Admission to secondary school

For children born between 1 September 2001 and 31 August 2002

dates: Important for Closing date on st registrati Medway Te July, 2012 Friday, 13 ry for seconda Closing date cations school appli ber, 2012 y, 31 Octo Wednesda ool place Offer of sch arch, 2013 Friday, 1 M

September 2013 entry

Admission to secondary school A guide for parents

Apply online:

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

apply online it ticks all the boxes

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Online Admissions is the quickest, easiest and safest way to apply for your secondary school place.

If you give us your email address when applying you will: â– receive

confirmation your application has been received; â– receive

details of the school offered on the offer day, without having to wait for your offer letter.

Make a note of your log in details you will need this information every time you visit the website.

Contacts

Contents

● Medway Council Student Services Admissions Team

Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

The Admissions Team, based at Gun Wharf in Chatham, co-ordinates all Year 6 transfers to secondary school and organise the Medway Test (11+).

Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TR Phone: 01634 331110 Email: admissions@medway.gov.uk

Key dates for the secondary transfer 2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

● Medway Council Student Services Operations Team This Operations Team deals with free school meals, transport to school (except for those attending special schools) and casual admissions.

Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TR Phone: 01634 331155 Email: schoolstransportandfreemeals@medway.gov.uk

● Medway Council customer services Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday 9am to 1pm.

Calls to customer services may be recorded or monitored for security and staff development purposes.

Phone: 01634 333333 Minicom: 01634 333111

Section one Introduction and general information . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Section two The Medway Test and other testing arrangements . .11 Section three The school application process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Section four The online admissions process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Section five The school offer process and next steps . . . . . . . . . .24 Section six Free school meals and home to school transport . . . . .28 Section seven Common oversubscription criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Section eight Other information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Section nine The schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Location and access areas of schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 How to use the school pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

● Kent County Council Kent County Council Admissions and Transport Room 2.24, Sessions House, County Hall, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1XQ Phone: 01622 696565 Email: kent.admissions@kent.gov.uk

Medway Test request form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Medway Primary School DFE numbers . . . . .inside back cover Disclaimer The information given in this booklet relates to the academic year, September 2013 to August 2014.

Details are correct at the time of going to print.

Welcome

Dear parent/carer, Moving to secondary school is an exciting time for young people and their families.

In fact, an exciting and important time, full of opportunities and nowhere is that more true than in Medway. Children and parents/carers have a wide range of schools to choose from and all of them have one thing in common: an absolute commitment to helping every single young person to have a successful and happy school career.

Secondary education in Medway is about aiming for high exam results, but equally important it’s about building on young people’s talents and interests to ensure they are confident, capable students and citizens.

Please visit any of our secondary schools and, if you do, you will see why young people in Medway are achieving so highly. Medway schools are keen to make sure that every lesson counts, make use of the latest technology to enhance students’ learning and enjoyment of a wide range of educational experiences. Our schools are committed to high-quality teaching and learning, which has led to an impressive improvement in GCSE results over the past few years.

Medway secondary schools, together with MidKent College and work based providers, work to provide a wide range of courses for sixth form students, ensuring that many more young people are equipped and confident to go to university, or to continue their learning via a vocational route.

The Student Services Admissions Team is available to offer you as much help and support as you require to ensure that you find the admissions process as straightforward as possible. We have an excellent record in Medway with the vast majority of children being successful in gaining a place at their first preference school.

Please read the information in this booklet carefully when considering your preference for a secondary school. Further help and advice is available from your primary school, the secondary schools at the arranged open sessions or from the council’s Student Services Admissions Team.

With every best wish to you and your family.

Cllr Les Wicks Portfolio Holder 4

Key dates

for the secondary transfer 2013 Booklets and paper Medway Test registration forms sent to primary and junior schools

Wednesday, 6 June

Online registration for the Medway Test opens at 9am

Tuesday, 12 to Wednesday, 20 June

Student Services admissions presentations*. See page 7 for details

Friday, 13 July

Closing date for Medway Test registration

‘12

No later than Wednesday, 6 June

No later than Friday, 7 September

Secondary application information sent to primary and junior schools

Tuesday, 18 and Wednesday, 19 September

The Medway Test for children attending Medway schools that are undertaking testing in school during the week

Saturday, 22 September

The Medway Test for children attending Medway schools that are undertaking testing in school on Saturday and all other children

Friday, 5 October

Assessment decision letters posted to parents and emails sent (after 4pm) to those that registered online

Friday, 12 October

Deadline for Medway Test review requests

Tuesday, 16 October, 10am

Deadline for primary and junior schools to submit review work to Medway Council

Wednesday, 17 and Thursday, 18 October

Medway Test reviews

Friday, 26 October or before

Review decisions posted to parents

Wednesday, 31 October

National closing date for applications - online and Secondary Common Application Forms

‘13

* Individual school open sessions take place from Tuesday 21 June to Friday 21 October. See page 8 for details.

Friday,1 March

National Offer Day - offer letters posted 1st class to parents and emails sent (after 4pm) to those that registered online

Wednesday, 6 March or after

Welcome letters sent from schools

Monday, 15 April or before

Places accepted/refused. Requests to go on a waiting list and appeals submitted

Week commencing Monday, 22 April

The local authority re-allocates any places that have become available to those who have asked to go on the waiting lists for each school

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5

Section one

6

Introduction and general information

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Choosing the right secondary school can be an anxious time for parents and children. Medway Council’s Student Services Team is here to help you understand the process and make the right decisions for your child.

It is very important that you read carefully, and understand, the information in this booklet regarding how the admissions process works, and how school places are allocated, before you submit your school application.

Throughout this booklet we have provided useful information to help you make the most informed decisions possible. We encourage you to use this information, do your own research on schools and visit all the schools you are interested in during their open sessions. Most importantly, please discuss your decisions with your child to ensure that they are fully involved and happy about the transition from primary to secondary education.

● Where can I hear about the admissions process?

Student Services is giving all parents of children in Year 5 the opportunity to attend a presentation session. These sessions are designed to go through the admissions process from start to finish and give you the chance to ask any questions you may have.

Medway Council works within the guidelines set out in the School Admissions Code published by the Department for Education. Details of the School Admissions Code can be found at www.education.gov.uk

There are two sessions at each venue.

If you are unable to attend one of these sessions and have any questions, please contact Student Services or speak to your child’s primary school.

Summary of Student Services admissions presentations Date

Area

Venue

Time

Tuesday, 12 June

Chatham

Chatham Grammar School for Boys Holcombe, Maidstone Road, Chatham ME4 6JB

4.30pm 6.30pm

Wednesday, 13 June

Walderslade

Walderslade Girls School Bradfields Avenue, Walderslade Chatham, ME5 0LE

4.30pm 6.30pm

Thursday, 14 June

Rochester

Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School Maidstone Road, Rochester, ME1 3EL

4.30pm 6.30pm

Monday, 18 June

Gillingham

Saxon Way Primary School Church Path, Ingram Road, Gillingham, ME7 1SJ

4.30pm 6.30pm

Tuesday, 19 June

Rainham

Rainham Mark Grammar School Pump Lane, Gillingham, ME8 7AJ

4.30pm 6.30pm

Wednesday, 20 June

Strood/Hoo

Strood Academy Carnation Road, Strood, Rochester, ME2 2SX

4.30pm 6.30pm

If you have any questions, please contact Student Services or speak to your child’s primary school.

Student Services Admissions Team Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham ME4 4TR. Phone: 01634 331110 Email: admissions@medway.gov.uk

The table below provides details of the dates, times and venues for these presentations. They are drop in sessions so there is no need to book an appointment.

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7

1

Bishop of Rochester Academy

2

Brompton Academy

3

Chatham Grammar School for Boys

●

4

Chatham Grammar School for Girls

●

5

Fort Pitt Grammar School

6

Greenacre School

7

Rainham Mark Grammar School

8

Rainham School for Girls

9

Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School

● ●

●

Wednesday 31

● ● ●

● ●

●

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

● ● ●

● ●

● ● ●

11 Strood Academy

● ● ● ● ●

12 The Howard School

● ● ●

13 The Hundred of Hoo Comprehensive School

●

14 The Robert Napier School

●

● ● ●

15 The Rochester Grammar School 16 The Thomas Aveling School

● ● ● ● ● ●

● ● ●

17 Walderslade Girls’ School

● ● ● ● For details of the above sessions please refer to the individual school pages.

apply online

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CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS

● ● ● ● ● ●

10 St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School

8

Thursday 25

Wednesday 24

Tuesday 23

Monday 22

Saturday 20

Friday 19

Thursday 18

Wednesday 17

Tuesday 16

Monday 15

Saturday 13

Friday 12

Thursday 11

Wednesday 10

Tuesday 9

Monday 8

Wednesday 3

Saturday 29

Thursday 27

OCTOBER Saturday 22

Thursday 20

Wednesday 19

Tuesday 18

Saturday 15

SEPTEMBER Monday 10

● Morning sessions ● Evening sessions

Sunday 9

Wednesday 11

JULY

Thursday 13

Summary of open sessions

● Can I visit the secondary schools I’m interested in?

In addition to the presentations being offered by Student Services, each school will hold their own open sessions. These are an opportunity for you to tour the school, speak to staff and students, listen to presentations about the school and ask any questions you may have.

These are a valuable opportunity for parents and children. We encourage you to visit as many schools as you can to help you make the most informed decisions when applying for schools.

The table on page 8 provides a brief overview of when each school’s open sessions are scheduled.

Further details can be found on the individual school pages and from the school directly. ● What happens if my child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs (SSEN)?

If your child is statemented, they do not need to go through this admission process. You will discuss your school preferences with the Special Educational Needs Team to determine which secondary school is right for your child.

If you wish your child to be considered for selective (grammar) schools, you will need to ensure that they have gone through the Medway Test process (see section 2).

For more information, please contact the Special Educational Needs Team on 01634 331130. ● What does it mean?

A guide to some of the terms used in the admissions process The following information will help you to

understand the meaning of some of the terms you will read or hear about throughout the admissions process.

There may be other terms we haven’t listed here.

If you are unsure of the meaning of anything in this booklet, please contact Student Services who will be happy to help you. ● Oversubscription criteria Any application for a school is ranked (prioritised) against the school’s oversubscription criteria. This is a set of criteria that details the order of priority in which places will be offered.

Each school has its own criteria and details can be found on the individual school pages later in this booklet. ● Equal Preference Scheme This means that school places are not offered based on the order of preferences you provide.

Your application will be considered and ranked against the school’s oversubscription criteria.

The schools you name will not be told by Medway Council which preference you named them.

The order of your preferences is between you and Student Services only.

When allocating places, Student Services will look to offer your child a place at the highest named school where a place can be offered.

It is important to list the schools in your preferred order. ● Published Admission Number (PAN) The number of places in the year group available to be offered for September 2013.

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● Home local authority This is the local authority where the child lives and is the local authority to which applications must be made for school places.

The easiest way to determine which local authority you live in is to identify the authority you pay council tax to.

For example, if you pay council tax to Medway Council, you must apply for schools through Medway Council.

If you pay your council tax to one of the 12 district councils of Kent (for example, Tonbridge and Malling or Swale) you must apply for schools through Kent County Council.

You can name schools in any local authority, but you must apply through your home local authority. ● School specialism A number of secondary schools and academies have specialisms in certain areas.

This usually means that they can offer enhanced facilities and opportunities in this particular area.

Details of each school’s specialism can be found on the individual school pages later in this booklet. ● School status All schools have a particular status which describes the type of school it is.

You will hear about academies, community schools, foundation schools, voluntary aided schools and voluntary controlled schools.

9

They are all secondary schools but offer different opportunities for learning and deliver these in different ways.

School

Type

Status

Specialism(s)

PAN

Page

The status of each school will be shown on its individual page.

1

Bishop of Rochester Academy

Academy

Academy

Mathematics, Music, ICT

240

40

2

Brompton Academy

Academy

Academy

Science and Arts

210

41

Please speak to the school to find out more about what they can offer your child.

3

Chatham Grammar School for Boys

Grammar

Academy

Languages, Science and Gifted and Talented

146

42

4

Chatham Grammar School for Girls

Grammar

Academy

Languages

142

43

5

Fort Pitt Grammar School

Grammar

Academy

Science and Mathematics

120

44

6

Greenacre School

High

Academy

Sport

160

45

7

Rainham Mark Grammar School

Grammar

Academy

Science

175

46

8

Rainham School for Girls

Academy

Academy

Technology

270

47

9

Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School

Grammar

Academy

Mathematics, Computing and Humanities

168

48

Comprehensive Voluntary Aided*

N/A

180

49

11 Strood Academy

Academy

Academy

Business and Enterprise and Mathematics

240

50

12 The Howard School

Bi-lateral

Foundation

Physical Education, Sport and ICT

250

51

13 The Hundred of Hoo School

Academy

Academy

Media Arts

270

52

14 The Robert Napier School

High

Foundation* Humanities

210

53

In Medway we give your child the opportunity to do this and have the result before the closing date for school applications.

15 The Rochester

Grammar

Academy

Mathematics, Computing and Music

175

54

16 The Thomas Aveling School

Academy

Academy

Technology

190

55

Full details of the Medway Test procedures are provided in section 2 of this booklet.

17 Walderslade Girls School

Academy

Academy

Humanities and The Arts

160

56

● Selective schools These are grammar schools. To meet the entry requirements of the school, a child must be assessed as selective (grammar) under the Medway Test procedures. ● Non-selective schools Children are not required to be assessed for entry to these schools.

Please be aware that Brompton Academy and The Robert Napier School operate a Fair Banding test - this is not a pass or fail test, it is just to ensure that children across the ability range are admitted to the academy. ● Testing before preference This means that if you wish your child to be considered for a Medway grammar school, they will need to sit the Medway Test.

10

Summary of schools

10 St John Fisher Catholic School

Grammar School

* At the time of going to print, these schools are in the process of converting to academies.

It is expected that they will have completed the transition to academy status by September 2013.

PAN: Published admission number

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Section two

The Medway Test and other testing arrangements

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11

The first thing you need to think about is whether you want your child to be considered for admission to a Medway selective (grammar) school. If you do, then they will need to sit the Medway Test (also referred to as the 11 plus).

Your child’s primary school teacher and headteacher will be able to help you decide if a selective school is right for your child, and advise you on whether they feel your child is best suited to sit the Medway Test. However, it is ultimately your decision whether you register your child to sit the test or not.

Medway operates a testing before preference system. This means that your child will sit the Medway Test and receive their result before the closing date for secondary school applications.

This is to help you make the most informed decision you can when selecting which schools to name on your application.

Therefore, you must ensure that your child is registered to sit the Medway Test. More details on how and when to do this are listed on page 13. ● Which schools does the Medway Test apply to?

In Medway, we have six selective (grammar) secondary schools. These are:

● What does the Medway Test consist of?

The Medway Test consists of three separate papers: 1 An extended writing exercise

Chatham Grammar School for Boys

2 A mathematics paper

Chatham Grammar School for Girls

3 A verbal reasoning (VR) paper

Fort Pitt Grammar School Rainham Mark Grammar School Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School The Rochester Grammar School In addition to these, The Howard School will also provide places for children assessed as suitable for admission to a Medway grammar school.

These children will be placed into the grammar stream after places have been allocated.

Further details can be found on page 54. ● Can I use my child’s Medway Test result for a grammar school in another area?

The Medway Test result can only be used for entrance to one of the Medway grammar schools, as listed above.

If you are considering grammar schools in another area (for example, Kent), then you will need to contact them directly to find out what their testing arrangements are. If your child sits a selective test for another area, you cannot use that result for Medway grammar schools (unless it is stated in the schools oversubscription criteria).

12

The Medway Test is for Medway grammar schools only. The Kent Test is for Kent grammar schools only.

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These tests are specifically written for Medway and are designed to select 23 per cent of children in the year group as assessed suitable for grammar school education. A further two per cent are selected through the review process. ● When and where is the Medway Test being held?

This depends which school you child currently attends. The table on page 16 lists the dates and venues for each Medway primary/junior and independent school. Each Medway school has been given the opportunity to decide where and when to undertake the testing for their children.

If you have any questions regarding your school’s decision, please speak with the school direct.

Children from, who live and/or attend primary/junior and independent schools outside of Medway (for example, Kent schools) will be invited to sit the test in a test centre on Saturday, 22 September 2012.

Test invitation letters will be sent to all children who have registered to sit the Medway Test to confirm the venue and other details nearer the time of the test.

● How do I register my child to sit the Medway Test?

Registration is open from 9am on Wednesday, 6 June 2012 until 4pm on Friday, 13 July 2012.

You can register your child online at www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions Alternatively you can complete a registration form and return it to your child’s primary school (if a Medway school) or to the Student Services Admissions Team details can be found on page 3. ● Are there any benefits to registering online for the Medway Test?

When registering online, you will receive an email confirmation that your registration has been received. Registrations made on paper forms will not be acknowledged.

Parents who register their child online to sit the Medway Test, and provide us with an email address, will be sent an email after 4pm on the day results are posted advising them of their child’s result. ● I live outside Medway. How do I register?

If you live in another area but wish your child to sit the Medway Test, then you can register your child in either of the ways previously mentioned. If you complete a paper registration form it must be returned to the Medway Council Student Services Admissions Team by the closing date. ● I live in Medway, but want my child to sit a selective test in another area. What do I do?

You must contact the local authority concerned to find out how and when to register for their test.

● Can my child sit selective tests in more than one area?

You can register your child for as many tests as you wish if you are considering schools in more than one area. We advise that you contact the local authorities concerned to register your child for their tests. ● My child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs. Can they sit the Medway Test?

The Medway Test is open to all children currently in Year 5 who wish to be considered for a Medway grammar school place.

If your child is statemented you would have already started discussions with the Special Educational Needs Team regarding which schools you wish your child to be considered for. If these include Medway grammar schools, then you will need to ensure that you register your child to sit the test in the same way as other applicants.

Your child will not go through the main admissions process, but their assessment decision will be taken into account when being considered for schools through the special educational needs process. ● I feel my child needs special arrangements for testing. Is this possible?

If a child has a disability or learning need that may affect how they perform under testing conditions, we have a process that allows for this to be considered.

Firstly, you will need to register your child to sit the Medway Test in the normal way. You will then need to discuss with your child’s headteacher whether they feel you child’s needs

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fall under the special arrangements process.

You may ask your child’s headteacher to submit a special arrangements request.

A panel of specialist advisors will consider all requests received and will determine what the appropriate arrangements should be for your child. Please be advised that special arrangements are not granted if the panel does not feel it would be appropriate. There is no opportunity to appeal against the panel’s decisions as this is not a statutory process.

All special arrangements requests must be submitted by Friday, 12 July 2012. The panel will consider them, and we will write to parents and schools by the beginning of the autumn term. ● I need to advise you of special access arrangements for the day. What do I do?

If you or your child has a disability that may affect access to the test centre please contact the student services manager by email admissions@medway.gov.uk as soon as possible after registration. ● How is the Medway Test marked?

Each paper is marked based on the number of correct answers (for maths and verbal reasoning) and against specific criteria (for extended writing). These marks provide the raw scores.

The raw scores are then standardised. This means that the scores are weighted to reflect the child’s age at the time of taking the test. It enables a child’s scores to be compared with those achieved by other children taking the Medway Test and allowance made for age, so that the youngest children are not at a disadvantage.

13

The minimum standardised (weighted) score for each paper is 70 and the maximum is 140.

Each year, a minimum weighted score is set to determine those assessed as selective. This score is set to select 23 per cent of the children in the year group and differs from year to year dependent on the size of the year group and the number of children taking the test. Medway Council will not know what this score will be for 2013 admissions until after all test papers have been marked and standardised.

For 2012 admissions, the minimum weighted score required was 505.

For 2011 admissions, the minimum weighted score required was 508.

To calculate the total weighted score, the following calculation is used: Extended writing exercise = standardised score x 2 Maths = standardised score x 2 Verbal reasoning = standardised score x 1 The minimum total weighted score that can be achieved is 350 and the maximum is 700. ● When will I receive my child’s test results?

For children who registered on time to sit the Medway Test, assessment decision letters will be posted by 1st class post on Friday 5 October 2012. These letters will provide full details of your child’s result and what to do next.

Those parents who registered their child online, and provided an email address, will also be sent an email after 4pm on Friday, 5 October 2012.

This email will advise you of your child’s 14

assessment decision, and you will also receive a letter with full details of your child’s result and what to do next. ● If I’m not satisfied with my child’s result, what can I do?

If your child has not been assessed as selective following the Medway Test, and you feel that your child is of selective ability, you can request a review of your child’s academic work by a panel.

All the information you need on how to do this will be included with your child’s assessment decision letter.

We strongly advise you to discuss your decision on whether to submit a review request with your child’s school. However, it is ultimately a parental decision. ● What is the review?

Once you have submitted your review request, your child’s school will be asked to provide work in three areas (English, maths and science).

The review is of academic work only and any comments made by parents or schools are only for context.

The panel will review this academic work to decide if it demonstrates that your child is of selective ability.

Each year a number of children are found to be selective as a result of the review process. The number of successful reviews normally equates to two per cent of the children in the year group and differs from year to year dependent on the size of the year group and the number of children taking the test.

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● When do I need to request a review by?

Full details of how to request a review will be included with your child’s assessment decision letter. Review requests will need to be submitted to the Student Services Admissions Team by Friday, 12 October 2012.

The reviews will take place on Wednesday, 17 and Thursday, 18 October 2012. ● When will I know the review decision?

The result of the reviews will be posted to parents by Friday, 26 October 2012. This is before the closing date for school applications, which is Wednesday, 31 October 2012 (this is a national date). ● Do I have to request a review?

This is a parental decision. Even if you do not request a review, you will still be able to appeal for a Medway grammar school place, as long as you have named Medway grammar schools on your application for schools. ● If I am not happy with the review decision or I did not request a review, what else can I do?

If your child is not assessed as selective as a result of the Medway Test or the review process, or you did not request a review, you will need to wait until after the allocation of school places on 1 March 2013 before you can lodge an admissions appeal.

You can only appeal for a school if you have been refused admission, so you will need to ensure that your have named Medway grammar schools on your application in order to allow you to appeal for a place after 1 March 2013.

The appeal will be heard by an independent appeal panel. You can appeal for more than one school, but they must have been named on your application form.

Full details of how to appeal will be included with your child’s school offer letter. ● Will the appeal panel know if my child has had a review or not?

The panel will be made aware if you have had a review or not. This is because it will affect the way they consider the appeal.

If your child has gone through the review process then the independent appeal panel will consider if the review was carried out in a fair, consistent and objective manner for all children and for your child in particular. Only if they feel there is evidence to prove that the review was not carried out in a fair, consistent and objective manner can they then consider all the factors you put forward in your appeal case that may have affected your child’s performance and why you wish them to attend the school you are appealing for.

Late registrations for good reason will be accepted up until 31 July 2012.

Late registrations for families who have just moved into the area will be accepted up until 17 August 2012.

The decision on whether a reason for late registration is acceptable will be at the discretion of the Student Services Management Team.

Any late registrations received after the above dates will not be able to be tested until after the allocation of places on 1 March 2013.

This test is to assess a child’s level of ability and is used to help the school ensure that they admit an all ability intake of pupils. It is not a pass or fail test and is used to ensure that students from across the ability range are admitted.

If you are considering naming Brompton Academy or The Robert Napier School as one of your preferences on your school application, you will need to register your child to enable them to sit the Fair Banding Test.

Please contact the individual school / academy for more information. Medway Council has no involvement in these Fair Banding Tests.

● Are there any other testing arrangements for Medway secondary schools?

Brompton Academy and The Robert Napier School require all applicants to sit a Fair Banding Test.

If your child has not been through the review process, the independent appeal panel will consider all the factors you put forward in your appeal case. ● What happens if I miss the closing date for Medway Test registration?

Late registrations to sit the Medway Test will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances or for good reason (for example, serious illness, bereavement, late move to the area, etc). A letter explaining the reasons for the late registration must accompany any late registration request.

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15 15

Medway Test centre locations September 2012 The test centres for out of area children will be advised nearer the time.

School name

Test date

All Faiths’ Children’s Community School All Saints CE Primary School Allhallows Primary School Balfour Junior School Barnsole Primary School Bligh Junior School Brompton Westbrook Community Primary School Bryony School Burnt Oak Primary School Byron Primary School Chattenden Primary School Cliffe Woods Primary School Cuxton Community Junior School Deanwood Primary School Delce Junior School Elaine Primary School English Martyrs’ Catholic Primary School Fairview Primary School Featherby Junior School Glencoe Junior School Gordon Junior School Halling Primary School Hempstead Junior School High Halstow Primary School Hilltop Primary School Hoo St Werburgh Primary School Horsted Junior School Kingfisher Primary School King’s School, Rochester Lordswood School Luton Junior School Maundene Primary School Meredale School

Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19

In school In school In school In school In school In school

Sat 22 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Sat 22 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Sat 22 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Sat 22 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Sat 22 Sat 22 Sat 22 Sat 22 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Sat 22 Tue 18 / Wed 19

In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In test centre In school In school In school In school

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apply online

Test venue

School name

Test date

Miers Court Primary School Napier Community Primary School New Road Primary School Oaklands School Parkwood Junior School Riverside Primary School Saxon Way Primary School Sherwin Knight Junior School Skinner Street Primary School Spinnens Acre Junior School St Andrew’s School St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School St Benedict’s Catholic Primary School St Helen’s CE Primary School St James’ CA VA Primary School St Margaret’s at Troy Town Primary School St Margaret’s CE VC Junior School St Mary’s Catholic Primary School St Mary’s Island CE Primary School St Michael’s RC Primary School St Thomas More RC Primary School St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary School St William of Perth RC Primary School Stoke Community Primary School Temple Mill Primary School Thames View Primary School The Pilgrim School Twydall Primary School Wainscott Primary School Walderslade Primary School Warren Wood Community Primary School Wayfield Primary School Woodlands Primary School

Tue 18 / Wed 19 Sat 22 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Sat 22 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Sat 22 Sat 22

In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school

Tue 18 / Wed 19 Sat 22 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Sat 22 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Sat 22 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Sat 22 Sat 22 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Sat 22 Tue 18 / Wed 19 Sat 22 Tue 18 / Wed 19

In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school In school

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Test venue

Section three

The school application process

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17

● When can I apply for school places?

Medway Council’s secondary school applications are open from Monday, 10 September 2012 until 4pm on Wednesday, 31 October 2012. ● Who do I apply to?

You must submit your school application to the local authority where you live.

If you live in Medway, and pay your council tax to Medway Council, then you submit your school application to Medway Council.

If you live in Kent, and pay you council tax to one of the 12 district councils of Kent, then you must submit your school application to Kent County Council.

When applying online, you will receive email confirmation that your application has been received. Applications made on paper forms will not be acknowledged.

Please also see page 22. ● I live outside Medway. How do I apply?

If you live in another area you must submit your school application through the relevant authority. You can still name schools in Medway, but the application must go through your home local authority. If you require information on their schools, please contact the relevant local authority to ask for a copy of the secondary admissions booklet or visit their website.

You must submit your school application to Medway Council. You can name schools outside Medway and we will liaise with the relevant local authority to see if a place can be offered. ● My child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs. Can I apply?

No. If your child is statemented you would have already had discussions with the Special Educational Needs Team regarding which schools you wish your child to be considered for.

Your child will not go through the main admissions process.

If you have any questions regarding the special educational needs admissions process, please contact the Special Educational Needs Team on 01634 331130.

● How do I apply for secondary schools?

You can apply online at www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions Alternatively, you can complete a secondary common application form (SCAF) and return it to your child’s primary school (if a Medway school) or to the Student Services Admissions Team details can be found on page 3.

● I live in Medway. What schools can I apply for?

Details of the Medway secondary schools are provided later in this booklet.

Medway residents can also apply for schools outside Medway, but these must be named on your Medway application.

Please note that you should only use one of these methods. We cannot accept more than one application per child. If you apply online, please do not complete a paper form and vice versa.

You can name any school you wish your child to be considered for. Medway invites parents to name up to six schools on the Medway application.

You don’t have to name six, but it is important to understand that naming only one school does not give you a stronger claim to a place.

● Are there any benefits to applying online?

Parents who apply online for schools, and provide us with an email address, will be sent an email after 4pm on 1 March 2013 advising them of the school place offered, as well as being sent a formal offer letter which provides information on what to do next.

18

● I live in Medway, but want to apply for schools outside Medway. What do I do?

Please only name each school once. If you name a school more than once it will only be considered as one preference.

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If your child has been assessed as non-selective, but you wish to pursue a place at a Medway grammar school at appeal, then you must name the Medway grammar school on your application. If you do not name the school, you will not have the right of appeal after the school offers are made on 1 March 2013. ● Is the order I name schools important?

Medway operates an equal preference scheme, which means that school places are not offered based on which preference you name the school.

that they must live at this address permanently, or, in the case of separated families, it must be the address where your child spends the majority of the school nights. Please be aware that only one address can be used on the application. We can send duplicate correspondence to another address as long as all parties are in agreement.

If you are unsure of the address to be used in your circumstances, please contact the Student Services Admissions Team who will be happy to help you.

● I am moving shortly. What address do I use?

You must use the address you are living at on the closing date for school applications (31 October 2012).

If you are moving after you have submitted your application, you will need to provide the Student Services Admissions Team with proof of your move. This proof can be in the form of a copy of your exchange of contracts, completion documents or signed tenancy agreement.

Your application will be considered and prioritised against the named school’s oversubscription criteria.

Medway Council will not tell the schools which preference you named them. The order of your preference is between you and Medway Council.

When school places are being offered, Medway Council will look to offer your child a place at the highest named school where a place can be offered.

It is important that you name the schools in your preferred order. ● Why is my address important?

The address you give on your secondary school application is very important and will be used to calculate the home to school distance for the schools you have named. This will have an effect on your child’s application when it is considered against the school’s oversubscription criteria.

It is important that the address you provide is your child’s main place of residence. This means

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19

Any request for a change of address can be accepted up until 17 November 2012 if accompanied by sufficient evidence.

● For parents who have moved to Medway after the closing date and by 17 November 2012 Any application received from a new Medway resident after the closing date and by 17 November 2012 will be included in the normal allocation of places on 1 March 2013. Proof of the Medway address and the date of the move must accompany such applications. This can be a copy of a signed tenancy agreement, exchange of contracts or completion documents.

● What happens if I give false information?

If you deliberately provide false information on your school application, such as an address, and a place is granted on the basis of this information that wouldn’t have otherwise been offered, we can and will withdraw the offer of a school place.

If you believe that someone has provided false information on their school application, we ask that you contact the Student Services Manager at Medway Council. All such contacts will be treated in confidence and we will not disclose any of your information.

● Any application received after 17 November 2012 but before 1 March 2013 Applications received after 17 November 2012 will not be considered for places on 1 March 2013. They will be included in the re-allocation of places after 22 April 2013 and after consultation with the relevant admission authority for the named schools. The child’s name will automatically be placed on the waiting list for any schools named that are unable to offer a place.

If any part of your application is thought to be false we will investigate, and the emphasis will be on parents to provide satisfactory evidence proving the point being queried. ● What happens if I miss the closing date for applications?

● Any application received after 1 March 2013 These will be considered under the continuing re-allocation of places

The closing date for applications is 31 October 2012.

Late applications cannot be made online. All late applicants must complete a secondary common application form (SCAF) and return it direct to the Student Services Admissions Team. ● For parents resident in Medway on or before the closing date As far as reasonably practicable, late applications will be accepted provided they are received by Medway Council before Friday, 17 November 20

● Can I change my preferences after the closing date?

2012. These applications must be accompanied by a written explanation of the reasons for late submission. Only exceptional circumstances can be considered by the Student Services Management Team. If it is decided that the reason for late submission does not constitute good reason, the application will be held until after allocation on 1 March 2013, and will be considered at re-allocation.

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Changes to preference are not allowed after the closing date for applications (31 October 2012) other than in exceptional circumstances. If you feel that your circumstances fall into this category, please submit your request in writing to the Student Services Management Team for consideration. However, no changes can be made to your application after 17 November 2012.

Section four

The online admissions process

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www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

21

Medway Council would like to encourage all parents/carers of children resident in Medway to submit their secondary school application online.

Applying online offers you a quick, easy and secure option for submitting your application.

You can apply online at www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions ● When can I apply online?

You can access the online admissions system during the following periods: To register your child to take the Medway Test – registration is open from 9am on Wednesday, 6 June 2012 until 4pm on Friday, 13 July 2012.

To submit your child’s secondary school application – applications are open from Monday, 10 September 2012 until 4pm on Wednesday, 31 October 2012.

We cannot accept any online applications made outside these periods. ● What are the benefits of applying online?

You can submit your application at a time that suits you, anytime, day or night, during the periods shown above.

The online system provides a safe, fast and easy method of sending us your application and provides you with confirmation that it has been received.

After 4pm on 5 October 2012, parents who have registered their child online for the Medway Test and provided an email address, will receive their child’s test result by email.

22

After 4pm on the offer day, 1 March 2013, Medway Council will send details by email, of which school has been offered to parents who successfully submitted an online application and provided an email address. ● Can I submit an online request for my child to sit the Medway Test?

Yes. You can submit your Medway Test registration online.

Online test registration is open to everybody, whether you live in Medway or not.

apply online

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

If you live in Medway and pay your council tax to Medway Council and have registered for the Medway Test online, your username and password will allow you to update your information with your school preferences, and re-submit the application during the application period as shown above.

We strongly advise you to wait for your Medway Test result before submitting your school preferences.

● What do I need to do to apply online?

If you make changes and do not re-submit the application for processing your changes will not be included when the application is processed.

Firstly, you will need to register with the website.

You will be asked to create a username and password for yourself. We suggest that you make these easy to remember and keep a note of them (space is provided on the inside front cover of this booklet), as you will need these in the future to access your application.

● Will I still get a letter telling me my child’s school offer?

You will then need to enter your details and your child’s details (if you are registering for the Medway Test – you will need to submit the application at this stage). You can add your school preferences later, then re-submit your application during the periods shown above.

● Can I submit an online application and a paper application?

If you provide an email address in your information, you will receive email confirmation of the application you have submitted. This will be a copy of the information you have provided. ● Can I change my application or my information after I have submitted it?

Yes. You can make changes to your application up until the closing date for the relevant submission (13 July for Medway Test registration and 31 October for secondary school applications).

Yes, all applicants receive the formal offer letter.

Online applicants, who have provided an email address, also receive an email advising them of the school place offered.

No. We can only process one application for each pupil. If you have applied online, do not complete a paper application as well.

Please note, if you submit an online application this will override any paper application we receive for your child unless you contact us prior to the closing date to cancel your online application. ● How do I register for the Kent Test?

You will need to submit your registration directly to Kent County Council for the Kent Test. This can be done online at www.kent.gov.uk/ola or by obtaining a registration form from Kent County Council. Phone 01622 696565.

You will need your username and password to re-enter your application and make any changes.

It is vitally important that you remember to re-submit your application after you have made your changes as we can only process the last submitted application as at the closing date.

apply online

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

23

Section five

24

The school offer process and next steps

apply online

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

● When will I find out my child’s school offer?

Secondary school places are offered on 1 March 2013. This is a national date when all secondary school places in England will be offered.

All parents will be sent a formal offer letter advising them of the school offered and what to do next. These letters will be posted by Medway Council by 1st class post on 1 March 2013 to be received in the following few days.

If you apply online, and provide an email address, you will also receive an email after 4pm on 1 March 2013 advising you of your child’s school offer. You will still receive a formal letter and will need this to take the next steps.

● How does Medway Council work out what priority my child has for a place at the schools I have named?

All school places are allocated in accordance with the individual school’s published oversubscription criteria. Full details of each school’s criteria can be found on the individual school information pages later in this booklet.

Student Services Admissions work in partnership with each school to ensure that all applicants are prioritised (ranked) correctly against the published oversubscription criteria.

● How does Medway Council work out which school is to be offered to my child?

Medway operates an equal preference scheme, which means that school places are not offered based on which preference you name the school.

Your application will be considered and prioritised against the named school’s oversubscription criteria.

Medway Council will not tell the schools in which preference you listed them. The order of your preference is between you and Medway Council.

● Who will I receive my offer from?

You will receive your school offer letter from your home local authority. This means, if you live in Medway and pay you council tax to Medway Council you will receive your letter from Medway Council.

If you live in Kent and pay your council tax to one of the 12 district councils of Kent then you will receive your offer letter from Kent County Council. ● Why does it take so long from applying for schools to receiving the school offer?

The closing date for school applications (31 October) and the offer date for school places (1 March) are national dates set by central government. There are many procedures that need to be undertaken by councils to process applications, including exchanging data with other councils and schools and working with schools to prioritise applicants.

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When school places are being offered, Medway Council will look to offer your child a place at the highest named school where a place can be offered. ● What happens if more than one of the schools I name can offer my child a place?

You will only receive the offer of one school place on 1 March 2013 and Medway Council will look to offer your child a place at the highest named school where a place can be offered. ● What about children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs?

Children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs do not go through this admissions process and any places being offered to a statemented child at a school will be allocated before all other places.

The school’s published admission number (PAN) will be adjusted to take account of any statemented children offered, and Student Services Admissions will offer up to the remaining number of places available at the school. ● Am I guaranteed to get one of the schools named on my application?

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that we can offer a place at one of your named schools. It will depend on how oversubscribed the named schools are and where your child is prioritised against the school’s over subscription criteria.

We strongly advise you to name more than one school on your application to give you the most opportunity to receive the offer of a place at a school you are satisfied with. Medway residents can list up to six preferences.

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For 2012 admissions, 98.59 per cent of children received the offer of a place at a school named on their application form on 1 March 2012.

86.67 per cent of children received the offer of a place at their first preference school. ● What happens if you can’t offer my child a place at a school named on my application?

Medway Council has a duty to ensure that a school place is offered on 1 March to every child who has applied for a school place.

If we are not able to offer a place at one of your preferences, we will look to allocate a place at the nearest appropriate school to your home address that has a place available.

Appropriate school means a Medway grammar school for children assessed as selective and a Medway non-selective school for children assessed as non-selective. ● If my child is assessed as selective, will I definitely be offered a grammar school?

Although the vast majority of selective assessed children are offered places at a grammar school, sometimes we offer them a place at a nonselective school because it is named as a higher preference on the application. ● If I am not happy with the school place offered, what can I do?

Full details of the next steps you can take following the school offer made on 1 March 2013 will be with the offer letter. You have a number of options, including requesting to be placed on a waiting list to be considered at re-allocation and lodging a school admission appeal. Brief details of some of these options are listed below:

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● Waiting lists / Re-allocation: You will be sent a waiting list request form along with your school offer letter on 1 March 2013.

Using this form you can request to be placed on the waiting list for any of the schools you originally named on your application form* and/or any other Medway secondary school* Your child will not automatically be added to a waiting list unless you have submitted a request form. The only exception to this is where an appeal has been lodged. Children who have appealed will also be added to the relevant school’s* waiting list. *Please note that you can only request to go on the waiting list for a Medway grammar school if your child has been assessed as selective under the Medway test procedures.

Student Services Admissions will then collate all waiting list requests and look to re-allocate (offer) any vacant school places that may become available to children who have requested to be placed on the waiting list.

A child’s position on a school’s waiting list will be decided in accordance with the school’s published oversubscription criteria. Places are not held on a first come, first served basis.

It is important to understand that a child’s place on the waiting list may change (up or down) dependent on the eligibility of other children who have requested to be on the waiting list.

Waiting list requests must be submitted by 15 April 2013.

Vacant places will be re-allocated after 22 April 2013.

NB: If you are offered a school place at one of the schools you have named on your waiting list request, any other school offer will be automatically withdrawn to be re-allocated to another child. You will not have a claim on the original place offered if you change your mind and will need to be added to that school’s waiting list for consideration at future re-allocation. ● Appeals: You have the right of appeal to any of the schools you have named on your application form that has not been able to offer your child a place. This can include grammar schools, even if your child has not been assessed as selective, as long as you named them on your application form.

● Can I go on the waiting list and lodge an appeal for the same school?

Yes. You can submit a waiting list form and lodge an appeal for the same school. The two processes are independent of each other, and being on the waiting list will not affect your appeal and vice versa. ● How do I accept or refuse the school place offered?

You will receive an acceptance/refusal form with your school offer letter on 1 March 2013. You will need to complete this form and return it to the school being offered with your decision.

Acceptance/refusal forms must be returned to the schools by 15 April 2013. ● If I refuse the place offered, do I have a better chance of being offered a place from the waiting list or being successful at appeal?

No. Vacant places are only offered from waiting lists in accordance with the school’s oversubscription criteria. They are not dependent on whether you are holding the offer of a school place or not. In a similar way, appeal decisions are based on the cases heard by the independent appeal panel and not on whether you are holding a school place or not.

You cannot lodge an appeal for a school you have not named on your application form.

Full details of how to appeal and an appeal form will be included with your school offer letter on 1 March 2013.

You can submit more than one appeal at the same time, as the schools being appealed for will not be aware that you have appealed for another school.

Who you submit your appeal request to will depend on the school being appealed for, and details of where you need to send your form will be included with your letter on 1 March 2013.

An independent appeal panel will hear admission appeals. They are independent of the school and the council and their decision is binding on the school and the council.

Appeal requests must be lodged by 15 April 2013.

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Section six

28

Free school meals and home to school transport

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The following information on free school meals and home to school transport is correct at the time of going to print.

Please note that there may be changes to Medway Council’s policies as a result of changes to central government legislation. This may mean that changes may be made before your child is due to start secondary school in September 2013.

Please check the Medway Council website www.medway.gov.uk for the most up to date information nearer the time of your child starting secondary school.

Free school meals ● Will my child be entitled to free school meals?

Your child may qualify to receive free school meals if you receive certain qualifying benefits.

At the time of printing this booklet, these are: ● Income Support; ● Jobseeker’s Allowance (income based); ● Employment and Support Allowance (Income related); ● The Guarantee element of State Pension Credit; ● Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999; ● Child Tax Credit, but not entitled to Working Tax Credit, and whose annual income (as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) does not exceed £16,190.

As the government is looking to change the benefits system, please be aware these could have changed by September 2013.

● How do I apply for free school meals?

You will need to complete the free school meals application form.

If applying during the school holidays, you will need to send the completed form to the freepost address on the bottom of the form. If applying at any other time, as well as this option, you can also take your completed form into your child’s school office.

You can obtain an application form by calling the Student Services Operations Team on 01634 331155, or collecting one from your child’s school office, Medway Council’s contact points, or the main libraries - Gillingham, Chatham, Rochester and Strood. ● Do I need to provide proof of benefit with my application?

You do not need to provide proof of benefit at this time. By signing the form you are allowing the Student Services Operations Team to verify your claim.

If free school meals cannot be verified, the team will ask for an up to date, full copy of the proof of benefit you are receiving, to reassess your claim. ● Do I need to complete the application form for all Medway schools?

At the time of going to print, the following Medway secondary schools administer their own free school meals applications: ● Chatham Grammar School for Girls ● Rainham Mark Grammar School ● The Howard School ● The Rochester Grammar School

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● The

Thomas Aveling School Pitt Grammar School ● Rainham School for Girls ● Strood Academy ● Fort

For these schools, you will need to contact them directly to find out how to submit an application for free school meals. For up-todate details on schools please visit www.medway.gov.uk For all other Medway secondary schools, please complete the Medway Council application form. ● Do I have to renew my application for free school meals and if so, when?

No, you do not have to renew your application if all your details have remained the same.

The Student Services Operations Team will carry out regular reviews and contact you for further proof of benefit, if required. ● Who do I contact if any of my and/or my child’s personal details change, or I stop receiving benefit, once I am receiving free school meals?

Please contact the Student Services Operations Team on 01634 331155 to update your details.

If you have moved address, you will be asked to complete a new application form.

If you do not notify the team, it could result in you having to repay the cost of any free school meals that your child has received.

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Home to school transport ● How do I know if my child is eligible for free home to school transport?

Following the offer of a school place on 1 March 2013, the Student Services Operations Team will automatically assess all Year 6 pupils to see if they are eligible for free home to school transport to the school they have been offered.

If your child may qualify for free home to school transport you will be sent confirmation in writing. You will be asked to check the information and to provide a passport sized photograph of your child to enable us to process the application, or provide proof of low-income where necessary.

● What is the current transport policy?

At the time of going to print, the basic qualifying criteria to be eligible for free home to school transport is that you must live more than three miles from the secondary school your child will be attending and it must be deemed as the nearest appropriate school to your home address. ● What does nearest appropriate school mean?

This means the school geographically nearest to your home address that is suitable for a child’s age, ability and aptitude.

We can only distinguish between non-selective and selective schools and cannot take into account the individual specialist status of a school. When deciding which is the nearest appropriate school, we do not take into account

If you have not received written confirmation from the Student Services Operations Team by the end of June 2013, it is likely that your child is not eligible for free home to school transport. ● What if I don’t agree with the decision?

If you feel that the decision that your child is not eligible for free home to school transport is incorrect, or that your child’s circumstances warrant an exception to be made, you can submit an application form enclosing a letter explaining the reason why you wish your child’s case to be looked at further. The Student Services Management Team will look at this. ● Where can I get an application form?

You can get an application form from any Medway school, Medway contact points or the main libraries - Gillingham, Chatham, Rochester and Strood. Alternatively, you can contact the Student Services Operations Team on 01634 331155.

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a parent’s preference for a single sex, mixed or specialist school.

Only one school can be the nearest appropriate school from your home address.

If you express a preference for a school which is not the nearest appropriate school and you are offered a place, you will not qualify for free transport, even if the school is more than three miles from your home address.

A nearest appropriate school form will be available in September 2012 for you to request details of the schools deemed the nearest appropriate from your home address. To request a form please contact the Student Services Operation Team on 01634 331155.

● Can I get free home to school transport if I am on a low income?

Yes. If you are on a low-income you can qualify for free home to school transport if you live more than two miles, but not more than six miles, from one of your three nearest appropriate schools.

Low-income families are defined as where the children are entitled to free school meals (see details on page 29), or if parents receive the maximum level of working tax credit.

When returning the application form you will need to provide an up to date full copy of your proof of benefit in order for us to assess your claim. ● Can my child get free home to school transport from two addresses if the parents are separated and they live part time with each parent?

No. Medway Council can only issue one travel pass for one return journey from home to school each day. We can only assess a transport application from the address that is the child’s main place of residence. If you have any specific questions regarding these situations, please contact the Student Services Operations Team on 01634 331155. ● Will my child receive free home to school transport automatically if they have medical of special educational needs?

If a child has specific medical needs for transport, you will need to provide medical evidence for assessment by the Student Service Operations Team. This evidence must provide sufficient detail to enable an assessment to be carried out.

If a child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs, you will need to discuss their transport needs with the Special Educational Needs Team

on 01634 331130. They will advise what information they need to assess the case. ● How are distances measured for home to school transport?

It is important to understand that the school admissions policies and the home to school transport policies are completely separate and do not interlink.

Distances for home to school transport are calculated using the geographical information software available to Medway Council. The distance is calculated from the home address to the school address by the shortest available walking route. It may take account of footpaths, public rights of way, etc.

The shortest available walking route is one along which a child can walk to school, accompanied as necessary, with reasonable safety. ● I have chosen a school on faith grounds.

Can I get free home to school transport?

If your child is attending St John Fisher Catholic School or Bishop of Rochester Academy on religious grounds, Medway Council will count these schools as the nearest appropriate for a child of the Roman Catholic or Church of England faith respectively.

You may be entitled to free transport if you live more than three miles from the school, and your child is a regular practising member of a church of the same religion as the school. This needs to be confirmed in writing by the church.

15 miles from the school and your child is a regularly practising member of a church of the same religion as the school. This needs to be confirmed in writing, by the church. ● How do I find out what bus routes and companies cover the journey to my child’s chosen school?

Arriva Bus Company operates the majority of bus routes in Medway. You can contact them for advice on 01634 283600 or visit their website www.arrivabus.co.uk to find out the service numbers, times and boarding points.

Tenders for bus services are often renewed, so at the time of printing this booklet, the following bus companies also operate in certain parts of Medway. To find out if they operate near you, please contact them on the numbers below: ● Nu

Venture Bus Company 01622 882288 Coaches 01634 201065 ● Red Route 01474 353896 ● ASD Coaches 01634 726412 ● Farleigh

If you are on a low-income, you may be entitled to free transport if you live between two and

apply online

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

31

● If my child does not qualify for free home to school transport, are there any other schemes available in Medway? ● Medway

Youth Pass (young persons half-price bus fare scheme) - this entitles all young people who live in Medway and hold a valid pass to pay half the adult fare at all times when travelling on any local bus service. The journeys must start in Medway and can be to any destination in Medway or Kent, as long as any changes of bus are in Medway. This pass is not valid on the subsidised yellow buses run by Medway Council or companies who already offer a child fare.

Passes expire after three years or when the young person finishes Year 11, whichever is sooner. A new pass is needed for 16-19-yearolds (Year12 onwards), this will expire when the young person reaches the end of the academic year after their eighteenth birthday.

a hired school vehicle, if one operates on the route required, at a cost. It is important to understand that the seat on the transport may be withdrawn at any time if it is required by a child eligible for free home to school transport or if the transport is withdrawn. Further information on this scheme can be obtained from the Transport Procurement Team on 01634 331139. ● If we are refused free transport, is there a right of appeal?

If your application for free home to school transport is refused by the Student Services Operations Team and you believe that your circumstances warrant an exception being made, please put your reasons in writing to the Student Services Operations Manager, to be reconsidered.

You can apply for this scheme and find out the cost by ringing the Student Services Operations Team on 01634 331155, or collecting a form from your child’s school office, Medway’s contact points, or the main libraries Gillingham, Chatham, Rochester and Strood. ● Yellow

Bus Scheme Medway Council provides the Yellow Bus Scheme, which supplies school buses for pupils living in certain parts of Medway to travel to specific schools. If you are interested in this service, please contact our Transport Procurement Team on 01634 331112.

● Vacant

Seat Payment Scheme Children who do not qualify for free home to school transport may apply for a vacant seat on

32

apply online

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

If it is still refused, you may wish to make a formal appeal to Members of Medway Council against this decision. We will provide details of how to do this at that time. ● If my child has a free bus pass and misbehaves on the bus, will the pass be taken away?

All transport provided is subject to your child behaving in an acceptable manner while travelling. If, however, the transport company feels that your child’s behaviour is unacceptable, their ticket can be withdrawn. In such cases, Medway Council will cease to accept liability for travel arrangements and you will have to make your own arrangements from then on.

Section seven

Common oversubscription criteria

apply online

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33

The below table provides some definitions of the most common oversubscription criteria used by schools.

The definitions quoted are those of Medway Council and may be different for an individual school.

Please ensure you read each individual school’s information page to ascertain exactly what their over subscription criteria is and what it means for your child.

Criteria

Definition

Children in public care/ looked after children and previously after children

Looked after children are children who are (i) in the care of a local authority, or (ii) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (as defined in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989) at the time of making the application for a school.

Previously looked after children are children who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (under the terms of the Adoption and Children Act 2002, Section 46) or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order (under the terms of the Children Act 1989, Section 8 and Section 14A).

Please note that the council may ask for a copy of the adoption/residence order to validate this criterion.

Current family association/sibling

Sibling means children who live as brother/sister in the same house and includes natural siblings, adopted siblings, foster siblings and step siblings. Extended family, for example cousins, living in the same house do not qualify as siblings. The sibling must be attending the named school at the time of application and at the time the younger child would start (September 2013).

Child’s health reasons

Medical evidence from a GP or consultant must be provided to Student Services Admissions Team. This evidence must demonstrate a specific link between the child’s medical conditions and needs, and how the named school can meet these needs. Please note not every school/academy has this as a criterion.

Residence in an access area

If a school operates an access area, children living within the area receive a higher priority for a place than other applicants from a lower listed criterion.

Nearness of child’s home/distance*

The distance calculated is the shortest available safe walking route known to the graphical information software used by Student Services Admissions. This graphical information software may not know all footpaths that are in existence and certain new roads may not be known. Where a footpath or new road is not known to the software an alternative route will be used. Where a child’s home is situated on a new road the distance calculation will begin from the nearest available known road plotted in the software. New developments may be subject to this. In certain cases it may not be possible to calculate a distance where the entire route is deemed as a safe walking route. In these circumstances the distance calculated is used purely to prioritise an application for admission. There is no expectation that the walk should be taken.

Score

Some grammar schools elect to prioritise applicants based on their test scores. This means that all applications will be prioritised from highest score to lowest score. It is important to understand that these schools are not permitted to give any priority to siblings.

*Please note that, at the time of going to print, Student Services Admissions are researching the use of new distancing software. Please check the website www.medway.gov.uk and look at ‘Co-ordinated Admission Scheme for Secondary Admissions – September 2013’ for the most up to date information on how distances are calculated.

34

apply online

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Section eight

Other information

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www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

35

● Individual school’s published oversubscription criteria/admission arrangements The oversubscription criteria detailed in section nine of this booklet are the published determined admission arrangements for each school/academy.

If any party feels that the published admission arrangements are unlawful or are not compliant with the provisions of the School Admission Code, they may make a referral to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator www.schoolsadjudicator.gov.uk Any such referral must be made by 30 June 2012.

Please be aware that if any referrals have been made, and dependent on the outcome of such referrals, a school’s arrangements may be subject to change. Medway Council will publish details of any changes on the website www.medway.gov.uk

● Choosing to educate at home You may choose to educate your child at home.

If you elect to do this, the council has a duty to ensure that your child is receiving suitable and efficient full time education.

If you wish to consider educating your child at home, please contact the Inclusions Team on 01634 332572 for more information.

You will be asked to provide full details on the arrangements you are making. ● Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) ACE has been supporting families on education issues for over 50 years. They provide information, support and advice to parents on many aspects of their child’s education. You can contact them on 0808 800 5793 or via their website www.ace-ed.org.uk.

● Independent and impartial advice Medway Council’s Student Services Admissions Team is able to offer you impartial advice on the admissions process, Medway schools and academies. You can contact the team on 01634 331110 or email admissions@medway.gov.uk If you want specific detail on what an individual school/academy can offer your child, you can contact them directly. Contact details can be found for every Medway school and academy in section nine.

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apply online

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

● School term dates Full details of term dates for the academic year September 2013 to July 2014 can be found at www.medway.gov.uk Please be aware that some schools may operate different term dates to the Medway Council defined ones and you will need to speak to individual schools about their arrangements. ● Sustainable School Travel Strategy Medway Council is keen to ensure that their own plans support school travel plans (STP), so that the schools can develop a long-term commitment to implementation, monitoring and development. Working with schools, Medway Council has developed a number of initiatives.

Further information can be found at www.medway.gov.uk/educationandlearning/ schoolsandcolleges/gettingtoschool.aspx

Section nine

The schools

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www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

37

Location and access areas of schools ● What is an access area?

Six Medway schools include an access area within their admissions criteria. Applications received for pupils that reside within the school’s access area will receive a higher priority for a place at that school than applicants that do not reside in the access area. Those applicants that live furthest from the school within the access area receive higher priority than those that live closest within the access area. Please note that applicants residing in an access area with valid sibling links or higher criterion will be prioritised under the higher criteria.

If you are unsure if you live in an access area for one of these schools, please contact Student Services Admissions who will be able to help you.

You can either phone on 01634 331110 or email admissions@medway.gov.uk ● Access areas The following schools have access areas, shown on the map opposite:

A B - The Thomas Aveling School C - Walderslade Girls’ School

- The Hundred of Hoo School

Medway secondary schools Page

1

Bishop of Rochester Academy

41

2

Brompton Academy

42

3

Chatham Grammar School for Boys

44

4

Chatham Grammar School for Girls

45

5

Fort Pitt Grammar School

46

6

Greenacre School

47

7

Rainham Mark Grammar School

48

8

Rainham School for Girls

49

9

Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School

50

10 St John Fisher Catholic School

51

11 Strood Academy

53

12 The Howard School

54

13 The Hundred of Hoo School

55

14 The Robert Napier School

56

15 The Rochester Grammar School

58

16 The Thomas Aveling School

59

17 Walderslade Girls’ School

60

and Greenacre School

D - Rainham School for Girls E - The Howard School 38

apply online

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Allhallows

Cliffe

B2 00 0

Grain

B2 00 0

es ha m T r Rive

A2 28

River Medway

13

A22 6

Hoo

Londo n

Jct 1

Medway

Medway Tunnel

Strood A2

A28 9

11

Medway Park

Gillingham

M

Rochester

2

Jct 2

5

A2

2 14

Chatham

Motorway Bridge

9

15 16

10 3 1

4

B2 00 4

A289

A2

Rainham A2 Tesco Superstore

7 12 8

M2

Maidstone

A2

Sittin

gbour n

e

17 6 Asda Superstore store

Jct 3

Splashes Leisure Centre

Jct 4

Ca nt M2 erbu ry/ Do ver

39

How to use the school pages Criteria for admission and oversubscription Map reference number, see page 39 School contact details

School specialist status

Published admission number for 2013

Department for Education unique school number

Introduction to school by headteacher/principal

Open sessions, times and dates

School type (grammar, high, academy etc)

Area of Medway

40

Total number of preferences expressed for the school

Number of places offered on 1 March (offer day) of relevant year

apply online

Furthest distance or lowest score offered as applicable. If the school was undersubscribed (not full) on offer day this section will show N/A

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

School status (academy, foundation, community, voluntary aided) Access area see page 39

Expected school roll for September 2013

1

Bishop of Rochester Academy Specialisms: Mathematics, Music, ICT

At the Bishop of Rochester Academy, we are determined to excel. Our staff work hard to enable students to make the progress we know they are capable of, and we constantly encourage them to achieve beyond their expectations. Subjects such as philosophy and Latin will not only widen their experience, but will also equip them with the skills to improve their attainment in other areas. We have a passion for excellence, which is visible in our classrooms, in our extra-curricular activities such as music, rugby, football and dance and through the way in which we engage with parents and our local community. We have high expectations of every member of our academy, and are developing an innovative curriculum to inspire our students to aim high and achieve their full academic potential.

Initiatives such as free breakfast and the accelerated reader programme will all help your son or daughter to get the most out of their time at the academy. We are proud of our Christian Ethos, and believe that this ethos provides the basis for the respect and care that each member of the academy community receives. We are looking forward to moving into our £23 million new build in Spring 2013, and are looking forward to the exceptional learning environment and state-of-theart facilities that this will provide our students.

Admission and oversubscription criteria

Principal: Colin Boxall East Campus, Magpie Hall Road, Chatham

There will be two broad groups: 150 open places and up to 90 foundation places.

Open places will be open to anyone; foundation places will be for students from three local Church of England primary schools. These are All Saints’ C of E Primary School, Chatham, St Mary’s Island C of E Primary School, Chatham and St Margaret’s C of E Junior School, Rainham. If there were not enough students applying for the foundation places, then any left will become open places.

Where the Academy is oversubscribed, after the admission of children with statements of SEN, places will be allocated to applicants in the following priority order: 1 Looked after children (as defined in the Medway Council Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme) 2 Siblings (pupils living as brothers and sisters, etc) 3 Those living nearest the academy based on the measured distance using Medway Council’s GIS system and procedure.

After pupils have been accepted to the academy, they can apply for a music scholarship; there are 25 music scholarship places for those pupils who have an aptitude for or interest in music.

ME4 5JB 01634 845196 Email: office@boracademy.org www.boracademy.org DFE number: 887 6907

PAN: 240

Open sessions Open evening: Wednesday, 17 and Thursday, 18 October, late afternoon/evening 3.30 – 7pm Open morning: Saturday, 20 October 10am – 1pm Open morning: Tuesday, 23, Wednesday, 24 and Thursday, 25 October from 9am by appointment For admission enquiries please contact Miss Mandi Clark, Office Manager

Colin Boxall, Principal Type

Area

Age range

Single sex/ mixed

Academy

Chatham

11 – 18

Mixed

Number of prefs 2012 2011 254

apply online

417

Places allocated 2012 2011 105

178

Furthest distance offered 2012 2011 N/A

N/A

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Access area

Expected roll

Status

No

1100

Academy

41

2

Brompton Academy Specialism: Science and Arts

Brompton Academy is an all ability, innovative, dynamic 11-18 school, with specialisms in science and arts, and a grammar stream, under the leadership of the University of Kent.

The academy delivers high quality education leading to university entrance and equivalent progression routes. Entry to the academy is via a Fair Banding Test. The academy offers a unique learning environment, with an accelerated curriculum where all students have the opportunity to follow personalised learning pathways, leading to early entry GCSE and Advanced level qualifications.

Students in Year 7 undertake a foundation programme to support their personal development in becoming confident, happy, robust, successful young people with a passion for learning.

The academy boasts high standards of behaviour.

If you are looking for a highly effective all ability academy that will offer the best educational opportunities for a young person together with wrap around care, support and guidance, then the future has to be Brompton Academy.

The academy will move into a state-of-the-art new building in 2013,with brand new Apple learning technologies to support student motivation.

Further information is available on our website.

Type Academy

42

Area Gillingham

Age range Single sex/ mixed 11 – 18

Mixed

Admission and oversubscription criteria Admission: Students applying for admission must take a Fair Banding Test, see page 43 for details.

Principal: Judy Rider BA (Hons), MA Marlborough Road, Gillingham ME7 5HT 01634 852341 Email: admissions@bromptonacademy.org.uk

Oversubscription: Places are first offered to students with a Statement of Special Educational Needs, where the Brompton Academy is named on the statement and after agreement with the academy. The remaining applicants will be split into the ability bands based on their NFER scores within the national profile. Within each band the criterion will be applied in the order in which they are set out below: 1 Children in public care.

2 Current family association (elder brother or sister in the academy at time of application who will still be attending when the applicant child is admitted. In this context, brother or sister means: • a natural brother or sister (including adopted siblings) • step brother or sister • foster brother or sister • those who live as brother or sister in the same house.

3 Children of staff (where the member of staff has been employed for two years).

Number of prefs 2012 2011 552

apply online

577

Places allocated 2012 2011 190

180

www.bromptonacademy.org.uk

DFE number: 887 6906

PAN: 210

Open sessions Open evening: Thursday, 27 September, 6 – 8.30pm Principal talks at 6.15pm Open morning: Saturday, 29 September 10am – 12noon Morning tours: Tuesday, 9 and Wednesday, 10 October, please phone for an appointment.

For admission enquiries please contact the principal

4 Nearness of child’s home.

5 Random selection.

Allocation criteria

Access area

Expected roll

Status

Fair Banding plus criteria

No

1000

Academy

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Fair Banding Test dates Saturday, 15 September or Saturday, 20 October - register for the test on our website.

Academy reception from Monday, 4 June till Monday, 16 July 2012. This test registration form should be returned within the prescribed deadlines as indicated on the registration form together with the preferred test date.

Fair Banding Test Brompton Academy is an all ability school and in order to secure all ability intake that is representative of the national ability range, all applicants for admission must take a fair banding test which is prescribed by National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER).

This is not a pass or fail test this is just to ensure that children across the ability range are admitted.

All applicants for places in the academy will be banded according to the principles of fair banding, using the national profile.

Medway operate an equal preference system which means that parents/carers who intend to put Brompton Academy down on the preference form either first, second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth choice will need to take the Academy Fair Banding test, which will determine what banding group their child should be placed in should they gain a place at the academy. The test will be administered on Saturday, 15 September or Saturday, 20 October – a year ahead of entry. Parents and Carers can access the test for their child by filling in and returning a test registration form which will be available via the academy website www.bromptonacademy.org.uk and from the

All applicants for an Academy place, including those with a SEN statement, will be required to take the Fair Banding test. Following the test, applicants will be split into bands based on NFER scores within the national profile, including those with SEN statements and Looked After Children and children who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or because they were subject to a residence order or special guardianship order).

Students who have not taken the banding test will be considered after children who have sat the banding test.

Within each band, and after the automatic admission of Looked After Children and children who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or because they were subject to a residence order or special guardianship order), and after the automatic admission of students with Statements of Special Educational Needs where the Brompton Academy is named on the statement (after the academy has been consulted and it has been agreed), the criteria shall be applied in the order in which they are set out below.

They will be prioritised on the basis of criteria 2 to 5 in order. All applicants will be offered fair access to the test and reminded of the dates, times and locations available to sit the test.

apply online

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

43

3

Chatham Grammar School for Boys Specialisms: Science

We celebrate our 100th Anniversary during 2013.

Located in a beautiful, historic building we produce talented, high achieving young men and women excelling academically; in the arts and sport.

Students progress to the finest universities in the world; the professions, public and armed services, sport and entertainment industries.

We encourage the love of learning for its own sake. In addition to English and Mathematics all pupils study at least one modern language, separate sciences and humanities to GCSE. International School Status provides opportunities for visits all over the planet, especially Japan, where links exist in Kyoto, Hirado and Chigasaki.

Major school sports are football, hockey and rugby.

In addition we excel in athletics; there are also opportunities in cricket, tennis and many other sporting activities. Drama productions takes place every year and the school’s contemporary, jazz, and brass bands perform in concerts each term.

Pupils with special educational needs are welcomed and provided with the support to help them thrive.

Every pupil at Chatham Grammar School for Boys is treated as an individual, the school is well known for its caring ethos, supportive staff and desire to work in partnership with parents to ensure that pupils are happy give of their best and achieve their full potential.

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Type

Area

Age range

Single sex/ mixed

Grammar

Chatham

11 – 18

Boys

Admission and oversubscription criteria

Headteacher: Mr David Marshall Holcombe, Maidstone Road, Chatham ME4 6JB

Admission: Entry is with testing (either the Medway Test or Kent Test)

01634 830083 Email: office@cgsb.co.uk www.cgsb.co.uk

Oversubscription: 1 Children with statements of Special Educational Needs where Chatham Grammar School for Boys is named on the statement.

2 Children in public care (as defined in the Medway Council Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme).

3 Current family association (i.e. elder brother or sister in Chatham Grammar School for Boys or Chatham Grammar School for Girls at time of application who will still be attending when the applicant child is admitted. In this context, brother or sister means: A natural brother or sister (including adopted siblings); step brother or sister; foster brother or sister; those who live as brother or sister in the same house.

4 Child’s health reasons. Written medical evidence from a general practitioner or hospital consultant must be provided which demonstrates a specific health reason, which requires the child to attend Chatham Grammar School for Boys.

5 Distance from children’s homes as determined using the Medway Council measure.

Number of prefs 2012 2011 450

apply online

443

Places allocated 2012 2011 95

98

DFE number: 887 4068

Open sessions Open evening: Tuesday, 9 October, 5.30 – 9.15pm Open sessions: Monday, 8 to Friday, 26 October (except 9 and 10) by appointment only For admission enquiries please contact Mrs Patricia Lewis

Furthest distance offered 2012 2011 N/A

PAN: 146

N/A

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Access area

Expected roll

Status

No

980

Academy

4

Chatham Grammar School for Girls High Performing School for Modern Foreign Languages

At CGSG we provide a friendly and supportive environment where able students can achieve their academic potential and develop a range of skills that will equip them effectively for the future. Our record of high academic achievement and our success in guiding students to higher education are due to the expertise of our well qualified and experienced teaching staff and the care, guidance and support provided by our dedicated pastoral team.

Our broad and balanced curriculum provides numerous opportunities for students to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding that will enable them to access a wide range of opportunities in the future. It ranges from the traditional to the modern, such as Latin and three foreign languages to GCSE Computer Science. The curriculum is designed to develop responsible citizens of the future who will contribute actively to the communities in which they live and work.

Whilst we encourage our students to aim for high academic achievement, it is equally important to us that they enjoy their experience at CGSG. To this end, our curriculum is complemented by a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities designed to provide rich experiences and to inspire a life-long passion for learning.

Admission and oversubscription criteria

Headteacher: Mrs Christine Probin Rainham Road, Chatham ME5 7EH 01634 851262 Email: postbox@chathamgirlsgrammar. medway.sch.uk www.chathamgirlsgrammar.medway.sch.uk

Admission: Entry is with testing (either the Medway Test or Kent Test) Oversubscription: After the admission of pupils with Statements of Special Educational Needs which name the school. a) Children in public care – as defined in the Medway Council Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme. b) Current family association (i.e. elder brother or sister in Chatham Grammar School for Girls or Chatham Grammar School for Boys at the time of application or who will be still attending when the applicant is admitted. In this context, brother or sister means: A natural brother or sister (including adopted siblings); step brother or sister; foster brother or sister; those who live as brother and sister in the same house. c) Distance from the pupil’s home as determined using Medway Council measure.

DFE number: 887 5429

PAN: 142

Open sessions Open evening: Tuesday, 9 October Open mornings: Monday, 15 to Saturday, 20 October.

For admission enquiries please contact Mrs D Simmonds, PA to Headteacher

Mrs Christine Probin, Headteacher Type

Area

Age range

Single sex/ mixed

Grammar

Chatham

11 – 18

Girls

Number of prefs 2012 2011 424

apply online

389

Places allocated 2012 2011 82

76

Lowest score offered 2012 2011 N/A

N/A

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Access area

Expected roll

Status

No

850

Academy

45

5

Fort Pitt Grammar School Specialism: Science and Mathematics

Fort Pitt is an OfSTED “outstanding” grammar school, a new academy and a science college with a mathematics specialism.

There is no doubt that our main focus at school is academic excellence and our students achieve some of the highest grades in Kent and Medway.

However, we also encourage our students to develop their full creative ability and our artists, actors, musicians and dancers have established themselves as among the very best in Kent and Medway. Our students’ sporting achievements have been equally formidable. We take pride in the accomplishments of all our students and we are keen to acknowledge and reward excellence in all fields.

We are a forward thinking, fast moving and caring community with a real commitment to traditional values and beliefs. School rules are few but they are guided by the principles of tolerance, respect and excellence.

We look forward to welcoming you to the school at our open evening in September or our open mornings in October.

Carol Winn Headteacher

46

Type

Area

Age range

Single sex/ mixed

Grammar

Chatham

11 – 18

Girls

Admission and oversubscription criteria

Headteacher: Carol Winn Fort Pitt Hill, Chatham ME4 6TJ

Admission: Entry is with testing

01634 842359 Email: office@fortpitt.medway.sch.uk

Oversubscription: 1 Looked After Children / Children in Local Authority Care - as defined in the Medway Council Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme.

2 Siblings - The sister of a girl who will still be attending the school at the time the student would be admitted. In this context sibling means children who live as sisters in the same house, including natural sisters, adopted sisters, stepsisters and foster sisters.

3 Girls residing within two miles of the school measured the Medway Council Geographical Information System.

4 Girls residing in one of the named parishes below.

Should it be necessary these places will be allocated according to nearness of home to school, using the shortest, safe walking distance, measured by the Medway Council Geographical Information System: Allhallows , Cliffe and Cliffe Woods, Cooling, Cuxton, Frindsbury Extra, Halling, High Halstow, Hoo St Werburgh, St James, Isle of Grain, St Mary Hoo and Stoke. Please note that the prospective student’s address must be where they are living at the time of the application and this Number of prefs 2012 2011 461

apply online

444

Places allocated 2012 2011 120

120

www.fortpitt.medway.sch.uk

DFE number: 887 4069

Open sessions Open evening: Thursday, 13 September, 6 – 9pm Open mornings: Monday, 15 to Friday, 19 October, 9 – 11am For admission enquiries please contact the Headteacher will be checked. If the address is not the student’s normal place of residence and an offer of a place has already been made, it will be withdrawn.

5 All other eligible girls seeking a school place and these will be allocated according to nearness of home to school, using the shortest, safe walking distance, measured by the Medway Council Geographical Information System.

Furthest distance offered 2012 2011 7.75km

PAN: 120

7.91km

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Access area

Expected roll

Status

No

800

Academy

6

Greenacre School A high performing specialist school with sports college and raising achievement status

Greenacre is an oversubscribed, well equipped school set in extensive grounds. An all weather sports pitch and a food technology hall have been added during the past year.

In February 2011 Ofsted inspectors concluded that the school was good with outstanding features.

‘Exemplary care, guidance and support, as well as outstanding work with partnership organisations (including all local primary schools), contribute to students’ good outcomes’. Further, ‘students make good progress in most lessons’.

The maximum number of boys in a teaching group is 30 with many operating at 15 or less. In academic subjects, boys are placed in sets of similar ability including fast tracked groups in English and mathematics throughout the school. Learning mentors work with small groups or individuals.

Strategies such as these are ensuring that GCSE results continue to improve almost year on year.

In partnership with Walderslade Girls’ School, a large and thriving Walderslade Joint Sixth Form has, as the inspectors made clear, ‘a good curriculum with clear routes into both academic and applied courses’.

Admission and oversubscription criteria

Headteacher: Mr Andrew Reese 157 Walderslade Road, Chatham ME5 0LP

Admission: Entry is without testing

01634 861593 Email: office@greenacre.medway.sch.uk

Oversubscription: After the admission of pupils with statements of Special Educational Needs where Greenacre School is specifically named, the following over-subscription criteria will be applied in the order in which they are set out below: 1 Children in public care/looked after children and previously looked after children as defined in the Medway Council Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme.

2 Sibling - a brother/sister attending the named school at the time of application and who will still be attending in September 2013.

3 Child’s health reasons.

4 Residence in the Greenacre School access area.

5 Nearness of children’s home.

www.greenacre.medway.sch.uk

DFE number: 887 4174

PAN: 160

Open sessions Open evening: Tuesday, 16 October, 6 – 9.30pm Daytime tours: Monday, 8 to Friday, 12 October from 9.15am For admission enquiries please contact Mrs Susan Bond

Tiebreaker – in the event of a tie within any criterion, places will be allocated to those living closest to the school measured by the short available walking route.

Andrew Reese Headteacher Type

Area

Age range

Single sex/ mixed

Academy

Walderslade

11 – 18

Boys

Number of prefs 2012 2011 309

apply online

300

Places allocated 2012 2011 160

160

Furthest distance offered 2012 2011 1.97km

2.46km

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Access area

Expected roll

Status

Yes

930

Academy

47

7

Rainham Mark Grammar School Specialism: Science

At Rainham Mark Grammar School (RMGS) we provide a co-educational selective education of the highest quality.

Ofsted report, October 2008, stated ‘Rainham Mark Grammar School provides good quality education for its pupils. It also has many outstanding features to its work… Standards in GCSE examinations are exceptionally and consistently high.’

Excellent facilities include: • a new sports hall, comprising a dance studio, fitness suite and main hall with three full-length cricket nets.

• specialist teaching suites for all subject areas; • a purpose-built music block with a recital hall and recording studio.

Our strengths include: • outstanding pastoral care and careers guidance; • excellent relationships between staff with discipline firmly based on a tradition of mutual care and respect; • boys and girls make exceptional progress in a caring, co-educational and academically rigorous environment. We achieved the highest average A2 grade in Medway in both 2011 and 2012.

• broad curriculum choice and sensible acceleration for the most gifted students; • a strong tradition of extra-curricular activities and trips; • 20 Good Schools Guide Awards.

48

Type

Area

Age range

Single sex/ mixed

Grammar

Rainham

11-18

Mixed

Admission and oversubscription criteria

Headteacher: Mr S Decker MSc, MSc(Ed) Pump Lane, Gillingham ME8 7AJ

Admission: Entry is with testing

01634 364151 Email: office@rmgs.org.uk

Oversubscription: 1 Children in Public Care, as defined in the Medway Council Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme to include children who are adopted and were previously looked after as defined in the Medway Council Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme.

Open sessions

2 In rank order of score as determined by Medway’s selection procedures.

Open evening: Thursday, 11 October, 5 – 7pm Headteacher talks at 6.30pm

www.rainhammark.com

DFE number: 887 5420

PAN: 175

Open morning: Saturday, 13 October, 10am – 12noon Headteacher talks at 11.30pm

3 In the event of two or more pupils having equal ranking for the last place the deciding factor will be the shortest available safe walking distance between the home address and RMGS as measured by the Medway Council Geographical Information System and determined by Medway Council.

Parents are welcome to visit the school at any time by appointment.

Tours of the school during a working day can be taken from 9am to 3pm from Monday, 15 October to Friday, 19 October. We are unable to offer additional tours after 19 October. Please contact the school to make an appointment.

For admission enquiries please contact Mrs Bourne, Head of Lower School

Number of prefs 2012 2011 499

apply online

472

Places allocated 2012 2011 175

175

Lowest score offered 2012 2011 505

508

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Access area

Expected roll

Status

No

1220

Academy

8

Rainham School for Girls Specialism: Technology

Do you want your daughter to be happy, develop her interests, talents and achieve academic success?

Then look no further than Rainham School for Girls.

We pride ourselves on offering an education that balances academic challenge, support for each individual and an innovative and exciting curriculum. Our students develop their talents in creative and academic areas and we cater for students of all abilities, from those who lack confidence to the highest achievers who remain in our sixth form and progress to university.

In Year 7 classes are organised to support students’ abilities, including two new fast track “Stellar” groups aimed at the most able and following an accelerated curriculum. Our transition arrangements are second to none. Before transferring we liaise closely with primary schools to ensure students are placed appropriately for their individual development. Our well qualified, experienced staff and excellent facilities support your daughters in developing their potential.

Pastoral care is equally important to us. Relationships within school are very good with high expectations of behaviour firmly based in a tradition of mutual respect. We are committed to ensuring success for all and very much value partnership with parents.

Type

Area

Age range

Single sex/ mixed

Academy

Rainham

11 – 18

Girls

Admission and oversubscription criteria

Headteacher: Ms K Roberts Derwent Way, Rainham, Gillingham ME8 0BX

Admission: Entry is without testing

01634 362746 Email: admin@rsg.org.uk

Oversubscription: • Children in public care, and those who have been in care and have been subsequently adopted or have been made subject of a residence order or special guardianship.

• Children who at the time of application have a sibling (including children living as siblings in the same family unit) on the roll of the school and who will be on roll at the time of the siblings admission, or were on roll in the preceding five years.

• Child’s health reasons. Medical evidence must be provided which demonstrates a specific health reason which requires the child to attend the preferred school.

• Children of a member of staff working at this school for two or more years at time of application for admission, or appointed to a skill shortage subject.

• Residence in access area see page 39 for details.

• Nearness of student’s home. The distance calculated by Medway Council’s Geographical Information Software. Please see page 30 for details about how the distance is measured.

Number of prefs 2012 2011 456

apply online

439

Places allocated 2012 2011 270

257

www.rsg.org.uk

DFE number: 887 4199

Open sessions Open evening: Wednesday, 10 October, 6 – 8pm Open morning: Saturday, 15 September, 10am – 12noon Daytime tours: Monday, 8 to Friday, 12 October (two sessions, 9 – 10.30am and 11.15am – 12.45pm) Wednesday, 10 and Thursday, 11 October by appointment only For admission enquiries please contact Mrs Lee In the event of a tie within any criterion, places will be allocated to those living closest to the school measured by the shortest available walking route.

Furthest distance offered 2012 2011 12.47km

PAN: 270

N/A

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Access area

Expected roll

Status

Yes

1550

Academy

49

9

Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School Specialism: Mathematics, Computing and Humanities

In November 2008, we received our second ‘outstanding’ judgement from Ofsted, with the lead inspector noting in her report that ‘a buzz of excitement pervades the school.’

Five core values underpin our work: • We ensure the highest standards of achievement.

• We provide all students with an exciting, challenging and enjoyable curriculum that will prepare them for a rapidly changing, technology dominated world.

• We promote courtesy, tolerance and respect for others.

• We place great emphasis on personal development and well-being.

• We work in partnership with parents and the wider community.

We have excellent sport facilities. The school has been extended over the years by the provision of a Sixth Form Centre, Mathematics Block and a larger Music suite. A new building for Design Technology and Art was opened in April 2012 and our English Block is currently being refurbished.

Admission and oversubscription criteria

Executive Principal: Dr G Holden Maidstone Road, Rochester ME1 3EL

Admission: Entry is with testing

01634 844008 Email: office@sirjosephwilliamson.medway.sch.uk

Oversubscription: • Children in public care (as defined in the Medway Council Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme).

• Children who at the time of application have a brother or sister (including children living as siblings in the same family unit) on the roll of the school at the time of the sibling’s admission.

• Child’s health reasons, supported by medical evidence, which requires the child to attend this school.

• Nearness of children’s homes.

Distance will be measured by the shortest available safe walking route between home and school as measured by the council’s geographical information system. Those living closer to the school will receive the higher priority. Medway Council’s Geographical Information System measures the start point, end point and distance of each route.

www.sirjosephwilliamson@medway.sch.uk

DFE number: 887 4530

PAN: 168

Open sessions Open evening: Thursday, 24 October, 6 – 9pm Parents can visit the school during open mornings, week beginning 15 October.

For admission enquiries please contact Mrs Jacqueline Harrison, PA to Headteacher

With highly-qualified teaching staff, responsive pupils and supportive parents, we believe we can develop the young people in our care into young adults of whom both the parents and the school can be justifiably proud.

50

Type

Area

Age range

Single sex/ mixed

Grammar

Rochester

11 – 18

Boys

Number of prefs 2012 2011 444

apply online

427

Places allocated 2012 2011 168

168

Furthest distance offered 2012 2011 6.62km

7.92km

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Access area

Expected roll

Status

No

1212

Academy

10

St John Fisher Catholic School

St John Fisher has a strong Christian ethos and seeks to develop the whole child as well as enabling them to reach their full academic potential. The school mission statement amplifies this further as we seek to encourage students to develop individually and collectively a way of life modelled on Christ.

St John Fisher Catholic School is within a selective area, which caters for all abilities including the more able within a Christian ethos. St John Fisher School is working as a new Academy in partnership with St Paul’s, a flagship of excellence within the Archdiocese of Southwark.

Students of all faiths are welcomed into our school.

All children in our school are safe, happy and successful. We have a dedicated Lower School for years 7 and 8 only. This creates a caring and nurturing small school which makes transition from primary to secondary much easier for children.

All prospective parents need to complete both the Medway form and the St John Fisher supplementary admission form.

C L Burnett Headteacher Type

Area

Comprehensive Chatham

Age range

Single sex/ mixed

11 - 19

Mixed

Admission and oversubscription criteria

Headteacher: Mrs C Burnett Executive Principal: Mr P Winston

Admission: Entry is without testing.

Lower school: 79 Maidstone Road, Chatham ME4 6DP 01634 335787

Oversubscription: 1 Looked after Catholic children or looked after children in the care of Catholic families and previously looked after Catholic children who have been adopted or who have become the subject of a residence or guardianship order.

2 Catholic children, a baptismal certificate or evidence of reception into the Catholic Church must accompany the supplementary information form.

See note a.

3 Children enrolled in the catechumenate.

Evidence of enrolment in the catechumenate will be required.

4 Other looked after children and other previously looked after children who have been adopted or who have become the subject of a residence or guardianship order.

5 Non Catholic children who have attended a Catholic primary partner school, that is: English Martyrs’, Strood St Augustine of Canterbury, Rainham St Benedict’s, Lordswood St Edward’s, Sheppey St Mary’s, Gillingham St Michael’s, Chatham Number of prefs 2012 2011 291

apply online

308

Places allocated 2012 2011 97

139

Upper school: Ordnance Street, Chatham ME4 6SG 01634 335757 Email: office@st-johnfisher.medway.sch.uk www.st-johnfisher.medway.sch.uk DFE number: 887 5436

Open sessions Open morning: Saturday, 13 October, 9am –12 noon For admission enquiries please contact Mrs A Bovis

Admission and oversubscription criteria continued over page.

Furthest distance offered 2012 2011 N/A

PAN: 180

N/A

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Access area

Expected roll

Status

No

1050

Voluntary Aided

51

Admission and oversubscription criteria continued

St Peter’s, Sittingbourne St Thomas More, Walderslade St Thomas of Canterbury, Rainham St William of Perth, Rochester.

6 Children of families who are members of other Christian denominations that are part of Churches Together in England. Evidence of Baptism (or dedication) provided by a priest or minister of a designated place of worship will be required.

7 Children who are members of other faiths.

Evidence of membership of the faith provided by a priest, minister or religious leader of a designated place of worship will be required.

8 Any other children.

The following order of priorities will be applied when applications within any of the above categories exceed the places available and it is necessary to decide between applications.

I A brother or sister on the school roll at the time of admission. Evidence of the relationship may be required. See note b.

II Social, pastoral and medical needs which make the school particularly suitable for the child in question. Strong and relevant evidence must be provided by an appropriate professional authority (eg qualified medical practitioner, education welfare officer, social worker or priest).

III Proximity to the school from the child's home address. See note c.

52

Notes a Catholics include members of the Ordinariate and the Latin and Oriental Rite Churches that are in union with the Bishop of Rome.

Reference to other Christian denominations refers to denominations that are full members of Churches Together in England. b A brother or sister means children who live as brother and sister including natural brothers or sisters, adopted siblings, stepbrothers or sisters and foster brothers or sisters. It would not include other relatives eg cousins. c Home refers to the permanent home address at which the child lives for the majority of his/her time and with the parent who is in receipt of child benefit. The distance calculated is the shortest available safe walking route known to the geographical information home/distance software used by Medway Council’s Student Services Admissions Team. This graphical information software may not know all footpaths that are in existence and certain new roads may not be known. Where a footpath or new road is not known to the software an alternative route will be used. Where a child’s home is situated on a new road the distance calculation will begin from the nearest available known road plotted in the software. New developments may be subject to this. In certain cases it may not be possible to calculate a distance where the entire route is deemed as a safe walking route. In these circumstances the distance calculated is used purely to prioritise an application for admission. There is no expectation that the walk should be taken. d Looked after children are those in the care of a public authority and are in public care.

Applications made under this criterion must be accompanied by details of circumstance and professionally supported evidence (eg from an appropriate social worker).

apply online

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

11

Strood Academy Specialism: Mathematics and Business and Enterprise

Strood is the first of Medway’s new academies with new buildings opening in September 2012, providing exceptional accommodation for teaching and learning.

Admission and oversubscription criteria

Carnation Road, Strood, Rochester ME2 2SX

Admission: Entry is without testing.

Our lead sponsor is the University for the Creative Arts and our specialist subjects are mathematics and business and enterprise. These compliment our existing strengths in English, science, sports and the arts, providing outstanding opportunities for young people.

01634 717121

Oversubscription: Places are first offered to those children with a statement of special educational needs, where the academy is named. Then, if the number of preferences exceeds the number of places, the following priority order will apply: • Children in public care (as defined in the Medway Council Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme) • Current family association (i.e. elder brother or sister in the Academy at time of application who will still be attending in September 2013. In this context, brother or sister means: • A natural brother or sister (including adopted siblings) • Step brother or sister • Foster brother or sister • Those who live as brother or sister in the same house • Child’s health reasons. Medical evidence must be provided which demonstrates a specific health reason which requires the child to attend the Strood Academy • Nearness of children’s homes - Distance will be measured by the shortest available safe walking

Our academy is for children of all abilities, providing a safe and well managed learning environment. Since opening, academic performance has risen very sharply at GCSE, doubling the number of young people achieving five ‘good’ GCSE grades. Our sixth form has grown to 240 students who progress to university, college or employment. All children are monitored closely with reports to parents every six weeks and an open door policy to meet with our staff.

We set high standards for academic performance and have equally high expectations for positive attitudes and behaviour. Prospective parents are very welcome to visit the academy in session.

A daily minibus service is planned to run from Chatham and Rochester from September 2013.

Type

Area

Age range

Single sex/ mixed

Academy

Strood

11 – 18

Mixed

Number of prefs 2012 2011 395

apply online

454

Places allocated 2012 2011 201

240

Principal: Mr Richard Hart BEd, MA

Email: office@stroodacademy.org www.stroodacademy.org

DFE number: 887 6905

Open sessions Open evening: Wednesday, 3 October 6 – 8pm Open mornings: Monday, 8 to Thursday, 11 October, 10.30am For admission enquiries please contact the PA to the Principal

route between home and school as measured by the Medway Council’s Geographical Information System.

Furthest distance offered 2012 2011 N/A

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

PAN: 240

N/A

Access area

Expected roll

Status

No

1350

Academy

53

12

The Howard School Specialism: Physical Education, Sport and ICT

The Howard School is unique to Medway and one of just five 11 - 18 bilateral* schools in the UK. We are able to admit both grammar and high school students. Students have genuine opportunities to achieve success and we are able to offer the flexibility for promotion for high school students into our grammar school.

We are a top performing, extremely popular and successful school. Attainment and achievement levels are impressive at all key stages. We have an open sixth form and many of our students progress to university. Success extends beyond the classroom; we regularly dominate Medway, county and national sporting competitions.

Achievement in drama and music are second to none in the area.

We offer an incredible range of extra-curricular activities, a gifted and talented programme, and an elite athletes’ group. The school is a training base for the 2012 Olympics. ICT provision is second to none and our learning support department is excellent. The atmosphere is friendly and links with parents/carers are strong.

We work together to encourage students to succeed socially and academically.

54

Type

Area

Age range

Single sex/ mixed

Bi-lateral*

Rainham

11 – 19

Boys

Admission and oversubscription criteria

Headteacher: The Hon Paul Morris BA (Hons), PGCE, DipEd, NPQH, LLE

Admission: Entry is without testing

Derwent Way, Rainham ME8 0BX 01634 388765

Oversubscription: 1 Looked After Children as defined in the Medway Council Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme.

2 Where a child has a natural brother (including adopted siblings), stepbrother, foster brother and those who live as a brother in the same house currently attending the school and will still be on roll at the time of entry.

3 Child’s health reasons. Medical evidence must be provided which demonstrates a specific health reason which requires a child to attend the preferred school.

4 Where the child resides within the access area.

Priority given to those nearest the school.

5 Nearness of child’s home. Distance will be measured by the shortest available safe walking route between home and school as measured by Medway Council.

Email: office@thehowardschool.co.uk www.thehowardschool.co.uk DFE number: 887 5457

Open sessions Open evening: Tuesday, 9 October, 5.30pm there will be talks at 5.30 and 6.30pm.

Open mornings: Wednesday, 10 and Thursday, 11 October, 8.35 – 10.30am For admission enquiries please contact Mr M Capelin have been deemed selective under the Medway Test. Medway Council will provide the school with the details of those boys offered a place who have been deemed as selective. The school will use this information to place those boys into the grammar stream.

*Bi-lateral status: All applicants are considered against the published criteria. In line with the school’s bi-lateral status, once places have been allocated the school will assign up to 25 per cent of places in the Year 7 intake to children who Number of prefs 2012 2011 474

apply online

446

Places allocated 2012 2011 250

250

Furthest distance offered 2012 2011 8.37km

PAN: 250

9.55km

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Access area

Expected roll

Status

Yes

1410

Foundation

13

The Hundred of Hoo School Specialism: Media and Performing Arts

The Hundred of Hoo is a member of the Williamson Trust and is a vibrant and exciting learning community, committed to: • the highest standards of achievement, shown by our rapidly improving results and praise by Ofsted for leadership, behaviour, provision for special needs and community links; • a challenging and enjoyable curriculum for all, including a ‘grammar’ stream and specialist provision for children with Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD); • excellent pastoral care within our four learning communities; • close partnership with parents – progress grades are sent home six times a year.

We offer: • outstanding learning resources, including a TV studio and state-of-the-art ICT equipment; • extensive sports facilities, including an Astroturf pitch and easy access to the local swimming pool; • excellent extra-curricular opportunities, especially in performing arts.

Our simple aim is to ensure that students set their sights high, achieve to the best of their ability and excel in all they do, so that when they leave us, we, and you, can be justly proud of them.

Admission and oversubscription criteria

Executive Principal: Dr Gary Holden Head of School: Gary Vyse

Admission: Entry is without testing

Main Road, Hoo, Rochester ME3 9HH 01634 251443

Oversubscription: 1 Children in public care, as defined in the Medway Council Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme.

2 Children who at the time of application have a brother or sister (including children living as siblings* in the same family unit) on the roll of the school and who will still be on roll at the time of the sibling’s admission. *Sibling means brother or sister, step brother or sister, foster brother or sister and those who live as brother or sister in the same house.

3 Child’s health reasons. Medical evidence must be provided which demonstrates a specific health reason which requires a child to attend the preferred school.

4 Residence within the access area. See page 39.

5 Nearness of children’s homes to The Hundred of Hoo School. Nearness to The Hundred of Hoo School will be measured using Medway Council’s Geographical Information System based on the shortest distance from home to school. See page 30 for details.

Email: office@hohschool.co.uk www.hooschool.co.uk DFE number: 887 4000

PAN: 270

Open sessions Open evening: Thursday, 11 October For admission enquiries please contact the school office

Gary Vyse, Head of School Type Academy

Area

Age range

Single sex/ mixed

Hoo

11 – 18

Mixed

Number of prefs 2012 2011 356

apply online

389

Places allocated 2012 2011 240

224

Furthest distance offered 2012 2011 N/A

N/A

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Access area

Expected roll

Status

Yes

1300

Academy

55

14

The Robert Napier School Specialism: Humanities College

Robert Napier is a foundation co-educational school committed to academic excellence for all students.

Our aims are to: • embrace students of all abilities, enabling each one to achieve and aspire to excellence in all they do; • provide inspirational teaching and learning for all young people at our school; • reward all achievements; • develop qualities of self-discipline, integrity, respect, honesty, trust, and compassion; • develop an effective partnership with all parents; • encourage links with, and an understanding of industry and commerce • prepare students for the responsibilities, opportunities and experiences of adult life.

In order to achieve these aims the school has developed a highly successful pastoral system, ensuring all members of staff are responsible for the progress and well-being of every student.

Our curriculum encourages students to value themselves and others, and to develop their intellectual, spiritual and creative talents. We believe that we can offer your child a safe and stimulating environment in which to reach their full potential.

56

Type

Area

Age range

Single sex/ mixed

High

Gillingham

11 – 18

Mixed

Admission and oversubscription criteria

Headteacher: Miss Fiona Miller BA (Hons), MSc Oxon Third Avenue, Gillingham ME7 2LX 01634 851157

Admission: Students applying for entry must take a Fair Banding Test, see page 43 for details.

Email: trns@robertnapier.medway.sch.uk www.robertnapier.medway.sch.uk

Oversubscription: a Children in public care, or previously looked after (as defined in the Medway Council Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme). b Current family association (i.e. elder brother or sister in the school at time of application who will still be attending when the applicant child is admitted. This means: A natural brother or sister (including adopted siblings); Step brother or sister; Foster brother or sister; Those who live as brother or sister in the same house. c Children of staff (where the member of staff has been employed for two years or more at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made and/or where the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage). d Nearness of children’s homes. e Random selection within bands.

DFE number: 887 5423

Open sessions Open evening: Thursday, 20 September Open mornings: Tuesday, 9 to Thursday, 11 October For admission enquiries please contact Mrs J Lusinski

students who must always be given priority) will be considered after children who have sat the banding test. They will be prioritised on the basis of criteria a to d above.

Students who have not taken the banding test (apart from children in care and statemented Number of prefs 2012 2011 512

apply online

696

Places allocated 2012 2011 182

240

Furthest distance offered 2012 2011 N/A

PAN: 210

2.34km

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Access area

Expected roll

Status

No

1330

Foundation

Fair Banding Test Robert Napier accepts students of all abilities, and in order to secure an all ability intake, all applicants for admission should take a Fair Banding test which is prescribed by National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER).

This is not a pass or fail test. It determines which band each child will be placed in, should they be successful in gaining a place at Robert Napier. All applicants for places in the school will be banded according to the principles of Fair Banding, using the national profile.

Children in public care (Looked After Children as defined in the Medway Co-ordinated Admission Scheme) including those with a SEN statement, will be required to take the Fair Banding test.

access to the test, and reminders of when and where the tests are being held.

The applicants will be split into five equally sized bands based on their NFER results.

Within each band places will be offered in the following order: a Children in public care or previously looked after, but no longer so because they have been adopted (or become subject to a residence order or special guardianship order). b Statemented children.

Then the order will be as described in the oversubscription criteria on page 56.

Medway operate an equal preference system which means that parents/carers who intend to put Robert Napier down on the preference form as either first, second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth choice will need to take the school Fair Banding test.

The test will be administered during September/October – a year ahead of entry.

Parents and carers can access the test for their child by filling in and returning a test registration form which will be available via the school website http://portal.robertnapier.medway.sch.uk and from the school reception from 11 June till 13 July 2012. This test registration form should be returned by the deadlines indicated on the registration form together with the preferred test date. All applicants will be offered fair

apply online

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

57

15

The Rochester Grammar School A designated National Teaching School, Advanced Thinking School and National Support School

Ofsted Outstanding: “A key feature of this school and its success is the ethos for learning” - Ofsted.

Our students are happy and feel supported; they love to learn and want to think and discover for themselves.

The Rochester Grammar School (RGS) is committed to the highest standards in education.

Our academic results are outstanding and we consistently appear in The Times Top 100 State Schools. We provide a world-class education including a world qualification – the International Baccalaureate. In 2010 the RGS became accredited as an Advanced Thinking School, committed to the development of cognitive education and we are now an acknowledged regional centre of excellence for Thinking. Currently we are supporting international research and development.

We celebrate the achievements of all our students in a wide range of enrichment activities, with numerous clubs and groups across the school.

We have high expectations for all students, believing that each has a particular talent to offer.

Our mission statement is “furthering excellence through support, encouragement and achievement” for each student.

58

Type

Area

Age range

Single sex/ mixed

Grammar

Rochester

11 – 18

Girls

Admission and oversubscription criteria

Executive Principal: Ms D Shepherd, MA, NPQH, NLE Headteacher: Mr S Gardner, BA(Hons), NPQH

Admission: Entry is with testing.

Places will first be offered to any selective girl with a Statement of Special Educational Needs where The Rochester Grammar School is named.

Maidstone Road, Rochester ME1 3BY 01634 843049 Email: office@rochestergrammar.medway.sch.uk www.rochestergrammar.medway.sch.uk

Oversubscription: If the number of RGS preference selective girls received via the Medway Council Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme exceeds the number of places available at the school, places will be allocated in the following priority order: (a) Children in public care – as defined in the Medway co-ordinated admissions scheme. (b) Where a pupil can demonstrate a specific musical aptitude, as assessed by graded examinations. Parents/carers should write to the Chairman of Governors using the expression of interest form with details. Two places annually will be awarded, given eligible candidates. (c) In rank order based on the scores achieved in the tests. In the event that two pupils have equal ranking for the last place, priority will be given to the pupil whose permanent address is the nearest to The Rochester Grammar School, as measured by using Medway Council’s Geographical Information System.

Number of prefs 2012 2011 449

apply online

439

Places allocated 2012 2011 175

165

DFE number: 887 5445

Open sessions Open days: Monday, 15 to Friday, 19 October, 9 – 11.15am For admission enquiries please contact Mrs J Smith, PA to Executive Principal

Lowest score offered 2012 2011 514

PAN: 175

513

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Access area

Expected roll

Status

No

1140

Academy

16

The Thomas Aveling School An academy for success

Thomas Aveling is a popular and consistently oversubscribed school with outstanding facilities and resources, offering an excellent education for all, including the most able. We provide exciting and challenging learning opportunities in a creative and happy environment, with the highest expectations for children in every aspect of school life. Our broad curriculum provides a smooth transition from primary school, with most students following a three-year Key Stage 4, leading to the widest possible choice at age 16 and beyond. Our results have risen steeply over the past eight years and our recent Ofsted inspection recognised us as a good school with a happy and lively atmosphere and a sense of shared purpose. We offer a wide and exciting range of out-of-hours activities, fully utilising our purpose built sports hall, performing arts centre, sixth form suite, science laboratories and community library.

We believe that partnership with parents is pivotal for the success of our students, and regular opportunities are provided for parental participation. Staff and students are justifiably proud of their school and prospective parents and children are very welcome to visit during any of our open sessions.

Paul Jackson, Headteacher Type

Area

Age range

Single sex/ mixed

Academy

Rochester

11-18

Mixed

Admission and oversubscription criteria

Headteacher: Mr P Jackson Arethusa Road, Rochester ME1 2UW

Admission: Entry is without testing

01634 844809 Email: office@thomasaveling.co.uk

Oversubscription: a) Children in public care – as defined in the Medway Council Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme. b) Current Family Association, i.e. an older sibling who is on the roll of the school when the application is made, living in the same household, who must still be attending at the point of entry in September 2013.

Sibling means an older brother or sister, step brother or sister, foster brother or sister, or those who live as brother or sister in the same house. In all cases, children must reside in the same household. c) Residence within an access area, details as shown on school website. d) Nearness of children’s homes.

www.thomasaveling.co.uk

DFE number: 887 5451

Open sessions Open evening: Wednesday, 11 July, 6 – 8.30pm Headteacher will speak at 6.15 and 7pm Open mornings: Tuesday, 9, Wednesday, 10 and Thursday, 11 October, 9.15 – 10.45am For admission enquiries please contact Mrs Y Akrill

The governors of The Thomas Aveling School have adopted Medway Council’s criteria for measuring the nearness of children’s homes to the school when allocating school places. Distance will be measured by the shortest available safe walking route between home and the school, as measured by

Number of prefs 2012 2011 575

apply online

631

Places allocated 2012 2011 190

180

Medway Council’s Geographical Information System.

In the event of a tie break with any criteria, nearness of children’s homes will normally decide which child is allocated the final place.

Furthest distance offered 2012 2011 2.58km

PAN: 190

2.15km

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Access area

Expected roll

Status

Yes

1110

Academy

59

17

Walderslade Girls’ School Specialism: Humanities and the Arts

Walderslade Girls’ School (WGS) is a strong and successful school, providing a vibrant, purposeful and secure environment where the highest possible standards of work and behaviour are expected and achieved. Our committed staff share their passion for the excitement and challenge of learning and the girls are encouraged to take responsibility for their progress and, by doing so, develop their self esteem and purpose as confident young women facing the future with enthusiasm.

Ofsted report (Feb 2011) stated “This is a good school where students achieve well. Students are proud of their school and the opportunities it offers, reflected in their high levels of attendance and the good progress made”.

The school’s specialist strengths in English, humanities and the arts make a positive contribution to the broad and balanced curriculum culminating in our well proven record of GCSE success.

Post 16, most pupils from WGS and Greenacre follow the wide range of academic and vocational courses offered by our successful Walderslade Joint Sixth form (Ofsted report: Good) and our wider partnership providers.

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Type

Area

Age range

Single sex/ mixed

Academy

Walderslade

11 – 18

Girls

Admission and oversubscription criteria

Headteacher: Mrs P K Conibeer Bradfields Avenue, Walderslade, Chatham ME5 0LE

Admission: Entry is without testing

01634 861596 Email: office@waldersladegirls.org.uk

Oversubscription: 1 Children in public care - as defined in the Medway Council Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme.

2 Sibling - a sister attending Walderslade Girls School at the time of application and who will still be attending in September 2013. Sibling means children who live as brother/sister in the same house and includes natural siblings, adopted siblings, foster siblings and step siblings.

Extended family, for example cousins, living in the same house do not qualify as siblings.

3 Child’s health reasons – Medical evidence must be provided to Medway Council. This evidence must demonstrate a specific link between the child’s medical condition and needs and how the named school can meet these needs.

4. Residence in the Walderslade Girls School access area.

5 Nearness of children’s home – as defined

by Medway Council’s Geographical Information System.

In the event of a tie within any criterion, places will be allocated to those living closest to the school measured by the short available walking route.

Number of prefs 2012 2011 272

apply online

288

Places allocated 2012 2011 147

152

www.waldersladegirls.org.uk

DFE number: 887 4167

Open sessions Open evening: Tuesday, 16 October, 6 – 8.30pm Open mornings: Wednesday, 17 to Friday, 19 October, 9am – 12noon For admission enquiries please contact the headteacher

Furthest distance offered 2012 2011 N/A

PAN: 160

N/A

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Access area

Expected roll

Status

Yes

900

Academy

Apply online - it ticks all the boxes: www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Council name:

Full address:

Child’s date of birth:

Child’s surname:

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions Surname:

No

Work

Yes

No

Date:

Postcode:

Mobile

Pupil ID number: ______________________________________________________________

FOR OFFICE USE ONLY

Date received

The form must be returned by 4pm on 13 July, 2012. Children will not be able to sit the test on the scheduled dates if the form is not received by the deadline. The form should be returned to your child’s primary school if they attend a Medway primary school or a Kent school on the Medway borders (Shorne, Cobham, Bredhurst, Holywell, Roseacre, Tunbury, Hartlip, Burham, Higham and Wouldham).

If they attend any other school the form should be sent direct to: Student Services Admissions Team, Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TR.

Print name:

Signed:

Postcode:

Forename:

Full address, if different from child’s address above: (leave blank if the same)

Phone number: Home

Do you have parental responsibility for this child?:

Relationship to child:

Parent/carer title:

Yes

(Medway schools are listed inside the back cover of the booklet)

Part two - parent/carer’s details

Primary School DFE number:

School’s full address:

Child’s current primary school:

Does the child have a statement of special educational needs?

Female

Postcode:

Child’s gender: Male

Child’s forenames:

Please ensure you complete all sections. Please write in black ink and use BLOCK CAPITALS.

Do not complete this form if you have applied online

If you pay your council tax to any other council please tick here:

You are a Medway resident if you pay your council tax to Medway Council.

• a non-Medway resident who wishes their child to sit the Medway Test.

• a Medway resident and wish your child to sit the Medway Test or:

Please complete this form if you are:

Part one - to be completed by parent/carer

Request to sit Medway Test

Medway Test request form for September 2013 entry

apply online

62

apply online

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

Medway Primary School DFE numbers School name

Number

School name

Number

All Faiths' Children's Community School

887 2600

New Road Primary School and Nursery Unit

887 2202

All Saints CE Primary School

887 3093

Oaklands School

887 2433

Allhallows Primary School

887 2570

Parkwood Junior School

887 2493

Balfour Junior School

887 2214

Riverside Primary School

887 3757

Barnsole Primary School

887 2396

Saxon Way Primary School

887 2686

Bligh Junior School

887 2492

Sherwin Knight Community Junior School

887 2450

Brompton Westbrook Primary School

887 2646

Skinner Street Primary School

887 2408

Burnt Oak Primary School

887 3760

Spinnens Acre Junior School

887 2630

Byron Primary School

887 2644

Chattenden Primary School

887 2209

St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School

887 3752

Cliffe Woods Primary School

887 2588

Cuxton Community Junior School

887 2540

Deanwood Primary School

887 2684

Delce Junior School

St Benedict's RC Primary School

887 3753

St Helen's CE Primary School

887 3096

St James' CE VA Primary School

887 3327

887 2413

St Margaret's at Troy Town CE VC Primary School

887 3293

Elaine Primary School

887 2671

St Margaret's CE Junior School

887 3195

English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School

887 3729

St Mary's Catholic Primary School

887 3755

Fairview Community Primary School

887 3759

St Mary's Island CE Primary School

887 3756

Featherby Junior School

887 2400

St Michael's RC Primary School

887 3712

Glencoe Junior School

887 2196

St Thomas More RC Primary School

887 3736

Gordon Junior School

887 2218

St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary School

887 3732

Halling Primary School

887 2211

St William Of Perth RC Primary School

887 3746

Hempstead Junior School

887 2403

Stoke Lower Community School

887 2194

High Halstow Primary School

887 2421

Temple Mill Primary School

887 2685

Hilltop Primary School

887 2499

Thames View Primary School

887 2592

The Pilgrim School

887 3758

Hoo St Werburgh Primary School and Marlborough Centre

887 2213

Twydall Primary School

887 2754

Horsted Junior School

887 2506

Wainscott Primary School

887 2210

Kingfisher Primary School and Children's Centre 887 2652

Walderslade Primary School

887 2203

Lordswood School

887 2448

Warren Wood Community Primary School

887 2640

Luton Junior School

887 2199

Maundene School

887 2580

Wayfield Community Primary School and Nursery Unit

887 2668

Miers Court Primary School

887 2623

Woodlands Primary School

887 2412

Napier Community Primary and Nursery School 887 2406

apply online

www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

63

Find out about Medway Council services in your language Bengali

01634 331780

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01634 331781

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01634 331840

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01634 331782

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01634 331783

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01634 331841

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01634 332372

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01634 331839

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01634 331781

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01634 331784

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01634 332374

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01634 331786

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01634 331785

To find out more information on Medway Council services phone Customer First 01634 333333 or visit www.medway.gov.uk G7192 Designed by Medway Council’s Communications Team. www.medway.gov.uk/communications