Moving to Kent - or trying

shuff · Post by **shuff** » Thu May 21, 2009 4:41 pm

I can't say enough good things about Beacon in Crowborough. With my eldest in TGS and my middle daughter not passing the 11+ I was a little worried about the school. I have been so pleased with how they spot the child's strengths and encourage them, they listen to concerns and discipline is tight. Best advice is, don't listen to the negatives go see for yourself!

rosered100 · Post by **rosered100** » Thu May 21, 2009 7:13 pm

Thank you for all the replies. I will go & see for myself but there are so many schools to choose from & it's always good to have others views to try & whittle down to a manageable few.

Unfortunately we cant afford to rent until our house has either sold or rented out itself. I was just wondering what deadline we are working to as previously I only had my mind on the date of the test. I think if we are still out of county after CAF dates, we can still apply once we move (so long as DS passes the test), but we would go to the back of any waiting list I think.

rosered

kentmum1 · Post by **kentmum1** » Thu May 21, 2009 8:20 pm

Last year, we had to register our children for the 11+ by around the 10 July. You will need to check with Kent County Council for the info this year, which is sure to be pretty much the same. If you are living out-of-county, they will give the date and venue where your son will be able to sit the test. This will be a different procedure to the Kent primary school children who sit it in their own primary school.

Just1-2go · Post by **Just1-2go** » Fri May 22, 2009 10:03 am

Presumably what you need to know is the absolute final deadline for the CAF submission as you can take the test regardless of where you are living.
We moved to Kent two months after the CAF submission date in 2007 and KCC just got us to fill one out ASAP. This was when the 11+ was in January though and I'm not sure how the change in the test date will affect this.
Have you phoned KCC to ask?

Theoldman · Post by **Theoldman** » Wed May 27, 2009 1:04 pm

We currently live just inside the East Kent side of the border and are therefore outside the `catchment` are for TWGGS or TOGGS. Having just returned from a year overseas with a year 5 daughter we are 11+ virgins! She is back in her old school and set to take the exam. We are reliably informed that she should `pass` ok but the `out of catchment` pass is a tall order.
We were thinking of moving to TW anyway, but this puts a bit of time pressure on the issue. Where can I find the specific limits for TWGGS catchment area? Do we have to have an address there at time of reg(June/July I think), time of sitting exam, or time of applying to school?

sp · Post by sp » Wed May 27, 2009 6:55 pm

TWGGS catchment varies each year depending on the number of girls passing the 11+. Siblings take priority and then it seems to work on distance form the school. I know for Sep 2009 intake the first allocations did NOT include Newlands in Langton Green (opposite Holmewood House) but girls there did get in later. Don't know how far the limit eventually was. Obviously this will be different each year so don't rely on it for future intakes! If moving to TW make sure you are close to school; even then be sure she is going to pass as the alternatives may not be as good as where you are. Tonbridge is another option which has Weald of Kent Grammar and Hillview as a good back up.

twellsmum · Post by **twellsmum** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 12:48 am

The limit for first allocation for TWGGS this year was approximately 1.8 miles but then girls from further afield were either offered governors' places (usually have to get about 408 out of 420 to get these) or were offered on second/third allocations.

wickedwitch · Post by **wickedwitch** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:19 pm

we are having to rent due to the awful housing market. We would like to move to Goudhurst as we have friends there but i'm not sure if we can get our eldest into a grammar from there. <sigh> I just found out about the kent test stuff and got that sent in in the nick of time and now we need to find somewhere to live before mid september ideally!!

I'm new to the board so i'm going to have a trawl around the kent threads but if anyone is bored and wants to tell me which grammars i could apply for from goudhurst that would be brill! (husband wants to move to hawkhurst but i reckon that's just too far from anywhere useful!)

all the best

Ww

Just1-2go · Post by **Just1-2go** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:30 pm

I believe that Goudhurst is in the Cranbrook School catchment area, but that only starts at 13.

wickedwitch · Post by **wickedwitch** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:35 pm

yes cranbrook would be good but my hubby and i both went to grammars in birmingham and would like our eldest to give that a go.
thanks xx

Moving to Kent - or trying

Moving to TW