Hundreds of new grammar school places needed in Kent by end of the decade with cost likely to ‘fall on the taxpayer’, education chief warns

Hundreds of extra grammar school places will be needed in Kent by the end of the decade with the cost likely to “fall on the taxpayer”, it’s been warned.

Education chiefs say demand is fast accelerating and there could be a case for having “stand- alone” selective schools to cope.

The increased demand for grammar places is particularly acute in the north part of the county where over the ten years a deficit of more than 1,000 classroom places in selective schools will have to be addressed.

Across the county there is a peak expected in 2029-30, when without any intervention, there will be a shortfall of 293 places.

The demand is being driven partly by population growth and more families moving into the county, while a steep rise in large housing developments is also causing pressure.

Legislation prevents new grammar schools but does allow expansions of existing schools where population growth increases demand.

More immediately the county council is understood to be considering whether secondary schools in and around Dartford and Gravesend can change their admissions arrangements to take in more local children.

It comes amid claims from some parents places are being squeezed by a surge of pupils from outer London boroughs.

KentOnline previously reported the far from isolated case of one student who had listed three local grammar schools on his application but was instead offered a comprehensive school – despite passing his 11-plus exam.

Joshua Shergill was one of 61 children across Dartford, Gravesham and Sevenoaks last year to have passed the Kent Test but been denied a place.

Speaking previously, his dad Mandip Shergill said: “We have done everything we can to educate our son but the system has let him down by not offering him a place in a selective school.

“He will be a fish out of water in another school.”

Meanwhile, the county council’s commissioning plan, which sets out how the demand for additional places will be met in both selective and non-selective schools, forecasts the existing deficit in grammars in north Kent will require the equivalent of two new schools of three forms of entry.

Kent County Council (KCC) calculates shortages in groups of schools, rather than on an individual basis.

The shortfall in this case relates to the North West group consisting of grammar schools alone and the group known as Gravesham and Longfield.

There are also two groups in Dartford, one for selective schools and one for non-selective.

The commissioning plan says demand will be so great that other options besides satellite schools will have to be considered.

It reads: “KCC will seek to commission 6FE [about 180 places] additional grammar places in this planning group for 2026.

“This could be facilitated either through the creation of satellites, or by the establishment of satellite sixth form centres, so freeing up teaching space for additional 7-11 places on main school sites.”

There are similar challenges for non-selective schools in the area, where housing developments has creating similar demand.

The area also has the prospect of building or enlarging non-selective schools to meet the challenges triggered by huge development in Ebbsfleet, which has a target of building 700 new homes every year.

Cllr Rory Love, the cabinet member for education, said: “We are in discussions with schools with lots of different options to see if we can increase the number of grammar school places.

“North Kent is a pressure point, it is more than on our radar.

“If we find additional pressure on our schools, I will be going straight back to the government and saying this is your policy which is driving the pressure and we need additional funding so it does not fall on to the council tax payer in Kent.”

The commissioning plan says temporary increases in places will not solve the problem.

It adds: “The need for additional places in part can be managed through existing schools increasing the number of places offered on a temporary or permanent bases, but as not all of the pressure can be managed this way, there will be a need for new schools or satellites of existing schools.”

Kent has already led the way in opening new annexes to deal with demand, opening two in Sevenoaks in recent years through extensions of both The Weald of Kent Girls Grammar School and Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys.

The council’s commissioning plan, which covers the period 2020 to 2030 signals the scale of demand for places outstrips significantly the number available – although there are fluctuations in different years.

Then there’s Labour’s plans to charge VAT on private school fees if elected later this year.

It’s claimed this could mean deprived children losing out on places in selective state grammar schools due to the increased demand created by parents unable to pay to send their children to independents.

When asked about its position, a Labour Party spokesman for the South East told KentOnline: "Labour's long-standing policy has been that there should be no new grammar schools as Labour believes in good quality education for all students.

“The shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson has indicated how we will raise standards in schools, such as employing 6,500 more teachers, providing mental health counsellors in schools as well as creating breakfast clubs in primaries.

"It's a fact there is demand for grammar school places in Kent.

“The Conservative Party's policy since the days of David Cameron has been not to have any new grammar schools but there is pressure inside the party to drop that and allow new grammars."