Weald of Kent Grammar proposing to go co-ed

[JJ123]

Admittedly there are those who genuinely believe Sevenoaks to be the centre of the universe

"Superior sevenoaks" mentality is sure alive and kicking

[bristols]

Doodles, I think you may have missed the point of the Sevenoaks grammar school. By freeing up lots of extra places it will ensure that the children in Otford, Knockholt, Dunton Green etc always get a grammar school place. The extension of Weald with a Sevenoaks campus will be non-super-selective so all those who pass the 11+ should get a place which is not happening at present. Ok there may be a few girls who don't get the top scores who may have to settle for a co-ed but most parents are reasonable enough to accept that a grammar school place at a co-ed school is still a grammar school place.

My comment about Maidstone was to illustrate that if parents feel really strongly about their little princesses mixing with boys, Maidstone is a possibility. Some boys already travel over there from Sevenoaks because they didn't have the choice of a nearer place.

Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells will also benefit because they won't be losing places to the kids from Sevenoaks.

For the record, Mystery, I will discuss nothing with you or acknowledge anything you say. Pointless. Life is too short.

[JJ123]

My "Little Princess" does go to an all girl school it's called Weald of Kent Grammar and i assure you girls at Weald mix with lots of boys (!!) they just dont school with them.

Mystery is simply pointing out ( i believe) that no additional places will go to girls with the formation of a new Sevenoaks Grammar. The overall allocation of girls grammar places will stay the same they are just going to be on two sites.

[JJ123]

Doodles, I think you may have missed the point of the Sevenoaks grammar school. By freeing up lots of extra places it will ensure that the children in Otford, Knockholt, Dunton Green etc always get a grammar school place. The extension of Weald with a Sevenoaks campus will be non-super-selective so all those who pass the 11+ should get a place which is not happening at present. Ok there may be a few girls who don't get the top scores who may have to settle for a co-ed but most parents are reasonable enough to accept that a grammar school place at a co-ed school is still a grammar school place.

My comment about Maidstone was to illustrate that if parents feel really strongly about their little princesses mixing with boys, Maidstone is a possibility. Some boys already travel over there from Sevenoaks because they didn't have the choice of a nearer place.

Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells will also benefit because they won't be losing places to the kids from Sevenoaks.

For the record, Mystery, I will discuss nothing with you or acknowledge anything you say. Pointless. Life is too short.

I repeat 4 children who passed the 11 + in 2013 did not get a grammar place by Sept. 2013. So many sweeping statements but no statistics to support.

There is so much scaremongering from the pro-grammar campaigners for parents esp. those who haven't been through the 11+ process ( have you bristols ?) and much of it totally untrue. I have done it twice and nearly all Sevenoaks children eventually get a grammar place if they want it (many opting out for Trinity this year).

[doodles]

Bristols, to quote myself please read below!!!!

My worry has always been for the children who live even further out than Sevenoaks ie Westerham, Edenbridge, Knockholt etc unless they qualify for superselective they must struggle for gs places.

Oh what a mess is being created!!

If you have been following these threads properly rather than just jumping on people's comments you would realise that I've always been concerned about the surrounding villages and bought these points up several months ago!!

Being born and bred in the area and having lived a variety of the surrounding villages all of my nearly 50 years I can assure you I haven't missed the point at all!!!! Perhaps you don't quite understand the area as I can assure you that very few children from Sevenoaks and the villages would attain places at any of the Maidstone schools and that public transport out in that direction is virtually non-existent! Perhaps I understand the situation just a little better than you do!!

[bristols]

Of course most kids won't be going to Maidstone, they will be going to the Sevenoaks Grammar. That's the whole point.

I am merely stating that Maidstone is an option if you have a problem with co-ed (and most don't). The Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells Schools will also still be available as well.

[doodles]

Maidstone is not an option unless you live from Seal out towards Maidstone. It most certainly does not cover the other villages.

If you look at the MGS website there is a detailed map showing the admissions for 2013 yr7 - there are certainly no postcodes local to sevenoaks listed or shown on the map.

[mystery]

That's true, but I suppose it is not quite the point that Bristols is making.

Bristols, please pretend this is someone else and explain this one to us. How does taking an approx 6 form entry girls school and turning it into an approximately 12 form entry co-ed school with approx 6 forms worth of boys and approx 6 forms worth of girls increase the number of grammar places available for girls?

Any news on that planning decision yet?

[JJ123]

As either co-ed school would not have to have a perfect 50/50 split is it not actually possible the number of places for girls at grammar could reduce if more boys want to go to the two schools ?

[mystery]

In the good old days of school places planning by large LEAs there would have been a small skilled team who did computer modelling of the potential impact of school closures, openings, expansions, admission policy changes etc. They used data - actual and projected - for population and could build in different scenarios into the model e.g. various assumptions about parental preference etc.

Perhaps this is what is still needed in this decision making exercise rather than just yes / no tick boxes for a limited selection of parents to fill in in the various consultation exercises.