Kent County Council has today confirmed that the former Wildernesse School site is its preferred option for two new grammar school annexes in Sevenoaks.
Last year, Sevenoaks parents Andrew and Sarah Shilling launched an e-petition urging KCC to establish new grammar school provision in the town. The e-petition quickly gathered 2,600 signatures and was debated at the County Council in March. A motion supporting the call for grammar school provision, which I seconded, was passed overwhelmingly.
Since that time, my colleague Mike Whiting (Cabinet Member for Education) and officers have been working hard to make this proposal a reality. Today's announcement is an important step and offers the prospect of relief to young people and families having to make the long journey to schools in Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and elsewhere. And with rising numbers of children coming through primary schools, the pressure on secondary school places, and grammar school places in particular in West Kent will only increase.
For Darent Valley residents, this is likely to be of particular importance in the south and centre of the Division (such as Shoreham, Badgers Mount and Eynsford). Further north, many young people are more likely to go to the Dartford and Wilmington schools. Nonetheless, this is an important development for families across the Darent Valley.
You can find KCC's announcement here and an article in the Sevenoaks Chronicle here. Further announcements are likely in the coming weeks.
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