The proportion of children offered one of their choices in a Medway primary school has risen to 97.4%, the highest proportion for at least five years. This is a result of a reduction of 160 in the number of Medway school places taken up by children from the Authority and outside. As a result, there are 432 vacancies across the 67 schools, which is 12% of the total available, up from 7% in 2016.
Most difficult area as usual is Rainham, with just 8 vacancies in two of its schools, a total of 2%. of the total number of places. At the other end is Rochester with 17% of all places left empty in five schools. Most popular school is Barnsole Primary which turned away 52 first choices, followed by Walderslade and Pilgrim primaries with 29 disappointed first choices for their 30 places. There are ten schools with more than first choices turned away, nine in Chatham and Gillingham, listed in the table below.
Eight schools have over a third of their places empty, up from five in 2016, but headed for the second year running by All Hallows Primary Academy, with 70% of its Reception places empty (up from 60% in 2016). Altogether 31 of the 67 primary schools have vacancies in their Reception classes. 85 Medway children were offered none of their choices and have been allocated to other schools with vacancies by Medway Council, well over half in Chatham and Gillingham schools.
I look more closely at each Medway area below, together with the situation for Junior Schools…….
You will find the equivalent article and data for 2016 here; a preliminary article here; and the parallel Kent article here - which also records a fall in pupil numbers.
I would encourage parents to apply to go on the waiting list for any of their preferences that have not been offered, as there will be movement over the next four months. This is your best chance of getting a school of your choice, as chances at appeal are generally very low because of Infant Class Legislation. For 2016 entry, of 69 registered Primary appeals organised by Medway Council where Infant Class Legislation applied (the overwhelming majority), just one was upheld.
Note: the abbreviation LAAC refers to a child placed by Medway Council at a school they have not applied to, as all their own choices are full.
| Oversubscription in Medway Primary Schools 2017 | |||
School | Places | First Choices Turned Away | % Disappointed |
| Barnsole (G) | 90 | 52 | 58% |
| Pilgrim (R) | 30 | 29 | 97% |
| Walderslade (C) | 30 | 29 | 97% |
| Brompton-Westbrook (G) | 60 | 25 | 42% |
| Horsted Infants (C) | 60 | 25 | 42% |
| All Saints CofE (C) | 45 | 23 | 51% |
| Swingate (C) | 90 | 21 | 23% |
| St Thomas More Catholic (C) | 60 | 17 | 28% |
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic (G) | 30 | 17 | 57% |
The Academy of Woodlands (G) | 90 | 16 | 18% |
(C) -Chatham; (G) -Gillingham; (R) - Rochester
Overall there are 9% empty places in Chatham primary schools (up from 7% in 2016): St John’s Infants, with 16 of its 30 places vacant (full last year); Lordswood; Luton Infants; Oaklands and St Michael’s RC, all having more than ten places vacant.
As last year, there are seven schools with vacancies, although the proportion of empty places overall has trebled from 4% to 12% of the total available. Whilst Twydall Primary again has the most with 35 of its 90 places unfilled, two of the other schools with vacancies, Byron and Oasis Skinner Street both have 11 LAACs placed with them. Hempsted Infants which was heavily oversubscribed two years ago, now has 27 vacancies, probably still suffering from its link with Hempsted Juniors, which recently went through a difficult time (now resolved). The most recent OFSTED Report for both Byron and Twydall (now academies) placed them in Special Measures, and Featherby Infants probably suffer
Just three schools oversubscribed, two significantly. These were The Pilgrim School, 29 disappointed first choices, and second most oversubscribed school in Medway; and St Margaret’s at Troy Town CofE, last year’s most popular school, with 13.