Secondary Transition Information for families

We recognise that this is an exciting and important time as you prepare to apply for your Year 6 child’s secondary school place. Please find below some information and links which we hope will equip you to make this application successfully.

Information below is given for both Bromley and Croydon boroughs. It is important to note that you must apply to the borough in which you live, even if you want a school in another borough or your child currently attends a Bromley School.

Key dates

Applications for Year 7 places in September 2025 open on 1 September 2024 at www.bromley.gov.uk/secondaryadmissions and the national closing date for applications is 31 October 2024.

The national offer date for on-time secondary applications is 3 March 2025.

The deadline to accept/decline the school offered online is 17 March 2025.

Choosing a school

Open Days and Evenings - It’s always useful to visit more than one school so you can compare and contrast the provision, which will help you when deciding on your order of preference for the application.

In all likelihood the school tour will be conducted by an existing pupil, so be prepared to ask them what they like about the school to gain valuable knowledge about their experiences, the academic and extra-curricular opportunities, as well as the pastoral care provided.

Where possible, find time to read inspection reports from Ofsted, listen to other parents’ experiences and talk to individual teachers during the visit.

Making the application

For both Bromley and Croydon residents, applications should be made online at http://www.eadmissions.org.uk/

For Bromley residents, further information about the secondary school application process can be found at https://www.bromley.gov.uk/secondary-school-admissions/secondary-school-places

For Croydon residents, further information about the secondary school application process can be found at https://www.croydon.gov.uk/schools-and-education/schools/school-admissions/admissions-secondary-schools-university-technical-colleges-and-studio-schools

If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan, you must not apply through this admissions process. You will need to speak to your EHCP caseworker at the council for advice on how to apply for secondary schools, as there is a separate and earlier application process whereby you apply directly to the SEN team. If you have any further questions please speak to the school SENCO.

Additional information for your application

The address given must be the child’s main residence and local authorities reserve the right to check this and withdraw offers where another child has been disadvantaged.

One application must be made per child, even if the parents live in different boroughs.

It is important to note that schools set their own selection criteria which is usually viewable on their website or by contacting them. If you would like to know previous catchment areas for schools, you can contact the council for this information.

You can apply for up to six schools – and it is recommended that you do. You must list these in order of preference. If you put one school and aren’t offered this, you will not automatically be offered your closest school.

Having a sibling at that school does not also automatically mean you will be offered a place (though it is likely); it is worth putting other choices just in case.

Schools are not aware of your preference order.

National offer day

You will always be offered your highest preference school. For example, if the schools you have listed as preference number 5 and 3 offer, you will be offered preference 3.

If you are not offered your highest preference school, you will automatically be placed on the waiting list for all of the schools above the preference place you are allocated.

If you are not allocated any of your six preferred schools the borough will allocate the closet school with a vacancy. You can still remain on the waiting lists for the other schools after you accept an offer.

It is important that you do not decline a place as it could be that you are left without a place for your child. As above you will automatically be placed on higher named preference schools waiting lists and you also have the right to appeal.

Full details of the appeals process is published on the 1^st March 2024. Appeals are heard by an independent panel and schools are responsible for their own appeals.

Grammar schools

Grammar schools testing takes place on or before 31^st October 2024. Please see individual schools’ websites for further information.

If you have further questions or would like any support, please do contact us.