Applying for a secondary school place

Waiting lists

If you're not happy with the school place your child has been offered you can ask for them to be added to the waiting list for any Medway school. If you are a Medway resident, it does not matter if you did not name the school on your application

If you’re not a Medway resident your waiting lists will be subject to your local council’s admission arrangements.

You will need to complete the waiting list request form and return it to Medway Council's Admissions and Transport as soon as you decide you want to be placed on a waiting list.

The deadline for waiting lists requests to be considered during the first round of reallocation is 28 March. You can submit waiting list requests any time after that until 31 December 2024. Your request will only be considered during the first round of reallocation if it is received by 28 March.

Your child will not be automatically added to any waiting lists until we receive your completed form.

Remember that:

  • waiting lists close on 31 December 2024
  • we offer vacant places to children on the schools waiting lists from Monday 22 April 2024
  • a child’s place on a waiting list is held in oversubscription order, not first come first served
  • a child can only be placed on a waiting list for a Medway grammar school if they’ve been assessed as suitable for grammar in the Medway Test (11 plus).

If your child is offered a place from a waiting list

If your child is offered a place at a school from a waiting list, we will:

  • automatically withdraw any other school place offer you hold so it can be offered to another child
  • contact you before making an offer to see if you want the new school offer (only if the offer is being made after the end of the school year)
  • remove your child from any waiting list for schools named as a lower preference than the one offered, but your child can stay on the lists for schools named higher.

If you want to remove your child from waiting lists

If you’re happy with a school offer and do not wish for your child to stay on waiting lists you must tell us by emailing admissions@medway.gov.uk.

If you do not tell us you could lose your previous offer if you are offered a waiting list place from another school.