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Secondary school places: How to appeal a school admissions decision Secondary school applications: When is the deadline?
(5 months later)
Children starting secondary school in England and Wales in September 2023 have been offered school places. Parents of children starting secondary school in England and Wales in September 2024 need to apply for their place within the coming weeks.
What are the options if parents are unhappy? Different rules apply in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
When was offer day for secondary school places? When is the deadline to apply for a secondary school place?
Children starting Year 7 in England and Wales in September 2023 found out about school places on 1 March. Parents and carers in England have until 31 October to select the school where they want their child to start Year 7 in September 2024.
In Northern Ireland, emails about post-primary school places are issued on 20 May. In Wales, applications are open for at least six weeks during September and October, with closing dates set by individual local authorities.
In Scotland, no offers are made, as councils decide where children are placed. In Northern Ireland, parents can apply for a post-primary Y8 place between 1 and 23 February 2024.
Primary school offers will be made in England and Wales on 17 April. In Scotland, councils decide where children are placed, so there is no application deadline.
How do I apply for a secondary school for my child?
Applications for state secondary school places in England can be made online on your local council's website, or by using the council's application form.
Parents should apply through their local council even if they want their child to attend a school outside their local area.
Applications for children who live in the 33 London local authority areas and Surrey are collated centrally through the Pan-London Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme.
Parents in Wales will be told whether to apply online or via a paper form by their local authority.
In Northern Ireland, applications are made online on the education authority website.
In Scotland, councils provide information about school places in December 2023 or early 2024.
BBC Bitesize: Starting secondary schoolBBC Bitesize: Starting secondary school
How do parents and carers accept a school offer? What about children with special education needs and disabilities?
In England and Wales, parents who applied online received an email on 1 March with details of how to accept the place, and the deadline. If your child has special education needs and disabilities (SEND) in England, their Education, Health and Care plan may specify a school, which must give them a place.
Those who did not apply online were sent a letter. In Wales, a child's SEND statement will set out a particular school the local authority thinks is appropriate.
If parents do not accept by the date specified, the offer could be withdrawn and the place given to someone else. In Northern Ireland, there is a separate application process for children with a SEND statement.
Across London, three in 10 children missed out on their first choice secondary school for September 2023. In Scotland, local authorities have to work with parents and the professionals who support their child to identify the best option for secondary education.
Figures aren't yet available for the whole of England, but in 2022, 83.3% of applicants were offered a place at their first preference secondary school. That percentage has been broadly static since 2014. When is offer day for secondary school places?
Children starting Year 7 in England and Wales in September 2024 find out about school places on 1 March.
In Northern Ireland, post-primary school places are released on 20 May.
In Scotland, no offers are made, as councils decide where children are placed.
How do I choose a secondary school?
You should start by visiting the school and speaking to teachers, other parents and pupils, to get the full picture.
Researchers we've spoken to say only 10% of the difference in how well pupils do is down to variation between schools - the other 90% is largely due to family circumstances.
It has also been shown that if you pick a secondary school based on Ofsted reports, by the time your child reaches GCSE level there is little difference between those graded Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate, once results are adjusted to account for pupils' backgrounds. Only with Outstanding schools is there a clear difference.
What makes a good school?
How are places decided?How are places decided?
Looked-after children are given top priority, but beyond that, schools can set their own admissions criteria. Some give priority to children from a particular religion, or those who pass an entrance exam. Children in care are given top priority, but beyond that, schools set their own admissions criteria. Some prioritise children from a particular religion, or those who pass an entrance exam.
Research from the University of Bristol about how 3,250 secondary schools in England admitted pupils in September 2020 found:Research from the University of Bristol about how 3,250 secondary schools in England admitted pupils in September 2020 found:
96% gave precedence to those whose siblings already attended 96% gave precedence to siblings of current pupils
88% were more likely to give places to local children88% were more likely to give places to local children
Only 5% prioritised poorer pupilsOnly 5% prioritised poorer pupils
The Nuffield Foundation charity said prioritising local children "reinforces geographic inequalities by excluding those who can't afford to live close to the top-performing schools," and urged a fairer approach. The Nuffield Foundation charity said prioritising local children "reinforces geographic inequalities" and urged a fairer approach.
What if you did not get the school you wanted? What if you do not get the school you want?
In England, if your child is not offered a place at your preferred school, you are usually offered another school listed on your application. You can appeal but the process varies across the UK.
If none of your chosen schools have spaces, your child may be offered a place somewhere else. In England, appeals are decided by an independent panel. To succeed, parents must show that the proper admissions process was not followed, or that relevant circumstances about their child were not considered.
You can join the waiting list for your preferred school(s) - and these must remain open for at least the first term of the school year. If the appeal is successful, the child will be given a place but if not, the child can still be added to the school's waiting list.
You can accept a place after being on a waiting list even if your child has already started at another school. The percentage of appeals made has not changed significantly in recent years, although the proportion which were successful has dropped from 26.3% in 2016 to 21.1% in 2021.
In Wales, any child not given a place at their first preference school is added to a waiting list. In Wales, you can challenge the decision during an initial appeal hearing.
In Northern Ireland, if your child is not offered a place at any of the schools you wanted, you will be asked to choose a new preference from a list of schools that still have places. If the panel does not find in the child's favour, the appeal can move to a second stage where parents set out their argument, and the admission authority responds.
In Scotland, the council decides which school in your local catchment area your child will attend. You can request a place at a school outside the catchment area, and the council must allow this if there is space - but it is not guaranteed. In Northern Ireland, you can appeal against a decision if you think the school didn't correctly apply its published admissions criteria. An Independent Admissions Appeal tribunal hears the case, and if successful, your child will be offered a place.
How to appeal against a school admissions decision In Scotland, an appeal committee will arrange a hearing during which you can provide evidence to support your claim.
You can appeal against the decision no matter where you are in the UK. Wealthy are biggest winners from school appeals
In England, you can appeal within 20 working days, and the case must be heard within 40 days. What if you apply after the deadline?
The final decision is made by an independent panel at a hearing where the council or school explains why the application was rejected, and the parent makes the case for why their child should be accepted. If you apply for a place after the deadline in England and Wales, your application will not be considered until after the first round of offers are made the following March.
To appeal successfully, parents must show that the proper admissions process was not followed, or that relevant circumstances about their child were not considered. This means your child is less likely to get a place at your preferred school. However, your child can still be added to the waiting list of the school you want.
Parents and carers should be informed of the panel's decision within five days. In Northern Ireland, parents who miss the deadline can submit a paper application during the subsequent three weeks. After this, parents cannot apply until the end of the admissions procedure in May - but only to schools with available places.
If the appeal is successful, the child will be given a place, but if it is unsuccessful, the child can still be added to the school's waiting list. In Scotland, as councils decide where children are placed, there is no deadline to miss.
There were 28,687 appeals (3.9% of new admissions) for the 2021-22 academic year. Of those, 6,055 (21.1%) were successful.
The percentage of appeals made has not changed significantly in recent years, although the proportion which were successful has dropped from 26.3% in 2016.
Official guidance on admission appeals for school places in England
Wealthy biggest winners from school appeals
In Wales, parents can challenge the admission authority's decision during an initial appeal hearing.
If the panel does not find in the child's favour at this point, the appeal can move to a second stage where parents set out their argument, and the admission authority responds.
Parents should have the panel's final decision within five days.
Can I get help with school transport?
Parents and carers across the UK may be able to get free or lower-cost transport if their child's allocated school is far away.
Applications need to go through the relevant local education authority.
What if my child has special educational needs?
If your child has special educational needs (SEN) in England, their Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) will specify their school. The school must give the child a place.
In Wales, a child's statement of SEN will set out a particular school the local authority thinks is appropriate.
Special educational needs children to get more help
What if you applied after the 31 October deadline?
If you applied for a place after the deadline in England and Wales, your application will not be considered until after the first round of offers are made.
This means your child is less likely to get a place at your preferred school.
However, your child can still be added to the waiting list of the school you wanted.
Related TopicsRelated Topics
WalesWales
SchoolsSchools
Secondary educationSecondary education
EnglandEngland