Secondary school applications: When is the deadline?
Secondary school places: When is national offer day 2024 and how do appeals work?
(4 months later)
Parents of children starting secondary school in England and Wales in September 2024 need to apply for their place within the coming weeks.
Year 6 children in England and Wales are finding out which secondary school they will be attending in September.
Different rules apply in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Last year, 83% of applicants in England got their first choice, but what if parents aren't happy?
When is the deadline to apply for a secondary school place?
When do parents find out secondary school places 2024?
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.
Children starting Year 7 in England and Wales in September are finding out about school places on Friday 1 March.
In Wales, applications are open for at least six weeks during September and October, with closing dates set by individual local authorities.
If you missed the deadline to apply for a place, in England your application will not be considered until after the first round of offers are made.
In Northern Ireland, parents can apply for a post-primary Y8 place between 1 and 23 February 2024.
In Wales, if you had a good reason for the delay, such as moving to the area after the deadline, the local authority should have considered it alongside on-time applications.
In Scotland, councils decide where children are placed, so there is no application deadline.
In Northern Ireland, post-primary school places will be sent out on 18 May.
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 school
What about children with special education needs and disabilities?
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.
In Wales, a child's SEND statement will set out a particular school the local authority thinks is appropriate.
In Northern Ireland, there is a separate application process for children with a SEND statement.
In Scotland, local authorities have to work with parents and the professionals who support their child to identify the best option for secondary education.
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.
In Scotland, no offers are made, as councils decide where children are placed.
How do I choose a secondary school?
BBC Bitesize: Starting secondary school
You should start by visiting the school and speaking to teachers, other parents and pupils, to get the full picture.
Listen: What makes a good school?
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.
'My son has no school to go to and wakes up crying'
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.
How are secondary school places decided?
What makes a good school?
Children in care, or who have previously been in care, are given top priority.
How are places decided?
Beyond that, schools or local authorities usually set their own admissions criteria.
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.
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 by the University of Bristol into admissions in England found that:
96% gave precedence to siblings of current pupils
96% gave precedence to siblings of current pupils
88% were more likely to give places to local children
88% were more likely to give places to local children
Only 5% prioritised poorer pupils
Only 5% prioritised disadvantaged pupils.
The Nuffield Foundation charity said prioritising local children "reinforces geographic inequalities" and urged a fairer approach.
Do children with SEND get priority for school places?
What if you do not get the school you want?
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.
You can appeal but the process varies across the UK.
The same applies in Wales if the local authority names the school it thinks is most appropriate for the child in their SEND statement.
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.
In Northern Ireland, there is a separate application process.
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.
In Scotland, local authorities have to work with parents and professionals to identify the best option for your child's secondary education.
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.
How do parents accept a school offer?
In England, the offer letter or email will explain what you need to do next. You may need to accept the place by a given deadline - if you miss that, the offer could be withdrawn and the place given to someone else.
Not all admissions teams in Wales require parents to accept a place - the letter will make it clear whether you need to do anything.
How do I appeal against a secondary school place?
You can appeal against a school's decision, but the process varies across the UK.
In England, appeals are decided by an independent panel. To succeed, parents might have to show that the proper admissions process was not followed, or set out what the school can offer your child that other schools cannot.
If the appeal is successful, the child will be given a place. If not, the child can still be added to the school's waiting list.
The proportion of successful appeals dropped from 26% in 2016 to 21% in 2021.
In Wales, you can challenge the decision during an initial appeal hearing.
In Wales, you can challenge the decision during an initial appeal hearing.
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.
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 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.
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.
In Scotland, an appeal committee will arrange a hearing during which you can provide evidence to support your claim.
In Scotland, most appeals will be dealt with by your local authority. Appeals for children with additional support needs can be made to a tribunal.
Wealthy are biggest winners from school appeals
Wealthy are biggest winners from school appeals
What if you apply after the deadline?
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.
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.
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.
In Scotland, as councils decide where children are placed, there is no deadline to miss.
