Townley

[PettswoodFiona]

I know some who put Townley on their CAF but not top choice and haven’t got their first preference as those schools at the top have also been more popular than maybe in recent years. I also know that some from our area who may have chosen Weald in the past haven’t as they don’t like the option of the Sevenoaks site which whilst closer is more awkward to get to. Townley is attractive due to the private coach network (plus a lot of other reasons too!).

Also Wilmington Girls had a bulge class a few years ago and that has filtered though to a lot of sibling places this year and so those who would have got Wilmington are now looking at Townley. It is also probably the fact people have got used to the idea of ‘all offered’ so the catchment is wide and lots think they have a good chance, but it looks like that might just be about to change. They got the Outstanding from Ofsted about 18 months ago so that knowledge has probably filtered through too. Some other schools you wouldn’t even put on a CAF based on past distance or score but it hasn’t traditionally been that way for Townley. Fingers crossed for all hoping for a place.

[1971]

I think a lot of the points PettswoodFiona makes are right. We live approx. 10 mins walk from Townley. My daughter is 2 points off Bexley, and we were hoping for an offer on appeal/reserve list (which the waiting list nos are making me think unlikely this yr). All the Bexley passing girls in my daughters class have chosen Townley, and it was our preference across all 3 available Bexley grammars.

We have however been offered Wilmington, which was a big relief, so I don't think the distance offered there could have shrunk much, as it was looking quite tight. We also heard that the sibling nos for last yrs starters were high.

Another factor might be that Beths doesn't seem as popular locally as it once was. 5 boys in her class passed Bexley, several living v close to Beths and none have chosen it. HT uncertainty maybe? This is probably having a knock on effect on demand for the co-eds, and just generally pushing demand across the borough.

However, it is amazing how much waiting lists do move, so don't lose hope. Good luck everyone. I will be following to see how far down the waiting list they seem to get before its time for school visits for our kids.

[thickasabrick]

Did they pass more children this year than last year? Maybe that accounts for it

Yes, from memory they passed 90 kids more than last year.

And, as mentioned, there is no more rationale for Bexley girls to schlepp to Newstead.

Still doesn't explain how the waiting list only extends to about 8m when there were at least 50 kids further out last year.

[Lysianassa]

Did they pass more children this year than last year? Maybe that accounts for it

Yes, from memory they passed 90 kids more than last year.

And, as mentioned, there is no more rationale for Bexley girls to schlepp to Newstead.

Still doesn't explain how the waiting list only extends to about 8m when there were at least 50 kids further out last year.

1723 kids passed in 2017 vs 1470 in 2016.
Top 180 cutoff was 251 vs 245 in 2016
Not sure what the difference in girls vs boys was though. Someone asked for a spreadsheet of results by school as a freedom of information request and scores by school but didn’t ask for how many boys vs how many girls, although I know that over 200 girls from Bexley primary schools passed. (Another’s freedom of information request.

Bexley grammar and Chis and Sid are the only coed and have a total of 384 places. Chis and Sid was rated Good in their last Ofsted in September 2017 which isn’t great for a grammar school. Bexley hasn't gone out past 3.9 miles in 5 years. If Newsted isn’t as attractive and Townley only has 224 places, that's a lot more pressure on Townley.
My email back said that DD is #33 at 6.594 miles and that there are well over 100 girls this year on the list.

Lys

I wonder if it’s possible to ask for the distances offered by Townley through the same kind of request. They must keep a record...

In case anyone wants to have a look at the info themselves (I’m a bit of a geek, I love spreadsheets...) It’s actually pretty clear to understand:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ ... ng-1056388
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ ... ing-905820
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ ... _test_2017

[PettswoodFiona]

I wonder if it’s possible to ask for the distances offered by Townley through the same kind of request. They must keep a record...

There are past five years distances offered in the Bexley booklet http://www.bexley.gov.uk/sites/bexley-c ... o-2019.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; The shortest Townley has gone out to was a few years ago and that was 8.1 miles walking route. But three of those five years it has been all offered which is why this year it feels really different. It will be interesting to see what the final distance ends up as.

Also Newstead seems quite popular. It has so far reached 14 or 15 on the waitlist after two rounds of post 1st March offers so it is slow movement there.

[thickasabrick]

1723 kids passed in 2017 vs 1470 in 2016.

That's odd - presumably you have this from some official source?

The results email I received from Bexley - and I have just dug it out again - states '1835 children were deemed selective' in 2017. I remember seeing the number for the previous year - it must have been on the actual letter which I don't have here right now and was something like 90 kids fewer.

[Mich895]

From the Bexley website " In 2016, 5685 children sat the test and 1753 achieved the selective standard, with 800 grammar school places available." So an increase in 2017 of 82.

[bluesea]

Since a drop in the UK birth rate in 2001-2002 there was a steady increase year on year from 2002, causing more pressure on secondary places now. There will be more applicants next year and the year beyond.

[tand]

Any idea by when we expect movement to townley waiting list?

[Blackheathparent]

Any idea by when we expect movement to townley waiting list?

It’s already moving slowly. DD moved up 3 positions over Easter. Someone on this forum mentioned it should move quicker after 25 April, as that’s the date for the second round of offers in Kent. Fingers crossed.