The School started life as Beckenham Technical School. It moved to its current site in Oakley Road in January 1958. Lt.-Col. Lord Dudley Gordon inaugurated it on 13th October 1960 as Bromley Technical High School for Boys. The move to Oakley Road allowed it to enjoy larger playing fields and improved facilities.
In the Autumn of 1968 the school changed its name to Ravens Wood School for Boys and later became non-selective. In January 1992 it was awarded Grant Maintained Status. In 1994 Ravens Wood became one of the first Specialist Technology Colleges. Girls were admitted into the Sixth Form in September 1997, and in September 1999 the school’s name changed to Ravens Wood School to reflect this.
The school includes amongst its alumni: David Bowie, Peter Frampton, Hanif Kureishi, John Pienaar, Tom Solesbury and James Alaka.
The number on roll has swelled from 800 in the 1980s to the current figure of over 1600. The intake for Years 7s has risen from 154 at the start of the nineties to the current figure of 224.