England · Primary & Secondary

School Admissions Guide

Everything parents need to know about applying for a school place in England — from opening dates to National Offer Day, with live countdowns to every key milestone.

Days until next milestone
Primary · Offer Day
—
Primary National Offer Day
Secondary · Deadline
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Secondary applications close
Primary · Deadline
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Primary applications close
Secondary · Offer Day
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Secondary National Offer Day
Reception entry

Primary school admissions

For children starting Reception (Year R) in September. Applications are submitted in the autumn of the year before entry.

DeadlineFri, 15 January 2027
Offer DayFri, 16 April 2027
  1. Research entry criteria

    Faith schools, language units, and distance-based catchments differ by school. Start by reading each school's admissions policy on their website or the council's website.

  2. September
    Portal opens

    Apply through your home council's portal, even if your preferred school is in another borough. Most councils accept applications from September.

  3. 15 January
    Application deadline

    List up to 3–6 schools (the number varies by council) in genuine preference order. The equal preference rule means all preferences are considered before any offers are made.

  4. 16 April
    National Offer Day

    Results are published online. Reception offers are sent on 16 April (or the next working day if that falls on a weekend or bank holiday).

  5. ~1 May
    Accept or decline

    Respond by your council's deadline, typically around 1 May. Accepting secures the place while you wait to see if a preferred school's waiting list moves.

  6. Appeals

    Infant class-size appeals (Reception to Year 2) have a very narrow legal test and a low success rate. For Year 3+, appeals follow the same process as secondary.

Year 7 entry

Secondary school admissions

For children starting secondary school (Year 7) in September. Applications are submitted in the autumn of Year 6.

DeadlineSat, 31 October 2026
Offer DayMon, 1 March 2027
  1. Check entry criteria

    Look at each school's admissions policy — catchment areas, faith criteria, sibling priority, and aptitude tests vary widely. Use school detail pages on SchoolCompare for admissions history.

  2. September
    Portal opens

    Your local council opens its online admissions portal. Register early to avoid last-minute technical issues. You apply through your home council even if you prefer schools in neighbouring boroughs.

  3. 31 October
    Application deadline

    Submit your ranked list of up to six schools. Councils treat all preferences equally — list schools in the genuine order you want them, not strategically.

  4. 1 March
    National Offer Day

    Results are published online, usually from 12:01 am. You'll receive an email or letter with your allocated school.

  5. ~15 March
    Accept or decline

    Respond by the deadline your council gives — typically around 15 March. Accepting does not prevent you from keeping a place on a waiting list for a preferred school.

  6. Appeals

    If unsuccessful, you can appeal within 20 school days of the refusal letter. Secondary appeals consider whether prejudice to the school outweighs your case — success rates vary.

Three things most parents get wrong

01

Equal preference rule

Councils rank offers by your eligibility for each school, not by the order you listed them. You cannot game the system — put schools in the order you actually want them.

02

Late applications go to the back

Submit before the deadline even if your child does not turn the required age until later in the year. Late applicants are only considered after all on-time applications.

03

Waiting lists

You can go on waiting lists for multiple schools simultaneously. Lists are ordered by admissions criteria, not when you joined. They can move significantly over the summer.