The proportion of Medway children offered one of their choices in a Medway primary school has risen to 97.6%, the highest proportion for at least six years. This is a result of a reduction of 27 in the number of Medway school places taken up by children from the Authority and outside, together with an increase of 80 places in local schools. As a result, there are 524 vacancies across the 67 schools, which is 14% of the total available, up from 12% in 2017.
Most vacancies are in Rainham (last year just 3% places empty) and the Hoo Peninsula, with 11% of places empty. At the other end is Rochester with 21% of all places left empty in five of its eight schools. Most popular school is once again Barnsole Primary which turned away an astonishing 72 first choices turned away, followed by All Saints CofE and Walderslade primaries with 23 disappointed first choices. There are eight schools with 15 or more first choices turned down, spread across the Authority, and listed in the table below.
Twelve schools have over a third of their places empty, up from eight in 2017, but headed for the third year running by All Hallows Primary Academy, with 73% of its Reception places empty (up from 70% in 2017), and looking increasingly non-viable as a stand-alone school. Altogether 36 schools, over half of the total of 67 primary schools have vacancies in their Reception classes. 79 Medway children were offered none of their choices and have been allocated to other schools with vacancies by Medway Council, 48 in Chatham schools.
I look more closely at each Medway area below, together with the situation for Junior Schools
If there are sections that need amplification, please let me know…….
You will find the equivalent article and data for 2017 here; a preliminary article here; and the parallel Kent article here - which also records a second 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 2017 entry, of 66 registered Primary appeals organised by Medway Council where Infant Class Legislation applied (the overwhelming majority), just one was upheld.
| School | Places | First Choices Not Offered | % First Disappointed |
| Barnsole (G) | 90 | 72 | 44% |
| All Saints CofE (C) | 45 | 23 | 34% |
| Walderslade (C) | 30 | 23 | 43% |
| Brompton-Westbrook (G) | 60 | 20 | 25% |
| Hilltop (S) | 60 | 18 | 23% |
| Swingate (C) | 90 | 17 | 16% |
St William of Perth Catholic (R) | 30 | 16 | 35% |
All Faiths Children's Academy (S) | 30 | 15 | 33% |
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. PAN refers to the Planned Admission Number of the school.
You will find the equivalent article and data for 2017 here; a preliminary article here; and the parallel Kent article here - which also records a second 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 2017 entry, of 66 registered Primary appeals organised by Medway Council where Infant Class Legislation applied (the overwhelming majority), just one was upheld.
Nine of the 19 schools had vacancies. Highest figure at 42% empty spaces is Oaklands Primary, possibly still shrugging off a difficult history. This is more than double the percentage empty in 2017. However, the school’s recent Good Ofsted Report, too late in February to affect admissions is highly complimentary, including: ‘In 2017, the percentages of pupils attaining both expected and higher levels at the end of key stage 2 national assessments in reading, writing and mathematics were above those seen nationally. This represented strong progress from their starting points’ (as in 2016).Some of the 95 Chatham families who did not get their first choices elsewhere could do worse than look at this school. Altogether 33 children were awarded none of their choices and became LAACs.
Next comes Lordswood with 38% of its places empty, not having fared well under the Griffin Academy Trust since conversion (see also subsequent articles on this site). Then two schools on 37%. First is Luton Infants, Ofsted Requires Improvement, with 13 LAACs, but opens up to the Ofsted Outstanding Luton Juniors. Second, surprisingly is St Mary’s Island, CofE Aided that decided to increase its PAN to 90, above the published figure of 60, although it had only just filled in 2017, then only attracted 57 pupils. No other school had more than nine empty spaces.
Seven of the 12 schools have vacancies, most at Twydall with 40% of places empty, still scarred by its failed Ofsted four years ago, and a subsequent controversial headship (now departed)- one of the few from the Medway Council initiative to bring successful London teachers into the Authority as heads. Three of the other four schools with over 20% empty spaces suffer from a difficult Ofsted history, Napier with repeated ‘Requires Improvement’, and Oasis Skinner Street and Saxon Way, both Special Measures under Medway Council control but now ‘Good’ as academies. The fourth, Featherby Infant probably suffers from having its partner Junior School in Special Measures.
The most oversubscribed school is the Ofsted Outstanding Cliffe Woods Primary with 12 first choices turned away for its 60 places.
Six of the nine schools have vacancies, most at Deanwood and Meirs Court, both with a third of their places empty, both with Good Ofsteds.
Riverside Primary was expanded by 30 places to 60 in total, all but six having been taken up.
One oddity is the situation at the former Delce Infant and Junior schools. Delce Juniors was an Ofsted Good School, until it became an academy but was found to Require Improvement last year, with particular criticism being made of the Trust governance. For some reason the school chose to admit children at Reception age in 2017, putting an extra 30 places into the system, in competition with the Infant School and presumably to undermine it. Currently, this strategy is proving a failure with just 9 children choosing the school; another 3 being made up by LAACs (out of a total of 5 LAACs) resulting in 60% vacancies. Meanwhile the Crest Infant School (presumably it had to change its name to avoid confusion) admitted 54 children, there not being enough across the two schools to fill the original PAN of 90 in Delce Infants.
The only significantly oversubscribed school is St William of Perth Catholic, turning away 16 first choices. Last years second most popular school in Medway has seen its oversubscription level fall from 29 to 8 disappointed first choices.
Not surprisingly, Elaine Primary School, taken away from the Williamson Trust after poor performance, has the highest proportion of vacancies, with 42% of its 50 places unfilled. Next, with 27% empty spaces come Cedar Children’s Academy, with a difficult history, and Halling Primary, the vacancies in this popular school created after it raised its PAN from 40 to 60, attracting 44 pupils.