Highworth Grammar school for girls

[WillowTheWisp]

I can promise you that Highworth was oversubscribed last year, about 10 girls from Tenterden juniors, who had all passed the Kent test went to appeal.
As I understand it, the pan has been raised this year following the conversion to academy. The head has always been clear that the school was able to take more girls than the previous LEA PAN.
I don't have a daughter, but a son at NKS, so we have regular links with Highworth and of course a lot of friends there. It is extremely well thought of school, has excellent results and I have never heard a bad word said about it from either parents or their children.

The Admissions book for 2012/13 entry lists that 173 places were offered for September 2011 entry on 1 March 2011 with 180 spaces available....... that would make it undersubscribed even by 1 at that point. Strange that there were qualified children going to appeal if there were spaces on allocation day? Unless they had listed this school lower down then changed their mind? (of course the data contained within the booklet may be inaccurate, and am sure I read somewhere the PAN for that year was 174 so conflicting information) There are always a large number of appeals for this school which does confirm it is popular!

[WillowTheWisp]

From Highworth website:

What is the capacity of the school?

Our Published Admission Number (PAN) for current Years 10 and 11 is 165. From 2009 (current Years 7, 8 and 9) it was increased to 174 and, from September 2012 our PAN will be 180. This means that from September 2012 up to 180 students can be offered places in the first round of PESE Admissions.

LA who have this information in the booklet, which to be fair is accurate but misleading at the same time:

Highworth Grammar School
Quantock Drive, Ashford TN24 8UD
( 01233 624910 Fax: 01233 612028
* k.bradfield@highworth.kent.sch.uk (Years 7-11)
: http://www.highworth.kent.sch.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Headteacher: Mr Paul Danielsen
Admissions (Years 7-11) : Mrs Karen Bradfield
Type of school: Secondary, Academy, Grammar, Girls
Age Range: 11-18 Day Pupils
Specialisms: Music
Published Admission No: 180
Number of applications for Yr7 entry September 2011: 386
Number of places offered 1 March 2011: 173
Expected number on roll: 1340

[U400JB9]

How very annoying if you had to appeal. Is the primary mentioned above out of catchement then? even so you`d expect them to fill the places.

[Redsnapper]

argghhh just wrote a long reply and it's disappeared
Anyway, exactly, last year the PAN was 173/4 not 180.
The cutoff in Tenterden was a road where a number of yr 6 girls lived. On allocation day, it was the situation that one girl had a place but her next door neighbour didn't. All got places at appeal though, as the head made it clear that there was space above the PAN.
It's a popular school, and rightly so. The building is a bit odd, but nowhere near as strange as the 60/70's monstrosity that is NKS

[Redsnapper]

no U400JB9, the PAN is bigger this year than last

[U400JB9]

they imply on the school website they offered 143 places and have a PAN of 180. They are actively encouraging non qualification appeals.

[WillowTheWisp]

This year they are significantly under, as they were in September 2010

[U400JB9]

crossed replies there
Yes I can see they increased PAN, I am surprised since they were under PAN last year...
In theory we could apply from Canterbury then if there are places....

[WillowTheWisp]

In theory, yes you could!

[Redsnapper]

go for it U400JB9
(f you have a yr 6 daughter of course, otherwise it might be a waste of time )