How school applications work in England

The closing dates are set nationally. If an offer day falls on a weekend or bank holiday, offers are sent on the next working day. Children starting Reception in September 2027 are usually those who turn 4 between 1 September 2026 and 31 August 2027.

You apply through the council where you live, even for schools in another council area. Most councils take applications online. You fill in one form per child and list the schools you'd like in order of preference. Find your local council.

• Faith schools may ask for a supplementary form as well, for example to show church attendance. Check the school's admissions policy.
• Grammar schools select by an entrance test. You usually have to register for the test months before the application deadline, often in the spring or summer of Year 5.
• Independent (private) schools aren't part of the council system. Apply to the school directly.
• Children with an education, health and care (EHC) plan are admitted to the school named in their plan. This happens through the EHC plan process rather than the normal application.

Official guidance: apply for a secondary school place and apply for a primary school place.

Your council lets you name a set number of schools, usually between 3 and 6. Councils use an equal preference system. Each school you name looks at your application on its own admissions criteria, without knowing where you ranked it. If your child qualifies for more than one school, you're offered the one you ranked highest, and the other places go to other children.

That means:

• Put the schools in your true order of preference. Ranking a school lower doesn't reduce your chances there.
• Listing only one school does not increase your chances of getting a place there.
• It's sensible to include at least one school you're likely to get a place at, such as a school that has had fewer first choices than places in recent years.
• If you aren't offered any of the schools you named, the council must offer a place elsewhere, usually at the nearest school with places still available. That may be further away than you'd like.

When a school has more applicants than places, it ranks children using its published oversubscription criteria, in order. Every state school must give top priority to children who are in care or have been in care. After that, criteria vary from school to school. They often include:

• having a brother or sister already at the school
• living in the school's catchment area, or living closest to the school
• belonging to a particular religion, for faith schools
• passing an entrance test, for grammar schools
• attending a particular primary school (a “feeder school”)
• being eligible for the pupil premium, or having a parent who works at the school

Each school's admissions policy is on its website and in your council's admissions booklet. All schools must follow the School Admissions Code. More on admission criteria.

Some schools and councils draw a catchment area that gives priority to children living inside it. Many others, including most of London, rank applicants by distance from home to school after their other criteria. Each council measures distance in its own way, often in a straight line from your home to a set point at the school.

Living in a catchment, or close to a school, never guarantees a place: it depends on how many other children apply in a higher priority group that year. The furthest distance a school offered places to last year also changes from year to year. SchoolPatch only shows catchment boundaries that councils publish officially. Why we don't estimate catchments.

On national offer day (Monday 1 March 2027 for secondary, Friday 16 April 2027 for primary) your council tells you which school your child has been offered, usually by email. You get one offer.

You must accept the offer by the deadline in the offer letter, or it may be withdrawn and given to someone else. Accepting a place doesn't stop you joining waiting lists or appealing for schools you preferred.

You can ask to put your child on the waiting list for a school, even if they've been offered a place somewhere else. Contact the school or your council to be added. Waiting lists are ranked by the school's admissions criteria, not by how long you've been on the list, so your child's position can go up or down.

Schools must keep their waiting list open for at least the first term of the school year. If a place comes up and you're offered it, you can accept even if your child has already started at another school.

If your child is refused a place at a school you named, you can appeal to an independent panel. You appeal against each refusal separately, and only once per refusal. The refusal letter tells you how.

• You must be given at least 20 school days to lodge an appeal from when the decision letter is sent.
• Appeals must be heard within 40 school days of the appeal deadline, with at least 10 school days' notice of the hearing.
• For Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, classes are limited to 30 children per teacher, so appeals for these year groups can only succeed in narrower circumstances.

Official guidance: appealing a school's decision and the School Admission Appeals Code.

Does putting a school second or third reduce my chances of getting a place there?

No. Councils use an equal preference system: each school considers every application against its admissions criteria, whatever position you gave it. Your ranking only matters if you qualify for more than one school, when you're offered the one you ranked highest.

How many schools can I name?

It depends on your council: usually between 3 and 6. Listing only one school does not increase your chances of getting a place there.

Can I apply for a school in a different council area?

Yes. You still apply through the council where you live, and it passes your application to the other council.

My child goes to the school's nursery. Do I still need to apply for Reception?

Yes. You must apply for a place even if the school is linked to your child's current nursery, infant or primary school. Attending the nursery doesn't guarantee a Reception place.

Does living in the catchment area guarantee a place?

No. Living in a catchment area usually gives higher priority, but a popular school can fill its places before reaching every child in its catchment. Check the school's admissions policy for how it ranks applicants.

What happens if I miss the deadline?

Late applications are usually considered only after all the on-time ones, so your child is less likely to be offered a place at your chosen schools. Contact your council and apply as soon as you can.

What if I'm not offered any of the schools I named?

Your council must offer a place at another school, usually the nearest one with places still available. You can join waiting lists for the schools you preferred and appeal against each refusal.