Bromley ; No preferred school offered

[Bromley12]

Hi

My son passed both Kent and Bexley test, so we went for 5 grammar schools and 1 state school. We did get any of the preferred school, only school offered was Bishop Justus which personally did not like and have declined.
We like Ravens Wood School for which we are in catchment (1.7 miles away), the offered last distance on March 2nd was 2.4 Miles, so definitely my son would have got the offer.

I have requested Bromley council to add Ravens Wood School now for which he will be in waiting list.

I am really worried and confused now, is there any value if I appeal for Ravens Wood?

Thank you.

Appeal on what grounds?

I know it is too late fir you now, but incase anyone else is reading in the future - you should always put down a school you are pretty certain of getting, because the alternative is a school you for the like that isnt convenient.

You also should never reject the offered school, unless you gave an alternative (eg home education or private) as by naking you an offer the LEA have met their duty. It doesnt increase your chances of getting the school you want.

Anyway, if you have a legitimate reason to appeal, do so. If there are other schools you would consider, go on the wait list for them too.

It does sound like you will be high up the wait list for your local school. Fingers crossed a place becomes available.

Dont panic. We're bromley too but DS already at secondary.

Last year the waiting lists moved a lot but you need to be patient. There is some movement after the Bromley reallocation but the big moves come after kent reallocation as furst suoer selectives reallocate and then the standard grammars move too.

DS got offered Ravenswood a few weeks after reallocation and then a grammar.

Depending on where you are with a son and a bexley pass then do you have Beth's on your list as I hear that they can go down to criteria 8 (Kent pass) by end of the summer.

Dont panic. We're bromley too but DS already at secondary.

Last year the waiting lists moved a lot but you need to be patient. There is some movement after the Bromley reallocation but the big moves come after kent reallocation as furst suoer selectives reallocate and then the standard grammars move too.

DS got offered Ravenswood a few weeks after reallocation and then a grammar.

Depending on where you are with a son and a bexley pass then do you have Beth's on your list as I hear that they can go down to criteria 8 (Kent pass) by end of the summer.

Why did you decline your offered school? You don't have to intend to go there but you do need to accept your offer to maintain the 'contract' with the council.

Hi
Yes I know, I shouldn't have declined it 😞

Thank you 🤞 .

Thank you. Hopefully 👍. I never ever make this mistake again.. 😞.

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.

It does sound as tho you may get a WL place @Bromley12 as there is so much movement. What is your plan if you don’t tho? Are you happy to home ed? Is private a possibility? Have you asked the LA which other schools have space to see if you would accept any of them? Do you have any ground sfor appeal to any of the schools you did list?

Sorry to be a pedant (but I am!) but grammar schools, unless they are fee-paying private schools with a legacy "grammar" in the name (which I don’t think they are in Kent), are state schools. Just as comprehensives are.

Thank you for your reply.

We do not have any plans, also we cannot afford private.

I blame my self to be in this position.

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.

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').

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.

Hi

We did not put Ravens Wood School in our preference in the original application but we have added it now.

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?

Hi @greenfingers2026

I did not put Ravens Wood originally in the application, I have now, Bromley said they will add the school to waiting from April 6th.

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.

Hi @Sunny54321

Yed we are on waiting list for those schools.
We are in BR2, I know Beths go long way, we are 7.2 miles away from Beths.

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?

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

Hi @Sunny54321

Yes, we are in the waiting list for Grammars too.

Hi

No grounds for appeal.

Hi @Cumberland1977

Everyone so far has given me good feedback about Ravens Wood. Can you be more specific what are the problem ?

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.

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!