Grammar schools from Beckenaham

[Whisper]

Dear members,

Looking for some general advice please – we live in Beckenham (BR3), Bromley area… from my research into grammar schools in Kent or Bexley, looks like all of them look at exam score AND distance from school. Does anyone know of any grammar schools, apart from Newstead Woods, which are worth considering from Beckenham? I am aware that if my DS scores top marks in grammar tests, distance does not matter, but not counting on that to happen ..

Many thanks for your advice!

Hi Anna

I had this same dilemma to solve for my daughter. We are in between Eden Park and Beckenham Junction, so either a bus ride or longish walk to the station.

I opted for Langley after a long consideration. The top sets in Langley Girls are doing well and 80% of the girls get their first choice Uni.

[Allyfe]

Hi Anna,
I was just wondering if you had made any more progress on your research into the grammar schools from Beckenham? Someone has mentioned a few girls they know who go to Dartford and I am trying to work out what the commute would be to some of the Kent grammars.
Thanks. Ally

[Anna2018]

Hi Ally, not much further research, just looking through websites of grammar schools mentioned on this forum. There does not seem to be an easy commute to anywhere tbh. Datford school is about an hour away from beckenham. Anything on your side?

Thanks
Anna

[Louise23]

Hello
I posted a response to this same query on the Kent forum but in case you didn’t see it, there is a private coach service run by North Kent School Transport from Beckenham Junction to the Dartford Grammars. If you look at their website you can find out timetables and prices. Journey time could possibly be up to an hour but would be safe and easy on one coach. I would not recommend any public transport routes from Beckenham to Dartford - complete pain of a journey.

[Allyfe]

Oh! That is so helpful Louise. My husband was telling me about a family whose daughter caught the bus but I hadn’t realised it was a school coach. An hour is long but if it is practically door to door it isn’t so bad.

Anna we are thinking Wallington and Newstead, and I had Kent on as a ‘just in case and if we decide to move’, but if Dartford is possible and there are enough girls going (I was worried about friends), that is one more. My DD loved Wallington and we will see what Newstead is like. We popped in last year but the open day was so over busy it was really hard to really get a feel. We won’t do Bexley because I don’t think the schools are too awkward to get to.

[Anna2018]

Same here, we will go to newstead open day, and I agree about bexley exam, there is little point unless we move.
I know I can check on the website, but is Wilmington under Kent test, or do they have their own exam?

Thanks a lot
Anna

[PettswoodFiona]

Wilmington is under the Kent test but if you are OOC and no siblings there is minimal chance of a place going on recent years. Each of the schools do give a small number of places to high scores (for the girls school it is for highest in Maths section of the test) but these are very small numbers compared to Dartford or Tonbridge.

[Allyfe]

Wilmington is Kent. We will have Kent, Newstead and the Sutton set (for Wallington). I’m hoping the range of tests allows for different strengths and weaknesses and a potential disaster in one day (for whatever reason)!

I have my fingers crossed for Wallington and Newstead. I think Dartford’s open day may have been June so we’ll go next year. For now, it will be working out what time to arrive at the Newstead open day. It was hard to get a real feel last year because it was so insanely busy.