Bromley waiting list

All the other schools we applied to have higher PANs - 224, 240 and 232. I think Townley Grammar has a PAN of 240 - 8 classes of 30 - and DD really liked it but unfortunately just fell short of the pass mark.

They all seem really big to me, but I went to a Kent grammar with 3 classes of 25 back in the day! My niece is now at the same school and they now have a PAN of 140, so nearly double what it was when I was there.

Interesting - Harris Beckenham have also gone over PAN for the last 3 years and doing so again this year and it did just seem to add to their case that they don't have enough space to accommodate any more. Not holding out much hope!

No they didn't! They said they had done for the last three years - so current Y7, 8 and 9 - but had pushed back against Bromley this year. They said to admit over PAN would mean 7 classes instead of 6, not enough teachers or classrooms etc. Another parent made the point that they were obviously still able to provide an outstanding education for the last three years with 210 pupils per year, so why not also this year, but it didn't wash.

Yes we're on the Harris Beckenham waiting list for what it's worth (we're in that top band so it's a lost cause) - we appealed too, not heard outcome yet but that was much more in hope than expectation.

Did Harris Bromley also admit over PAN this year? Was that referred to in the appeal decision letter?

Lovely thank you. I have added some additional schools on too.

Thanks @KelseyParkGoose Are you waiting on Harris Beckenham?

We got our appeal decision letter (twice!) from Harris Bromley which was unsurprisingly unsuccessful. The panel were all perfectly nice but it was a foregone conclusion almost from the start. I knew our case wasn't particularly strong but wanted to do everything we could to try and get DD a place. Hey ho.

For what it's worth: I just called Bromley admissions and they said they were due to do a round of updates to schools on acceptances in the next week or so which might mean that's when to expect a new round of offers?

I get that - changing buses is an extra stress. I'm still trying to get my head round how my ADHD kid is going to manage one bus, never mind two.

But just to stress again, you are at zero disadvantage by holding onto the place at Eden Park, it won't change your priority on other waiting lists one bit. I know you said you don't want to hold onto a place that someone else could use but you are absolutely entitled - expected! - to have offer you've accepted even if you intend to give that offer up as soon as a better offer comes along. Believe me, everyone who had Eden Park as their first choice has a place at Eden Park, you not depriving anyone who had their heart set on Eden Park.

We just have to pray to the school gods that we get an offer soon 😆

Thanks @mugboat , that gives me some hope! The admissions team got back to me within 24 hours the first time I emailed them in April but looks like I might need to get on the phone. Others on the Newstead thread have been calling as well.

@Elim81 Annoyingly Bishop Justus is actually very easy for us to get to, one bus ride and the stop is literally straight opposite us. The other schools (apart from Harris) are a bit of a ball ache transport-wise but nothing we can’t work around.

It's actually not close for my son to travel to alone. It's 1 bus to Harris beckenham and 1 bus to Bullers. He would have to get 2 to Eden park.

I can’t really figure out where you must live to be happy to consider both Bullers Wood and Harris Beckenham but consider Eden Park too far away to even consider? Eden Park is really quite near to Harris Beckenham (certainly compared to the distance between Harris snd Bullers Wood)

also spotted you said you emailed for an update. They're not good at replying but they do pick up the phone! I called every couple of weeks for an update.

if you're 6th on list for Bullers you've got a good chance. We were 14th or similar and the waiting list moved fast. we got offered a place in June. They were still offering waiting list spaces in the first week of term- my daughter's form has a space in it still (she's y7).

@LostMySocks I’m lurking on the Newstead Wood waiting list thread on an eleven plus forum and they are saying the same thing about the knock on effect on Bromley of the Kent and Bexley admissions process. DDs friend was offered a Bullers Wood place in the second round and turned it down as she’s happy with Kingsdale, so I’m sure we must have moved up at least one space since April 🤞🏻

Yes I would rather have him homeschool until he got somewhere closer.

Harris Beckenham.
Bullerswood.
Ravensbourne.

Where are you on the waiting list for?

Fair enough if you would rather home school than Eden Park but turning down a place will not change your chances on other waiting lists in any way.

I know i pass loads of kids getting off the train at Beckenham Junction to go to Harris and we have no hope of getting in despite it easily being our closest school. Madness.

Waiting lists are definitely moving.
DS has just been offered 5th choice and close to top on 4th.
Kent reallocation deadline was yesterday so that will be freeing up their previous places. Will be a trickle down with moves between SS grammar then grammar to SS then non selective into grammar and finally giving spaces in non selective schools.
Either Judd or Skinners (can't remember which) had 26 new offers. If this is repeated across a few schools that is a lot of places to be cascading. It just takes time for things to work through.
Kent has a big impact on Bromley and Bexley schools.

To be honest it doesn't bother me as he wouldn't be going to that school even if we got to sept and it was his only offer. It's too far and I wouldn't make it to work every day after taking him.

@KelseyParkGoose Same with Harris Bromley, 24% of applicants scored in the top band (despite a national distribution of 4%), with only 7 places. DD scored in the top band so no hope there.

@Elim81 I’d be wary of declining the place without having an alternative lined up. The other mums would have got their first or second choice because they got to the top of the waiting list, not because they rejected the offer they were given.

I just declined my offer of Eden park today as the other mums at my sons primary school rejected theirs and they got offered their first/second choice after. I also think it's unfair of me to keep a space that I have no intention of sending him too.

And sorry for more doom, but just to add that your waiting list position will be within-band, rather than across the intake as a whole. The largest band only has 40 places so even if you're in the biggest band, you're relying on over half the people offered in that band not taking up the place to reach the top of the list.

Yes Harris Beckenham's top band (8 places) is entirely full of siblings - not even all the siblings got a place! Over 20% of applicants were placed in the top band so if you are on the waiting list and think your DC might have done moderately well on the banding test, unfortunately you've got no hope.

I know there's movement at Harris Bromley and Orion Eden Park so if you're waiting on either of those you may have more luck.