Maidstone boys/oakwood

[kentmum1]

I heard from a parent today, that a boy in Southboough, which is a stone's throw from Tunbridge Wells Boys Grammar, has been allocated Maidstone! Does this mean that most of the 180 places have been offered to boys within Tunbridge Wells? I know that TWIGS allocations were also particularly close this year.

[Out-of-area]

That's interesting. I know that one boy living in Sevenoaks got a place at TW Boys Grammar on initial allocation.

[Kenny]

I heard from a parent today, that a boy in Southboough, which is a stone's throw from Tunbridge Wells Boys Grammar, has been allocated Maidstone! Does this mean that most of the 180 places have been offered to boys within Tunbridge Wells? I know that TWIGS allocations were also particularly close this year.

Did he apply to TWBG?? If so, he should easily have got in on distance criteria, unless perhaps his CAF application was late.
TWIGS filled up on a 2 mile radius from the school!!!Lots of people must be buying up or renting property in central TW just to be sure they get within catchment! Either that or there has been a demographic boom in the number of able girls in the area this year!! Something in the water around 1995/6 perhaps?

[kentmum1]

Did he apply to TWBG?? If so, he should easily have got in on distance criteria, unless perhaps his CAF application was late.

It does sound very bizarre doesn't it? I do not know the exact details, except that he passed, so I presume he would have named TWGSB somewhere on his form. I also heard that no-one got in from Sevenoaks, or at least from Riverhead Primary, but this is obviously not the case. There are so many rumours around. We live in T Wells and are approx 2.5 miles from TWGSB and I never had any doubts about our son getting in on this distance. I would have certainly been very shocked if he hadn't! Peter, do you know approx the number of appeals for this school? (we have a friend appealing). I heard that Skinners was around 45.

[Peter]

I would always be very cautious about commenting on a third party application. In my experience there is so much unfounded rumour and wrong information floating around one needs to be confident of the facts before coming to conclusions. The Southborough case is typical - I am sure there is an explanation.

no I don't yet know the number of TWGSB appeals, to the best of my knowledge the dates haven't yet been published, although no doubt KCC will provide them if you ask. Reckon on around ten to a dozen appeals a day.

I suspect there will be considerably more than 45 appeals, with a proportion being oversubscription appeals from boys who have already passed (there you go, unfounded speculation again!).

[kentmum1]

Thanks Peter. I agree regarding rumours from 3rrd party references. I would find it highly unlikely that the 'Southborough' story is correct!

[A Mum]

Thanks for the replies re more boys than girls passing, it is food for thought and will be interesting to see if the trend continues. I wonder what about the coaching causes problems for girls in the 11+ assesments but not the boys.[/quote]

[Kent Mum]

I went to the Parents' Information evening at MGS last night and we were told in the talk that 389 boys applied, putting MGS as their first choice (didn't mention any second choices) for 180 places. There are currently just over 80 appeals being heard.
It's made me even more grateful that my son got a place, as we live a fair way out (near West Malling). A boy in his class, also local, has been given a place at Norton Knatchbull in Ashford (This lad had a really tough time time & didn't complete one of the 11+ tests- so it was probably a Head's appeal.)
It's been a tough year this time round!

[guestA]

I presume that they don't fill all 180 places from those that pass otherwise there would be no point in appealling unless they increase their intake. Is this right? I know of one boy who has passed but not been given a grammar school place because everywhere is full What chance has he got on appeal is there are no spaces anyway.

[Guest]

Parents have the right to appeal to a school whether or not there are spaces up to the planned admission number. It is for the panel to determine how many extra spaces if any are to be made available (without prejudice to those already offered places), not the school nor the Local Authority, although they will certainly have a view. It will also determine which children should fill those spaces "having some regard to the oversubscription criteria, but also to other factors in the parental case".

Even then, if the Panel considers a parental case is strong enough it can grant a place even though it considers the admission would cause prejudice. I don't envy panel members, who are all unpaid volunteers, in such cases.