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SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES ANNOUNCED – SEVENOAKS BOYS LOSE OUT

The secondary school places for September 2012 admission were published on Thursday. This revealed a serious problem with grammar school provision for boys in north Sevenoaks (Riverhead, Chipstead and Dunton Green) and in the villages to the north.

The highest scoring boys in north Sevenoaks were offered places at the “super-selective” grammar schools in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells (Judd and Skinners). However, unlike in previous years, the boys in north Sevenoaks who passed the 11 plus but did not achieve the highest scores were not offered places at Tunbridge Wells Grammar School For Boys. This is a community (non-super selective) grammar school in Tunbridge Wells that admits boys within a defined catchment area.

This year, the catchment area of Tunbridge Wells Boys shrunk to 8.78 miles from the school, with no boys (except siblings) being offered places outside this area. This therefore excluded boys from North Sevenoaks and Riverhead, together with boys from the villages further north, from the catchment area. This meant that 47 boys who passed the 11 plus in the north Sevenoaks area were not offered a place at a grammar school in Tonbridge or Tunbridge Wells.

Instead, some of the boys on the east side of Sevenoaks (including in Otford) were offered a place at Oakwood Park Grammar School in Maidstone (a non-super selective grammar school that admits boys within a defined catchment area). The remaining boys (including some boys who scored more highly than boys offered Oakwood Park) were offered places at Knole Academy (the non-selective school in Sevenoaks). The Knole Academy is creating a separately taught additional form of entry, which is being marketed as a "grammar stream", to cater for children who passed or narrowly failed the 11 plus, which is guaranteed until the end of year 9.

Population Growth

The population in West Kent is growing rapidly: at Sevenoaks area state primary schools there are currently 530 children in year 6 (11 year olds), and 724 children (5 year olds) in reception year – a 37% increase. The same situation is occurring in Tunbridge Wells as the articles below from the Kent & Sussex Courier explain:-

http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/Primary-places-pressure/story-15051839-detail/story.html

http://www.thisissussex.co.uk/Tunbridge-Wells-primary-places-pressure/story-15042873-detail/story.html

What Does This Mean?

This year’s allocation of secondary school places has provided us with a hint of the future – a situation, in probably three to five years’ time based on current population projections, when all Sevenoaks children will be outside of the catchment areas of the Tunbridge Wells non-super selective grammar schools, meaning that the super-selective grammar schools will be their only option. The town’s children will then gain no educational benefit from living in Kent because they will be competing directly with children from London, Surrey, Sussex and other parts of Kent for grammar school places in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells – with the very highest scorers getting the coveted places and everyone else losing out.

What Is The Solution?

The solution to this problem is for additional grammar school places to be provided at a satellite site in Sevenoaks by two nearby grammar schools (a boys’ school and a girls’ school), with these schools operating a catchment area based admissions policy, and not super-selection. This will ensure that all children in the Sevenoaks area who pass the 11 plus will receive a grammar school place, not just the very highest scorers.

Finally, whilst a Sevenoaks grammar school will clearly help the children of Sevenoaks and the surrounding villages to gain grammar school places, it will also help the children of Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells because it will free up grammar school places in those towns, as the article below from Friday’s Kent & Sussex Courier explains:

http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/Sevenoaks-ease-school-places-crisis/story-15374734-detail/story.html

SEVENOAKS GRAMMAR SCHOOL SUPPORTERS PASS 2,500

The number of people who have signed our e-petition has passed 2,500. This is fantastic news and we would like to thank every one of our fantastic supporters. Our e-petition, which has two weeks still to run, can be found at:-

http://democracy.kent.gov.uk/mgepetitionlistdisplay.aspx?bcr=1


70% WANT A GRAMMAR SCHOOL; 19% WANT A CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

An independent survey of Sevenoaks parents conducted by the Sevenoaks Chronicle newspaper and Sevenoaks ACE* has found that 70% of Sevenoaks respondents are in favour of a new grammar school; 19% are in favour of a new faith school; and 11% are in favour of a new comprehensive school.

70% for a grammar school and 19% for a Christian school closely matches the results of the e-petitions operated by the Sevenoaks Grammar School campaign (2,500+ signatures) and the Christian Free School campaign (800 signatures). These figures confirm that a Sevenoaks grammar school is more than three times more popular with the people of Sevenoaks than a Christian School.

The Sevenoaks Chronicle articles announcing the results are here:-

http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/Grammar-parents-wish-list/story-15362226-detail/story.html

http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/RESULTS/story-15362423-detail/story.html


*Sevenoaks Action for Community Education (ACE) is a group of local parents that is campaigning for additional secondary school places in Sevenoaks “that meet the needs of the Community”. 126 people responded to ACE’s survey – 88 favoured a new grammar school; 24 favoured a new Christian secondary school; and 14 favoured a new comprehensive school.


CRITICISMS BY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL HEAD OF WEST KENT GRAMMAR SCHOOL EXPANSION USED IN PARLIAMENT

On 22^nd February, there was a Commons Parliamentary Committee debate on the expansion of grammar schools at which the Labour party Shadow Schools Minister, Kevin Brennan (MP for Cardiff West), said the following*:-

“Moving on to some of those who are affected by selective systems, I shall refer to the comments of Ian Bauckham, the head of Bennett Diocesan Memorial school, a very successful all-ability school in west Kent which operates in an almost exclusively selective environment. I will not quote him verbatim, but I am happy to supply the full text to the Minister if he wants it.

“Mr Bauckham says that it is critical to understand that uncontrolled expansion of popular schools has a particularly damaging effect in areas where 11-plus selection persists. In his area, where some 40% of children take and pass the 11-plus, there is continued parental pressure to get children into grammar schools….He argues that if grammar schools are allowed to expand their rolls and intakes, fewer children from aspirational backgrounds will go to the local non-selective schools, meaning that those schools will become more exclusively the preserve of children from less aspirational backgrounds…By consigning these children to what are widely regarded as schools for failures—condemning them to failure at the age of 11—their already fragile expectations will be depressed still further and they will be less likely to succeed.”

It therefore appears that the Head of Bennett Memorial (a Christian secondary school in Tunbridge Wells) may have been in contact with a national Labour (and anti-grammar school) politician to object to grammar school expansion in West Kent. Leaving aside the fact that Bennett Memorial is itself a highly selective school by only admitting children from Anglican Christian families, many people will want to understand why Mr Bauckham  feels the need to involve a national politician in this matter who does not fully understand the educational needs of the people of West Kent.

*http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmtoday/cmstand/output/deleg/dg06120222-03.htm

RECENT MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE SEVENOAKS GRAMMAR SCHOOL CAMPAIGN

A report on the Sevenoaks Grammar School Campaign was featured on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme on 25th February:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9699000/9699656.stm

In the same week, the Sevenoaks Chronicle extensively featured the Campaign, to coincide with the submission of the Christian Free School bid:-

http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/fight-new-grammar-goes/story-15295763-detail/story.html

http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/Interesting-times-education/story-15294990-detail/story.html

http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/School-support/story-15295761-detail/story.html

BROMLEY COUNCIL SUPPORTS THE EXPANSION OF GRAMMAR SCHOOLS

On 20th February 2012, the following motion* was passed by Bromley Borough Council:-

“This Council notes that the Secretary of State for Education has indicated that existing selective schools may expand their provision by the creation of satellite campuses;

“It further notes that parents in the neighbouring district of Sevenoaks, with the support of the local Member of Parliament, Michael Fallon and members of Kent County Council, are actively pursuing such an option;

“It further notes that demand for places by Bromley parents at the two selective schools** within the borough and for places in neighbouring authorities far outweighs the number of available places;

“It resolves to support, in principle, any move by either of the two selective schools in the borough or by schools in neighbouring districts (including independent selective schools) to provide additional selective places in Bromley and particularly in those parts of the borough most distant from existing provision of selective places.”

* http://cds.bromley.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=115&MId=3749 (Item 13)

**St Olave’s Grammar School (For Boys) and Newstead Wood School (For Girls).

THE IMPACT OF POPULATION GROWTH IN WEST KENT

It is expected that the population of the Sevenoaks area will continue to grow as new residential housing developments become available. We have therefore examined below the impact of a growing population on the provision of grammar school places in West Kent.

The Expansion Of Grammar School Places

Q: Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, said last week that it is “absolutely fine” for grammar school places to expand in West Kent due to the significant increase in population there. By how much will the population of West Kent grow, and how many extra grammar school places will be needed to take account of this growth?

A: In October 2011, Kent County Council (“KCC”) published its projections for population growth in each Kent district*. In relation to Sevenoaks district, and the three nearby districts where Sevenoaks district children attend grammar schools (Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells and Dartford), KCC predict that by 2018 there will be 1,700** more children aged 10 and 11 years. This means that 850 extra secondary school places will be needed at West Kent schools per academic year by 2018.

Approximately 35%*** of West Kent children pass the 11 plus exam and are therefore entitled to grammar school places. Consequently, by 2018, approximately 300 extra grammar school places will be needed in West Kent to take account of the predicted population growth. 300 extra grammar school places is equivalent to 10 extra classrooms of pupils per academic year; or 70 extra classrooms for all academic years. This is too large an increase for the existing West Kent grammar schools to cater for via expansion at their existing sites.

The only practical solution is for a grammar school to be established on a new site with plenty of space available for expansion. The (shortly to be vacant) Wildernesse school site in Sevenoaks would appear to be the only suitable location large enough to accommodate the extra grammar school places needed to take account of this population growth.


The problems caused by explosive population growth in West Kent is also being felt at primary schools in Tunbridge Wells and Kings Hill (part of Tonbridge and Malling district), as well across the border in Sussex, as the articles below explain:-

http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/Primary-places-pressure/story-15051839-detail/story.html

http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/village-facing-breaking-point/story-12016846-detail/story.html

http://www.thisissussex.co.uk/Tunbridge-Wells-primary-places-pressure/story-15042873-detail/story.html

http://www.thisissussex.co.uk/East-Grinstead-primaries-make-room-baby-boom/story-15295498-detail/story.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2103682/Primary-school-classes-taught-sheds-converted-shops-rising-birth-rate-immigration-increase-demand-places.html?ito=feeds-newsxml


*http://www.kent.gov.uk/your_council/kent_facts_and_figures/population_and_census/population_forecasts.aspx

**According to KCC, in 2012, there are a total of 10,500 children aged 10 and 11 in the districts of Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells and Dartford. In 2018, KCC are predicting that there will be 12,200 children aged 10 and 11 in those districts, an increase of 1,700 children (or 16%).

***In 2010/11, 50% Sevenoaks town children passed the 11 plus exam. For Kent as a whole, the figure was 28%. (There are 10 state primary schools that serve children from Sevenoaks town (Amherst, Weald, Sevenoaks, St Thomas', Chevening, Otford, Lady Boswell's, Dunton Green, Seal and St John's). In 2010/11, these schools had 337 pupils in year 6, and 167 (50%) of these children passed the 11 plus exam).

Alleviating The Stress Of The Appeals Process

Q: How will a growing population impact on the grammar school places appeals process, something that is already very stressful for young children?

A: At present, due to the shortage of grammar school places in West Kent, many Sevenoaks area children who pass the 11 plus exam are not offered grammar school places when the initial allocations are made on 1^st March every year. In many cases, these children are required to go through a stressful appeals process in order to be offered the grammar school places they deserve. This process can take many months, and in some cases can run up to (and beyond) the beginning of the academic year on 1^st September.

This process, together with the uncertainty of outcome, can prove extremely stressful for young children and their parents. Furthermore, this problem will get much worse as the population of West Kent grows, creating an even greater shortage of grammar school places, meaning that many more 10 and 11 year old children will suffer unnecessarily.

A non-super selective Sevenoaks grammar school would eliminate this problem by ensuring that there are adequate local grammar school places available, meaning that all local children who pass the 11 plus exam would immediately be offered a grammar school place on 1^st March every year.

The current shortage of grammar school places in West Kent also causes problems for the only secondary school currently located in Sevenoaks, the non-selective Knole Academy. On 1^st March each year, many Sevenoaks area children who pass the 11 plus exam are offered places at The Knole Academy, much to their disappointment. However, several months later, as an outcome of the appeals process, these children are often awarded grammar schools places, and therefore they decline their places at The Knole Academy.

According to The Knole Academy head teacher, this causes significant problems for her school. This is because the school finds itself unable to plan for its new intake of pupils until a very late stage because it does not know the number of pupils to be admitted, and therefore how many teachers will need to be employed, how many classes will be required, and what the lessons timetable will be.

A non-super selective Sevenoaks grammar school would eliminate this problem by ensuring that there are adequate local grammar school places available, meaning that all local children who pass the 11 plus exam and choose a selective school would immediately be offered a grammar school place on 1^st March every year, and would never be offered a place at The Knole Academy. The Knole Academy would then know at an early stage the number of new pupils that it would be admitting, and it would therefore be able to plan with confidence the number of new teachers and classes required.


Links to articles featuring Sevenoaks area children who passed the 11 plus exam but were not offered appropriate grammar school places when the initial allocations were made are below:-  

http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/Grammar-lottery-victim-100-mile-round-trip-school/story-12020033-detail/story.html

http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/School-places-farce-hits-twins/story-11986568-detail/story.html

VIEWS FROM LEADING POLITICIANS ON A SEVENOAKS GRAMMAR SCHOOL

The Sevenoaks parents’ campaign for a grammar school in the town has featured extensively in the national media over the last month, and many well known commentators have expressed their views on the subject. Perhaps most significantly, a number of leading politicians have publicly stated their views on the matter, including the three leading players in the ongoing debate, Michael Gove, Mike Whiting and Michael Fallon, as well as Stephen Twigg. We have therefore set out their views below.

A. The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary Of State For Education

Q: Some grammar schools are seeking to expand and there is talk of opening satellite schools. Would you welcome this?

A: “We have allowed all schools that wish to, and which are successful, to expand.

“The particular case that has come to people’s attention is in West Kent. In Kent, you have a significant increase in population overall. If you have population growth in an area where there is selective provision, then you should allow schools in that area to expand to take account of it.

“The number of children who are educated in grammar schools rose under the Labour Government because of population growth. And because of population growth, the number of children overall to be educated in every sort of school will rise. In a selective area, if provision needs to grow in order to take account of that, that’s absolutely fine.

“But it is not our intention to extend selection beyond those areas where it currently exists.”

Evidence provided to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education on 31st January 2012:-

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=10012

Please scroll across to 10.56am.

B. Cllr. Mike Whiting, Kent County Council Cabinet Member For Education

“We have rising populations in Kent. I have a duty as Cabinet Member in charge of Education in Kent to ensure that there are adequate places for the children of Kent, and to offer some parental choice for those children...And as the population grows, I need to ensure that there are grammar school places too, which is exactly what the parents of Sevenoaks are asking me to do.”

“We do live in a selective system and currently we have some 1100 or so (Sevenoaks area) children every morning…going to non-selective schools outside of the area. So introducing new (selective) provision in the area, which is the request of the parents here, (is) the thing we need to look at to see how many of those 1100 children we could cater for in new provision in the town. (This would) save the young lad you mentioned, and others, from hour and a half combined journeys per day, which is difficult for children.”

Interview on BBC Radio 4 “PM” programme on 26^th January 2012

C. Michael Fallon, MP For Sevenoaks

Q: Will Sevenoaks get a grammar school?

A: “Kent County Council is considering opening a new grammar school in Sevenoaks. If the plans go ahead, this would be the first new grammar in the UK for 50 years. Kent is able to propose this following new school admission rules published by the Education Secretary Michael Gove.

“Kent has a grammar school system, but Sevenoaks is the only one of its districts without one. Pupils in my constituency have to travel north to the Wilmington or Dartford Grammars, or south to Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells. There is a huge cost in making over 1,000 pupils travel backward and forward each day, and a lot of lost time. And there’s a growing shortage of places. With at least 300 places going to children from outside the county, and an increasing birth rate, unless we take action now, Sevenoaks children face being allocated places as far away as Sittingbourne, Maidstone and Ashford.

“This isn’t an ideological issue. Kent has a duty to provide sufficient secondary school places, both at all-ability academies such as Knole Academy and at grammar schools. Parents have the right to choose. So far, over 1,500 parents have signed a petition calling for a new grammar in Sevenoaks: we should respect their views.

“We need to get on now with the practical work. Finding a suitable site, selecting a partner school in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, and earmarking the necessary funding. With the support of the council and local parents, I am optimistic that Sevenoaks may finally get the grammar school that we need.”

Published in the February 2012 edition of Vine Magazine.

D. Stephen Twigg MP, Shadow Education Secretary

On 16^th January 2012, Stephen Twigg stated:

“Labour is today announcing that we will be opposing the Tory-led Government’s plans to amend the School Admissions Code to allow the expansion of grammar schools. The Tory-led Government is expanding selection at 11 by the back door, by trying to sneak through changes to the Admissions Code without parliamentary debate. They are removing the rights of parents to appeal to the schools’ adjudicator on the expansion of grammar schools. Labour will oppose the changes to the School Admissions Code, and ask the Government to carry out an honest consultation with parents and teachers.

“The Government needs to be clear what its position on grammar schools and the 11-plus is. Before the election, David Cameron promised no return to the 11-plus and no return to a grammar school system. But in Government, the Tories have given powers to grammar schools to expand, and parents are now powerless to stop this. I will be writing to all Liberal Democrat MPs to ask for their support in opposing this decision to sneakily expand the grammar school system.”

In response to Stephen Twigg’s statement, a spokesman for the Department for Education said:

“We are making it easier for all popular and successful state schools to expand to meet the demands of parents – grammar or not. It’s wrong that places have been rationed in good schools for so long. It is right that schools have the power to meet parental demand and decide the number of places they offer.”

On 18^th January 2012, Stephen Twigg, Ed Miliband and Harriet Harman* and four other Labour MPs signed an Early Day Motion calling for Parliament to annul the new School Admissions Code. (No Liberal Democrat MP signed the Motion).

On 24^th January 2012, a House of Lords committee met to consider whether the Early Day Motion should be granted a parliamentary debate. On the basis that “the special attention of the House need not be drawn to” the Early Day Motion, they concluded that no parliamentary debate should be held. Stephen Twigg’s bid to annul the School Admissions Code therefore failed.

The School Admissions Code then became law on 1st February 2012, and thereby took full effect in respect of admissions arrangements for the 2013/14 academic year and thereafter.

*Harriet Harman’s son attended St Olaves, a grammar school in West Kent.