The school admissions timeline
Two deadlines matter more than everything else. Miss one and your application goes to the back of the queue.
The dates
| Milestone | Secondary (Year 7) | Primary (Reception) |
|---|---|---|
| Applications open | Early September, the year before entry (via your local authority) | |
| Application deadline | 31 October | 15 January |
| National offer day | 1 March (or next working day) | 16 April (or next working day) |
| Accept your offer | Usually within ~2 weeks of offer day — check your offer letter | |
| Waiting lists & appeals | From offer day into the summer term | |
These are the statutory-scheme dates and they repeat every year. Your own local authority confirms the exact dates and runs the process — always check its admissions pages.
Before the deadline
Use the autumn to look at schools properly: open evenings run September–October. Check each school’s admission criteria (distance, siblings, faith, catchment, banding — they differ school by school) and its recent oversubscription. On any school’s page here, the “Will my child get in?” section shows several years of first-choice demand against places — an honest signal, not a prediction.
After offer day
If you didn’t get your first choice: accept the offered place (this never counts against you), join waiting lists for the schools you preferred, and consider an appeal — panels are independent, and appeals for infant classes aside, success rates are meaningful. Waiting lists reorder by the school’s criteria, not by when you joined.
Common questions
- What happens if I miss the deadline?
- Your application becomes “late” and is processed after every on-time application — which sharply cuts your chances at oversubscribed schools. If you have a genuine reason (e.g. you moved house), tell your local authority immediately; some late applications can be treated as on time.
- Do I apply to the school or the council?
- Always through your home local authority (the council you pay council tax to), even for schools in a different authority, and even for academies and faith schools. Some schools also need a supplementary form — check each school’s admissions page.
- How many preferences should I use?
- All of them, and always include a realistic option. Naming only oversubscribed schools does not improve your chances at any of them — equal preference means each school considers you independently — but it does raise the risk of being allocated a school you never chose.
- Is offer day the end of it?
- No. Waiting lists move (sometimes a lot) in the weeks after offer day, and you have a legal right to appeal any refusal. Accept the place you are offered first — accepting does not weaken your appeal or waiting-list position.
Admissions law has edge cases (in-year moves, summer-born deferrals, fair access). This guide covers the normal cycle; your local authority and official guidance are the authority on your case.