Bromley ; No preferred school offered

Thats great news!

Years ago, my DS was on the waiting list for Hayes. A child a few doors up from us got a place, we didn't. Joined waiting list, and eventually did get a place from 6th position. Hayes is a good school. Both my DCs did very well there.

There is definitely still movement in the wider Bromley area even in to September.
A different school but there are 2 boys in my son's transition day photo that didn't start at the school in September and more joined later. You have to sit tight, stay on the waiting list and decide whether you'd move after start of school year if kids dont turn up.

I think any decision re private will have been made by now as otherwise liable for fees for the autumn term. Presumably all places are confirmed for the September intake so it would take a significant and sudden change of circumstance to release a place now and even that may not release a space for your dc if they have had any successful appeals or priority like EHCP going over PAN.

There maybe people who are still deciding between Private and State, people who have a Hayes offer still on waiting lists for a higher preference, and families who are moving away. It does depend as well like PP said on how many over PAN they are are after appeals.

The same with all your other waiting lists.

Well, you need a) not to have anyone join the waiting list who is ranked higher against the oversubscription criteria than your DC and b) at least one of those who have accepted their place at Hayes to turn it down. I say 'at least', because if the year group is over PAN for some reason (late finalisation of EHCP naming the school/ appeal(s) upheld / last offer being to a twin and the school has a policy to admit the other twin in that situation- I don't know the school, does it have that policy? - etc), you are waiting for enough places to be turned down to take it to one under PAN.

In the meantime, in the absence of any school place at all, I would be making at least 'skeleton' plans for home education; providing a suitable full-time education is your responsibility; you can do this by asking the LA to provide an education for your DC, which you did when you submittedy our CAF, but in turn it did this by following the Admissions Code and offering you a place at your nearest undersubscribed school when none of your.initial preferences could be met.

If you really don't want to / can't organise home ed, is the school you turned down still undersubscribed?

We were in the same position last year although no grammars; didn’t get any of the preferred schools and were given Bishop. We accepted the place with gritted teeth and went on all the waiting lists for the other schools, and ended up with an offer from Bullers Wood by May half term. The lists do move; my daughter’s friend was 30th on the Bullers list and got offered a place at October half term but declined as she was happy with Ravensbourne. Another friend’s son got a Chis and Sid offer towards the end of the summer holidays so I wouldn’t give up yet!

My son was also on the list for grammar school, but I took people’s advice and sent him to Ravens Wood instead. Unfortunately, it was five years of agony for him. By the time he left, he had barely any GCSEs, and they didn’t even mark his coursework. They were very harsh with detentions and inclusions, and it felt like the head had no control over the situation. When I started raising complaints, I felt like the school began harassing me as well.
Of course, the choice is yours — I’m just sharing our experience.

I would avoid Ravens wood. All together. Really vile vindictive teachers in that school. You re in for a surprise.

Just to clear a few things up. You can apply for any school as a late applicant and join the waiting list. You can also appeal for any school, not just ones you originally applied for.

Your action plan should be:

• Contact the LA and ask for any schools with places. Take one of them.
• Ask to be added to the WL for all schools you would consider.

Do you have any grounds for appeal?

Also check you're still on the waiting list for the grammars. If you're the Chislehurst side of Bromley, you might be ok for Chis&Sid and Beth's over the next few weeks/months.

Don't despair! There's always quite a bit of movement over the coming weeks and months, especially if you would consider a few different schools. Where did you put on your list originally?

Did you not put Ravenswood as your comprehensive school choice? If so why did you not get it if inside the catchment by that much? I know catchment this year has gone out further than 1.7 miles.

If you did put it as one of your choices you can appeal on grounds of why it wasn't given to you.

I was under the impression you could only appeal for a school where you listed it and failed to get a place? However maybe "applying" now counts as that. Lots of appeal experts on this board who I am sure can correct me i I am wrong.

Whenever one applies, applying (not just 'asking to go on a waiting list') and being refused a place triggers the right to appeal the decision not to admit. From another angle, if you ring up a school and someone saysa place is available, that place is not yours unless and until you actually apply for it and it is established that yours is either the only application, or that you are at the top of the waiting list.

For Bromley residents, the relevant info is here
https://www.bromley.gov.uk/secondary-school-admissions/secondary-school-places

(Scroll down to 'Important information').

OK well if private is not possible I would contact the LA admissions team tomorrow and see what they can offer. Unless you want to HE, I am thinking a school you are not mad about is better than no school? Then yes, all the WLs there are. Pretty sure there is no max number.