Weald of Kent to open Grammar School in Sevenoaks?

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pheasantchick
Posts: 2439
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 10:28 pm

Re: Weald of Kent to open Grammar School in Sevenoaks?

Post by pheasantchick »

Maybe Sevenoaks will up two grammar schools!
Optymum
Posts: 83
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2012 10:17 pm

Re: Weald of Kent to open Grammar School in Sevenoaks?

Post by Optymum »

Unlikely to get two grammars.......at this rate will we even get one?! :? I hope all the bickering does not make the Government decide against any annexe! Should make for an interesting meeting at Amherst on Thursday.
mystery
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Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Weald of Kent to open Grammar School in Sevenoaks?

Post by mystery »

Have you read the response from Weald and its appendix which is now linked to from the grammar campaign website? It looks very clear and well written and makes a good deal of sense.

It makes me feel reassured that without a grammar annex things will be ok in west kent.

Phew!

And what is that peculiar photo on the grammar campaign website of some woman looking like she is shouting down her phone? Very weird looking. How can a grammar responding sensibly to the consultation process so far be treated with such anger and derision?

I live in sevenoaks district too and my children will travel to grammar school if they pass. I just want enough places at good grammars. Isn't that what everyone wants?
Optymum
Posts: 83
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2012 10:17 pm

Re: Weald of Kent to open Grammar School in Sevenoaks?

Post by Optymum »

Yes, I have read it fully now. I agree it is well written and I must say, I agree that a six form Grammar in Sevenoaks does seem to be providing more spaces than needed. This year, with the extra 60 at Judd and Skinners (some of which would have gone to OOC boys), the boys have had no issues and mostly it seems all boys deemed 'selective' got a Grammar place. As far as I gather, the same is true for the girls too, so it would appear that 120 extra places is sufficient. I do worry though, that Judd and Skinners both stated that the extra form intake was 'for this year only', so I remain slightly unconvinced that enough extra places will be available every year if left purely to enlargement of the current schools at their current sites. I can see how Weald would feel concerned that a six form Grammar in Sevenoaks would lead to a surplus of places; but then they talk about themselves heading up a six form entry annexe. Maybe I am missing something, but how does that alter things? Or are they saying they would take less in the Tonbridge site to balance it out?
I agree though Mystery, I really don't mind how it happens, as long as there really are enough Grammar places in West Kent for all the children who require a place, without having to go through months of uncertainty and appeals after March 1st!
bristols
Posts: 102
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2012 9:37 pm

Re: Weald of Kent to open Grammar School in Sevenoaks?

Post by bristols »

It sounds like you agree though that the document is actually an objection from Weald to the grammar annex idea on numbers grounds. They are arguing that the Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells Schools can expand on their existing sites. Coming from a school who are supposed to be supporting an annex it reads rather strangely. Most of it is objects to the annex on numbers grounds but occasionally they throw in the odd sentence in favour, almost as an afterthought.

I think Weald wrote the whole thing originally as an objection to Invicta but they've added bits in later to show how they want to do the annex themselves. Then in six months time when they've seen Invicta off, they will be able to drop the whole thing because conveniently they feel that the numbers show that an annex is not necessary and they can expand on their own site.

From this document there appears to be very little enthusiasm from Weald for the annex idea and that is probably why the Sevenoaks Campaign team are so cross. The long journeys for the children won't change and I think another school (Invicta) offering a bit of competition to the cosy cartel of the West Kent grammars would be a good thing.

Incidentally, Invicta have published a similar numbers document which argues the opposite and demonstrates a clear need for an annex, so you can see that their hearts are really in it.

I know that this will now start an argument from those of you who live in Edenbridge that you will have to travel where ever the school is and that you don't care as long as there are enough places. I agree that enough places would be great, but as a Sevenoaks resident I would really love to know that my children had a local grammar school in their own town which they didn't have to get the top scores (for boys) to get into. Why is that such an unreasonable request?
JamesJ
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2013 6:05 pm

Re: Weald of Kent to open Grammar School in Sevenoaks?

Post by JamesJ »

Yep, a breathtakingly cynical, not to say fairly inept, attempt to kill the new grammar school. How can a new boys and girls school possibly be treated as an 'extention' of an existing all-girls school under the legistation?

The problem is that Gove is such an idiot that he may actually buy the Weald line of "We really, really don't want the new school....oh actually we really, really do want it but our 'consultation' (ha ha) has shown that there is no need for it".

No wonder the Sevenoaks Grammar people are so annoyed. I don't blame them one bit.
doodles
Posts: 8300
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:19 pm

Re: Weald of Kent to open Grammar School in Sevenoaks?

Post by doodles »

Just a thought....they are doing their calculations using the increased intake at Judd I presume? Will these numbers be maintained when Judd move over to their own entry test?
twellsmum
Posts: 349
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2008 2:16 pm
Location: Tunbridge Wells, Kent

Re: Weald of Kent to open Grammar School in Sevenoaks?

Post by twellsmum »

It was decided by an appeal panel that my son should be at a grammar school, yet despite us living within sight of the school he wants to go to, he still doesn't have a place there :( and I think there are at least four other boys in the same position.
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Weald of Kent to open Grammar School in Sevenoaks?

Post by mystery »

Yes, so you would like there to be a bit more slack in the number of grammar places in west kent as would any parent facing any selective system anywhere.

Invicta is a girls grammar st James. Why is that different from Weald of kent? I can't see the ineptitude in wok letter to gove but I don't know any of the facts, and neither does any member of the public. What is factually incorrect in the issues they raise st James? Do you know any more than the rest of us who have only seen public political statements and press articles?

I still don't see the place for anger. I see a place for a local authority to stand back and do the job of careful calculation and consideration of how to best provide sufficient grammar and non-selective places across the county year by year within the constraints of not damaging the education of children within existing schools, funding constraints, current schools infrastructure and reasonable travel to school times.

I don't really see a place for fights between schools which are not based firmly on facts and the best interests of kent children and their education. The right answer is always going to be an all round compromise, not someone sounding victorious over winning a battle of some sort.
bristols
Posts: 102
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2012 9:37 pm

Re: Weald of Kent to open Grammar School in Sevenoaks?

Post by bristols »

Erm I think you'll find that Kent have looked at the facts and have done a "careful calculation and consideration of how to best provide sufficient grammar and non-selective places across the county year by year". It's called the 2012-2017 Commissioning Plan for Education Provision and it was passed in a vote by KCC. It's deeply hidden on KCC's website if you can be bothered to look for it. I've trawled through it once and won't be doing it again. Very boring.

They found that there will be a shortfall of grammar school places in West Kent of 120 now, rising to 180 in 2 years, and there are 2 ways to provide these extra places:-

- Expand the existing grammar schools in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells on their current sites by 6FE (by making the current temporary 4 extra classes in these schools permanent and adding 2 further classes). This is Weald's proposal.

- Build a new Sevenoaks Grammar School with 6FE. This is Invicta's proposal.

The plan concludes that Kent supports the latter plan because this is what the majority of parents want and will significantly reduce travelling in West Kent. They do not support the former plan because an "expansion" would only mean adding extra classrooms making these schools even more over crowded than they already are.

The plan for a Sevenoaks Grammar School was then put to voters in the recent council elections (it was a Manifesto commitment of the Kent Tories,) and the Tories were voted back in, including all the councilors in Sevenoaks District (including Edenbridge I believe.) Hence KCC considers that the voters have endorsed the Sevenoaks Grammar School plan, and not the expansion of existing schools on their own sites. This is how politics works.
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