Skinners School consulting to change admission for 2019

[Sparklecat]

There must be children all over London and the rest of England whose parents are disappointed with their local secondary school provision. There are also disadvantaged children all over Kent who just missed out on a grammar place because their parents didn't know how to play the system. At a time when KCC are cutting back on basic services, we cannot afford to supply school places for anyone who wants one at the expense of the future of local poorer children.

[mystery]

School funding does not work like that. If there were no children form outside kent in kent schools it would not mean there was money to spend on Kent children's education instead nor on other services instead.

Why did dart ford grammar go super selective?

[Sorrel]

Interesting approach with the 360 threshold rather than pure distance or pure score within an inner area. Does three miles in a straight line radius from the school include a chunk of NE Sussex?

We live in Orpington and have Skinners as one of several options on my son's form. For ease of travel, would rather send him to Olave's, Bromley's only grammar school, but since that has no catchment at all, not even limited to the UK...

[mystery]

Yes, it's a right old mish-mash of a policy. I don''t really get it. Maybe, it's a step on the way to not being score based at all and they're doing it bit by bit so as not to upset the apple cart of people who want it to remain superselective.

Schools admissions are always going to be unfair however they are written; it is an even messier area though since every academy has its own.

[Sorrel]

Interesting article - grammar schools expanding significantly since 2009 even though the local areas (including around Judd, Skinners etc) have fewer 11-15 year olds - so it must be in response to 'outsider' demand:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42416365" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[PettswoodFiona]

We live in Orpington and have Skinners as one of several options on my son's form. For ease of travel, would rather send him to Olave's, Bromley's only grammar school, but since that has no catchment at all, not even limited to the UK...

Yes boys may fly in for the exam, but in the end for a Y7 place they have to have a UK address from which to apply from and be able to supply evidence of that address so they have to have some sort of a base in the UK and some means to prove it too. If you are applying from an address in the Borough of Bromley for example they insist on the Child Benefit letter even if you don't claim CB. Different LAs will have different requirements, but you still have to apply via the SCAF system which as I understand it insists on a UK address unless the parents are serving in the armed forces or diplomatic service. The whole of the UK though is still one enormous area!

Also to clarify - there is one other grammar in the borough of Bromley as my DD is at the school, but appreciate that doesn't help half of the population as it is girl's only

The catchment for NW of 9 miles is I think a good compromise when you look at some of the other options that are available. Saying that we live near the school but all of DDs close friends travel in from St John's, Lewisham and Greenwich but she's become adept at getting to them via public transport and they often meet up somewhere in-between so it hasn't been too much of a hindrance.

[Sorrel]

Of course, apologies - meant only grammar accessible to us as parents of boys! Good point that there is an effective requirement for residence in the UK.

[Peter]

Interesting article - grammar schools expanding significantly since 2009 even though the local areas (including around Judd, Skinners etc) have fewer 11-15 year olds - so it must be in response to 'outsider' demand:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42416365" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Don't be taken in by a politically slanted article. Much of data is wrong. West Kent has seen a steady increase in 11-15 numbers, hence pressure for new schools. For example for Tunbridge Wells: October 2012 census 6832 children attending local secondary schools Years 7-11. October 2017 census 7330. That is an average increase of nearly 2% per annum, and it now accelerates faster according to primary numbers. Over same period, Year 7 numbers have risen across the whole of Kent from 15282 to 16520, a similar rate of increase.

Not sure why BBC have gone back to 2010, when all secondary children have long gone.

[Dantsw13]

Whether or not you agree with the new policy, implementing it in such a short timespan is a bit harsh on boys who have started the process & worked really hard, only to have the rug pulled from under them.

[LocalTWmum1]

I welcome this change - local schools for local kids