Weald of Kent Grammar School
 | |
| Established | 1982, previously Tonbridge Technical High School for Girls founded 1947 |
|---|---|
| Type | Academy selective |
| Headteacher | Mrs Johnson |
| Location |
Tudeley Lane Tonbridge Kent TN9 2JP England, UK Coordinates: 51°11′02″N 0°16′52″E / 51.184°N 0.281°E |
| DfE URN | 136455 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Staff | 109 (including administration, premises, student services and technical support) |
| Students | 1,100+ |
| Gender | Girls (coed sixth form) |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Houses | Europe, Australasia, Asia, Africa, America, Antarctica |
| Colours | Red, navy, white, maroon, gold |
| Website |
www |
Weald of Kent Grammar School is a selective or grammar school with academy status in Tonbridge, Kent, England, for girls aged 11–18 and boys aged 16–18. This means that the girls will be judged by the Kent test to be in the top 23% of the population academically.[1] The head teacher is Mrs Maureen Johnson.
The school holds specialisms in languages and science.
Exam results for the 2013 academic year showed that 100% of pupils attained 5 GCSE grades A* to C (including English and maths). 99.1% of the A level grades were A* to E. The school has been judged by OFSTED to be academically 'outstanding' continuously since 2007. It has National Teaching School status since 2014.[2]
Buildings
Weald of Kent is a fairly modern school with many additional extensions. In 2003 a canteen operated by independent catering contractors was built, this is called 'La Wokerie' a pun derived from the school's name "WOK". In 2006, a new English and Humanities Block was built, referred to by most students as 'the new building' It offered larger classrooms, some of which have false walls between two of them which can open up to create one large room. A new Arts and Drama suite was completed in early 2008. In the beginning of 2014, another two storey building was built for Maths and Examinations, and an extension to 'La Wokerie' was added by converting the adjacent classroom into a diner style restaurant with extra seating and a salad bar.
Proposed Sevenoaks annexe
On 15 October 2015, Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary, announced that government would give permission for the school to create an "annexe" in Sevenoaks, which has no grammar schools.[3][4] The site for proposed 'annexe' is that of the former Wildernesse School on Seal Hollow Road, preparations started on the site soon after planning permission was granted in 2014.[5] The decision is contoversial as 1998 legislation barred any new school from adopting selective admissions.[6] This is seen as a way round this legislation. It is supported by Kent County Council and an active group of parents, but opposed by others.[7] An earlier attempt was rejected by the then Education Secretary Michael Gove in December 2013, as a single-sex school could not legally open a co-educational annexe. Parents were balloted on whether the school should change its status and they chose to remain a girls only school. Kent County Council revised the scheme so the units became modular, and the application was resubmitted. It is this application that has been approved.[8]
Alumni
- Dr. Jenny Pickerill, Professor of Environmental Geography, University of Sheffield
- Nina Ridge, weather forecaster on BBC One
- Caroline Wayman, Chief Ombudsman and Chief Executive since 2014 of the Financial Ombudsman Service
See also
Notes and references
- Footnotes
- ↑ Admissions 2015.
- ↑ School Prospectus 2015
- ↑ BBC News 2015a.
- ↑ Adams 2015a.
- ↑ Rusbridge-Thomas 2014.
- ↑ Adams 2015b.
- ↑ Walker 2015.
- ↑ BBC News 2013.
- References
- Adams, Richard (15 October 2015). "Conservatives give green light to first grammar school in half a century". Guardian. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- Adams, Richard (15 October 2015). "Kent grammar: what you need to know about the first new selective school in 50 years". Guardian. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- "Sevenoaks grammar school annexe bids rejected". BBC. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- Coughlan, Sean (15 October 2015). "First 'new' grammar school in 50 years". BBC. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- Rusbridge-Thomas, Annabel (10 August 2014). "Planning permission approved for Sevenoaks Grammar annexe on former Wilderness site". Kent Messenger. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- Walker, Peter (15 October 2015). "Kent grammar decision is 'a bad day for education', says head of nearby school". Guardian. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- "Admissions policy- Kent Count Council" (PDF). Kent County Council. 2015.
