I have published 72 news items on this website in 2017, almost exclusively about education issues in Kent and Medway. This article has been somewhat delayed as other matters have intervened. The website continues to be unique in the country, offering a fully independent take on state education matters in the two Local Authorities.
In total there have been 106,810 different browsers on the site, making up a total of 168,222 visitors. The most popular item attracted 26,823 visitors countrywide and sparked off a national news story which changed attitudes in schools across England. You will find links to the ten most popular stories below, featuring four major scandals, five articles reporting on admission and Test data, and one with a family connection. I have 958 subscribers who have linked by email and, although I find it difficult to comprehend, 10,790 subscribers by RSS, the vast majority based in England, further details below.
Since the website was reorganised into its current format in 2010, the most popular pages have been predominantly from the Information Section, accessed to the right hand side of this article, headed by Kent Grammar School Applications with 294,251 hits. It is followed by Kent Secondary School Admissions with 139,240 hits, both being updated on an annual basis. These are followed by a listing of Kent Special Schools and Units which, until a few years ago, wasthe only comprehensive source of such information but now, like too many other pages, in need of updating.
More details on all these matters, and others, below. A number of the items covered in last year’s Review also continue to be headlined.
MOST VISITED NEWS PAGES January 2016 - December 2017 | Visitor Numbers | |
| Maidstone Girls and Invicta Grammar Schools: Sixth Form Admissions | 26823 | |
| Oversubscription & Vacancies in Kent Primary schools: Allocation for September 2017 | 20495 | |
| Medway Test 2017: Late notification of Important Change | 8558 | |
| Oversubscription and vacancies in Kent Grammar Schools on allocation for September 2017 | 5889 | |
| The scandal of Oasis Academy, Isle of Sheppey | 5340 | |
| Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School:Headteacher Resigns following KCC Investigation | 4398 | |
| Jane Porter, Executive Headteacher Whitehill Primary School, prohibited from Teaching Indefinitely | 4206 | |
| Kent and Medway Secondary School Allocations 2017:Initial statistics and advice | 4150 | |
| Kent Test Results 2017: Initial outcomes | 3545 | |
| University of Roehampton: Calling all teachers holding Certificates of Education | 2670 | |
By then the focus had shifted to St Olave’s Grammar school in Orpington after parents there had contacted me for help, when I reiterated my recommendation to seek legal advice. Although this involved fewer numbers than Invicta it is a more high profile school and eventually the Department for Education was forced to issue a statement that the practice is indeed illegal, as explained in my follow up article. It was subsequently established that all schools had been made aware of the illegality in 2015,on the DfE Census Return.
My estimate is that thousands of students across the country, and about a hundred in grammar schools in Kent and Medway were illegally expelled by this process, and it is interesting to see how the number of Year 12 students leaving grammar schools in Kent and Medway plummeted that summer. It is not possible to calculate what I believe would also have been high numbers for non-selective schools, as these may well have many students following one year courses who leave at the end of Year 12 anyway.
To this day, Invicta has never apologised to the students whose careers they blighted, nor responded to other allegations, the only public comment being a denial of the now proven allegations.
Maidstone Girls’ Grammar also denied my allegation in the same article that they were operating an illegal admission process into the Sixth Form, by setting secret artificially high academic requirements. Even when the Ombudsman ruled in my favour, the school tried to stop publication by falsely claiming his decision was confidential.
Are you interested in reaching a market of over 100,000 education browsers? The majority of my readers are looking for independent information and advice on school admissions and appeals in Kent and Medway. I offer advertising opportunities for a variety of related interests at low prices. For further information, please contact me at peter@kentadvice.co.uk |
MOST VISITED INFORMATION PAGES to December 2017 | Visitor Numbers |
| Kent Grammar School Applications | 294,251 |
| Kent Secondary School Admissions | 139,240 |
| Kent Special Schools and Units | 134,523 |
| Medway Grammar School Applications | 65,106 |
| Kent Grammar School Appeals | 63,546 |
| Kent Secondary Statistics on Admission and Appeal | 45,266 |
| In Year Admissions | 39,076 |
| Medway Secondary School Admissions | 36,803 |
| Primary School Admissions | 35,879 |
| Academy Groups | 34,067 |
| Academies | 33,540 |
Whilst this reduction frees up more time for other activities, including the website which I run single handed, I am finding it increasingly difficult to keep the 412 information pages up to date. My own challenge for 2018 is to consider how to reduce this number whilst keeping the most important items going.
I continue to act as a source for a variety of media on education stories now, since the sad demise of the excellent Kent on Sunday newspaper, mainly for national newspapers and broadcast media, along with local newspapers and radio stations across the country.
The Google Analytics page for the site identifies the main sources of visitors: London 27,282 (many of these will be looking to Kent grammar schools); Maidstone 7,715; Canterbury 3,816; Gravesend 3,520; Chatham 3,168; Rochester 2,826; Tunbridge Wells 2,775, etc.
Facebook, Twitter and other Social Media: I have neither the time or the inclination to indulge, but am more than happy if the information and advice provided here is distributed more widely. I only ask that www.kentadvice.co.uk is credited with being the source.
Almost Finally, I appear to have become a source of informal advice to occasional governing bodies, headteachers, teachers and parents, each of whom has been in dispute with one more of the others!
According to reports, there are many in Authority who are keen to see me retire completely and remove an important level of holding schools, academy trusts and Local Authorities to account! I guess I shall continue as long as what I write is valued, I enjoy what I am doing, and my health lasts.