Newsletter #1
We are hugely honoured by the massive support
for our e-petition, and we will humbly do our utmost to secure the best possible
grammar school for Sevenoaks. This newsletter therefore
aims to provide our fantastic supporters with an update on our progress towards
achieving a Sevenoaks grammar school.
A. The Type Of Sevenoaks Grammar
School
Based on the views of the many supporters who have
spoken to us and sent us messages, the overwhelming consensus on the type of
grammar school that Sevenoaks parents want is a school that:-
- Admits boys and girls from Year 7 (age
11);
- Is located on the vacant Wildernesse
site;
- Is operating from September 2013;
and
- Uses a catchment area based, non-super selective,
admissions policy. This means a catchment area
that covers Sevenoaks and the surrounding villages, with every child passing the
11 plus exam from within the catchment area being admitted to the school.
How can this be achieved? To answer this question,
an understanding of the law on grammar schools is needed, and this is explained
below.
B. The Law On Grammar
Schools
“Grammar” school means a state funded school that
is free to pupils and which selects its pupils by academic ability. Since 1964,
new grammar schools have been banned by law, and this remains the case today.
However, there was a very recent change in the law which enables existing
grammar schools to expand and establish so-called “annexe” grammar schools on
empty sites in nearby towns. For example, an existing grammar school in (say)
Tonbridge could now establish an “annexe” grammar school on an empty site in
Sevenoaks.
However, the requirement for an annexe imposes
legal restrictions on a Sevenoaks grammar school – in particular, the Sevenoaks
grammar school will not be able to set its own admissions policy and instead
will be required to adopt the admissions policy of its parent grammar school.
This means that in order to achieve the grammar school the Sevenoaks parents
want, and in the absence of a local mixed grammar school, we will need to
partner with both a local boys’ grammar school and a local girls’ grammar school
(both operating non-super selective, catchment area based admissions policies),
and ask them to establish grammar school annexes in Sevenoaks on the same shared
site. This already happens in Ramsgate where there is a boys' grammar school and
girls' grammar school run on a single site.
We are therefore currently in the process of
contacting suitable local boys’ and girls’ grammar schools who meet our
admissions criteria, to discuss whether they would be willing to partner with us
by establishing a shared grammar school annexe in Sevenoaks.
C. The Funding For A Sevenoaks Grammar
School
If we are successful in establishing a Sevenoaks
grammar school, then Kent County Council (KCC) will provide the funding for the
school, and KCC will provide a suitable site for the school. We have spoken to
KCC and they are looking at our proposal in detail, and have agreed to hold a
full Council meeting to debate the issue on 29th March at County Hall in
Maidstone. We will be speaking at the debate to present our case.
D. The Site Of A Sevenoaks Grammar
School
The Sevenoaks grammar school is likely to be a
large school on a site to be provided by KCC. 1150 Sevenoaks children currently
attend grammar schools outside of the town, and this number suggests that a
Sevenoaks grammar school will have six classes of 30 children in each
year. Currently, the only suitable large site
that could be made ready for September 2013 is the vacant (and KCC-owned)
Wildernesse site. Unfortunately, this puts our
grammar school plan into direct conflict with the Christian Free School bid, as
they wish to use the Wildernesse site as well. However, both schools cannot
co-exist on the Wildernesse site. Sevenoaks parents therefore need to choose
which school they prefer.
E. Next Steps
We are an unfunded, grassroots campaign, and so we
are not able to produce glossy brochures, nor design slick websites.
However, we would like to receive feedback from
fellow grammar school supporters on our plans. Therefore, if you have signed our
e-petition, please send an email to sevenoaksgrammar@btinternet.com
with your views and ideas, together with your
name (so that we can check your name on the e-petition), and the name of your town or village (so that we can understand the
size and shape of the grammar school’s likely catchment area).
We look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
The Sevenoaks Grammar School Campaign
