Judd School Admissions Consultation (2011 Admissions)
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bingybongy
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:31 pm
I think that some of the alternatives to Grammars are good, but everyone wants the best for their own kids, naturally, and the Grammars are perceived as that.
On balance, I would prefer to be able to have some choice rather than no choice, even with the stress and upset, as competition overall is, in my opinion, good.
What I would hate is to haveto move house to an area that my children would not have been brought up in, in order to get into a certain school - this is the norm in many parts of the UK and indeed around the world.
At least in Kent if you have a bright child you have a chance to get into the superselectives no matter where you live (for the moment, anyway!!).
On balance, I would prefer to be able to have some choice rather than no choice, even with the stress and upset, as competition overall is, in my opinion, good.
What I would hate is to haveto move house to an area that my children would not have been brought up in, in order to get into a certain school - this is the norm in many parts of the UK and indeed around the world.
At least in Kent if you have a bright child you have a chance to get into the superselectives no matter where you live (for the moment, anyway!!).
That's the whole point SP in Sevenoaks there are no alternatives.
I am sure that the parents from the Sevenoaks area would not get so heated if there were good schools in / nearer Sevenoaks for their children to attend. The nearest grammar schools (be they super selective or not) to Sevenoaks are in Tonbridge (both boys and girls) that is the crux of the problem.
The girls non-selective school in S/oaks is (I understand) good but the boys school would not be my choice and now there is all this talk about the new academy which nobody knows anything about. Apart from these two schools and the private schools there are NO schools in Sevenoaks.
Sevenoaks needs its own schools, especially if they are going to carry on building housing at the rate that is proposed.
I am sure that the parents from the Sevenoaks area would not get so heated if there were good schools in / nearer Sevenoaks for their children to attend. The nearest grammar schools (be they super selective or not) to Sevenoaks are in Tonbridge (both boys and girls) that is the crux of the problem.
The girls non-selective school in S/oaks is (I understand) good but the boys school would not be my choice and now there is all this talk about the new academy which nobody knows anything about. Apart from these two schools and the private schools there are NO schools in Sevenoaks.
Sevenoaks needs its own schools, especially if they are going to carry on building housing at the rate that is proposed.
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad !
Playing devil's advocate, if all they were to get rid of the 11+ and all the kids had to go to local schools then surely the standard of say Judd/Skinners would drop, but likewise the school in S'oaks beginning with W would risedoodles wrote:That's the whole point SP in Sevenoaks there are no alternatives.
The girls non-selective school in S/oaks is (I understand) good but the boys school school would not be my choice and now there is all this talk about the new academy which nobody knows anything about. Apart from these two schools and the private schools there are NO schools in Sevenoaks.
Sevenoaks needs its own schools, especially if they are going to carry on building housing at the rate that is proposed.
I`m sorry for the tone of my mess. yesterday it was borne out of utter frustration with a sysytem that sees my child and many other local children not get their nearest grammer school despite high ( all well over 400) scores.
I understand that they were beaten by children living as far away as greenwich and i find this very hard to swallow.
I now have the prospect of sending a child just turned 11 on a hour journey bus ride each day rather than 15/20 mins. I think these children deserve better.
There are NO alternatives in Sevenoaks, if the local comp was ok he would be going there. I also know of children who live inTonbridge itself who didnt get into schools there and are having to send them over to T wells. No good for children, families or effcts of travelling.
I just think its very sad. I think that togs operates a two tiered system so that OC can enter but at a slightly higher mark, if this is correct maybe this is fairer.
Good luck to all the poor soles now going on waiting lists and love to your children now going through even more stress. lets hope it all works out well for everyone whether you live locally or not.
I understand that they were beaten by children living as far away as greenwich and i find this very hard to swallow.
I now have the prospect of sending a child just turned 11 on a hour journey bus ride each day rather than 15/20 mins. I think these children deserve better.
There are NO alternatives in Sevenoaks, if the local comp was ok he would be going there. I also know of children who live inTonbridge itself who didnt get into schools there and are having to send them over to T wells. No good for children, families or effcts of travelling.
I just think its very sad. I think that togs operates a two tiered system so that OC can enter but at a slightly higher mark, if this is correct maybe this is fairer.
Good luck to all the poor soles now going on waiting lists and love to your children now going through even more stress. lets hope it all works out well for everyone whether you live locally or not.
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pheasantchick
- Posts: 2439
- Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 10:28 pm
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Sevenoaksparent
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2010 12:39 pm
To those of you who sent in a submission to Judd and Skinners recent 2011 admissions consultation, you should have received the following email back from David Gibbs, Eduacation Officer for the Skinners' Company:
Thank you so much for taking the trouble to send your email in connection with the admissions consultation. The Governors will consider carefully all submissions and will respond to you when the process is complete which is likely to be at the beginning of April.
Yours sincerely,
David Gibbs,
Clerk to the Governors
education@skinners.org.uk
If you haven't received the above email it means that it hasn't been received (both schools had problems with the email addresses they gave) please email again (education@skinners.org.uk) to lodge your submission as I've been told that they are still accepting submissions.
Many thanks
Sevenoaksparent
Thank you so much for taking the trouble to send your email in connection with the admissions consultation. The Governors will consider carefully all submissions and will respond to you when the process is complete which is likely to be at the beginning of April.
Yours sincerely,
David Gibbs,
Clerk to the Governors
education@skinners.org.uk
If you haven't received the above email it means that it hasn't been received (both schools had problems with the email addresses they gave) please email again (education@skinners.org.uk) to lodge your submission as I've been told that they are still accepting submissions.
Many thanks
Sevenoaksparent
I know boys who go to TWGSB from Sevenoaks, Otford, Langton Green (close to Tunbridge Wells). They don't seem to be having any problem with the journeys.
Quite often the journey time has nothing to do with the distance if it is on a dedicated school bus as if you are unlucky you get one that leaves really early and gets you in to school really early.
Also some of the shorter journeys take longer 'cos they stop everywhere along the way. It doesn't take that long from Sevenoaks to TW down the A21 or on the train.
I live in a part of Kent where it is a long way to any of the Kent secondary schools. But I don't expect them to build an extra school for us.
Is Sevenoaks really that unique in terms of distance to a grammar school if you look across the massive county of Kent?
The argument for another grammar in Sevenoaks (which is never going to happen) seems to have changed from " we can't get into TWGSB" to "it's too far to Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells".
Surely when you all bought houses in the incredibly expensive Sevenoaks area you knew that there was not a grammar close by?
The trend over the decades has been for larger secondary schools for lots of different reasons. This must mean that in general people's travel distance to school has increased.
Primary schools are smaller, and that is why people generally live much closer to one. Sorry to state the obvious.
Quite often the journey time has nothing to do with the distance if it is on a dedicated school bus as if you are unlucky you get one that leaves really early and gets you in to school really early.
Also some of the shorter journeys take longer 'cos they stop everywhere along the way. It doesn't take that long from Sevenoaks to TW down the A21 or on the train.
I live in a part of Kent where it is a long way to any of the Kent secondary schools. But I don't expect them to build an extra school for us.
Is Sevenoaks really that unique in terms of distance to a grammar school if you look across the massive county of Kent?
The argument for another grammar in Sevenoaks (which is never going to happen) seems to have changed from " we can't get into TWGSB" to "it's too far to Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells".
Surely when you all bought houses in the incredibly expensive Sevenoaks area you knew that there was not a grammar close by?
The trend over the decades has been for larger secondary schools for lots of different reasons. This must mean that in general people's travel distance to school has increased.
Primary schools are smaller, and that is why people generally live much closer to one. Sorry to state the obvious.
