 10:24 pm

Re: OOC (Orpington) Kent grammar options for boys

Post by Muggle »

PettswoodFiona wrote:
Chismummy wrote:Does anyone know how far Wilmington Boys Grammar went out this year?
According to the FAQs here https://docs.google.com/gview?url=https ... edded=true" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They state:

Q. What was the distance of the last place offered in March 2021?
A. This year we offered 180 places within our parish boundaries (under criteria 5 of our Admission Criteria). We went out to everyone within our parish boundaries and 2.66 miles
outside of parish (approx. 5 students)
I wonder why there are still 6 or 7 of the 601 double decker school buses heading from Thamesmead, through Bexleyheath and onto the Wilmington Schools every day when the OOC admissions for WGSB have declined so dramatically over the past few years? Has the girls' school vastly increased it's OOC intake?
MARC1
Posts: 90
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2021 3:20 pm

Re: OOC (Orpington) Kent grammar options for boys

Post by MARC1 »

Having been through the process and with the catchment area changes in the past few years of Kent boys grammar schools. I believe if you live in Orpington when it comes to Kent grammars for boys it boils down to the following

Only look at Judd, Skinners and Dartford if your son has got in excess of 405 in the Kent test. Even then the chances maybe slim but it'll depend on the other students in the year you apply. Obviously you can still apply if he gets below 405 but the chances would be reduced significantly.

Anything below 400 the only option is TWGSB as they base selection on a pass and proximity. I am aware of a few boys that travel to the Tunbridge Wells site from Orpington (getting off at High Brooms station). They didn't receive offers on March 1, however had received offers by June. Oddly they seemed to have a better chance of getting into the Tunbridge site compared to the Sevenoaks site. They have preferred the Tunbridge site as its a 'complete school' so to speak whereas currently Sevenoaks only has year 7 in the building and will only have years 7 and 8 from September 2022.
Sorrel
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Re: OOC (Orpington) Kent grammar options for boys

Post by Sorrel »

Just to add no point looking at Skinners' from Orpington now unless your son is pupil premium/ a looked-after child, a sibling or a staff child. If they are any of those, think you just need to pass for pupil premium or looked after and then now it's 40 marks above pass for everyone else. It does have 20 places for children not within 3 miles of the school or in the named West Kent parishes, but the furthest distance has never got close to Orpington because East Sussex starts just outside Tunbridge Wells. So it's only really the 20 Judd places and 90 Dartford places up for grabs.

Sorry if you've missed out, MARC1, hope you've got a place you're happy with.
Fmmg
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Re: OOC (Orpington) Kent grammar options for boys

Post by Fmmg »

I believe for the last couple of years most of the Weald and TWGSB Sevenoaks places were taken up by people living much nearer to the Tonbridge/TW sites (which is where distance is calculated from) than OOC candidates. I think last year Weald Sevenoaks places went around 2.5 miles from Sevenoaks with similar for TWGSB this year.

My childrens' friends who went to Weald/ TWGSB preferred the Tonbridge/ TW sites because of ease of journey (just 1 train from Orpington then walk, rather than 2 trains or an unreliable private bus or a regular bus from the high street) and also because in the case of TWGSB at least, they could if they wanted be at that site for the entirety of their secondary school time rather than having to move for A levels if they go to the sevenoaks site. Also, my understanding is that in the case of weald, the heads of department are often based at the Tonbridge site which is what some people preferred.
MARC1
Posts: 90
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2021 3:20 pm

Re: OOC (Orpington) Kent grammar options for boys

Post by MARC1 »

Sorrel wrote:Just to add no point looking at Skinners' from Orpington now unless your son is pupil premium/ a looked-after child, a sibling or a staff child. If they are any of those, think you just need to pass for pupil premium or looked after and then now it's 40 marks above pass for everyone else. It does have 20 places for children not within 3 miles of the school or in the named West Kent parishes, but the furthest distance has never got close to Orpington because East Sussex starts just outside Tunbridge Wells. So it's only really the 20 Judd places and 90 Dartford places up for grabs.

Sorry if you've missed out, MARC1, hope you've got a place you're happy with.

We are fine i just felt that for those living in Orpington the goalposts have shifted significantly over the last few years to the point that its very tricky to get into a Kent boys grammar from Orpington. Unless you get a score way in excess of 400. E.g. I consider a score of 375 to be excellent but for a boy living in Orpington you wont get into anywhere apart from maybe TWGSB. It was a real eye opener for me. Totally understand that Kent would want Kent students to attend their schools. But it leaves Orpington boys with an impossible task.
Priyalei
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2022 8:23 am

Re: OOC (Orpington) Kent grammar options for boys

Post by Priyalei »

PettswoodFiona wrote:
Chismummy wrote:Does anyone know how far Wilmington Boys Grammar went out this year?
According to the FAQs here https://docs.google.com/gview?url=https ... edded=true" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They state:

Q. What was the distance of the last place offered in March 2021?
A. This year we offered 180 places within our parish boundaries (under criteria 5 of our Admission Criteria). We went out to everyone within our parish boundaries and 2.66 miles
outside of parish (approx. 5 students)
Was looking up forums about WBSB cut off/ criteria and cane across this reply from KCC
Thank you for your request for information made under the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) 2000 relating to Wilmington Grammar School. Please see the response
provided below:
I need historical data on the last cutoff 11+ score for Wilmington Grammar
School for Boys for last 3 years.
2021: English and Reasoning = 253 2020:English and Reasoning = 255 2019:English and Reasoning = 251
As far as I am aware WGSB ask for a Kent 11+ pass and it’s distance. Not sure if the above scores is for OOC or IC area? Anyone got more info please?
hermanmunster
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Location: The Seaside

Re: OOC (Orpington) Kent grammar options for boys

Post by hermanmunster »

It may be related to the Governors places :
Governor Places - awarded to boys who have shown exceptional performance in
the Kent test (excluding the maths test) and residing within a 5 mile radius of the
school - Up to 10% of the PAN (18 places) will be awarded to those children who
through the tests have shown an exceptional performance which places them in the top
15 selective places. In case of tied scores distance will be used. If in the unlikely event
that more than one applicant has the same distance from home to school, as measured
by the Local Authority, then an independently adjudicated random selection will be
applied.
the rest of the places are to
Boys who live within 1.5 mile proximity of the school and boys living in specific parishes
then :
Other Pupil Premium children within a 3 mile radius of the school - Students in
receipt of Pupil Premium living within 3 miles proximity of the school.
followed by
All other eligible boys – within this criterion, children will be ranked according to:
The distance from their home to the Wilmington Grammar School for Boys with those
living closest being ranked highest.
Priyalei
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2022 8:23 am

Re: OOC (Orpington) Kent grammar options for boys

Post by Priyalei »

hermanmunster wrote:It may be related to the Governors places :
Governor Places - awarded to boys who have shown exceptional performance in
the Kent test (excluding the maths test) and residing within a 5 mile radius of the
school - Up to 10% of the PAN (18 places) will be awarded to those children who
through the tests have shown an exceptional performance which places them in the top
15 selective places. In case of tied scores distance will be used. If in the unlikely event
that more than one applicant has the same distance from home to school, as measured
by the Local Authority, then an independently adjudicated random selection will be
applied.
the rest of the places are to
Boys who live within 1.5 mile proximity of the school and boys living in specific parishes
then :
Other Pupil Premium children within a 3 mile radius of the school - Students in
receipt of Pupil Premium living within 3 miles proximity of the school.
followed by
All other eligible boys – within this criterion, children will be ranked according to:
The distance from their home to the Wilmington Grammar School for Boys with those
living closest being ranked highest.
Thank you so much.
So 1.5 miles would be the highest priority x
hermanmunster
Posts: 12815
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: OOC (Orpington) Kent grammar options for boys

Post by hermanmunster »

yes the parishes along with the 1.5 mile area are listed in the admissions policy - you would need to check when you have to move by to be included in the first round.
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