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Get a place for your child at a primary or secondary school - applications, deadlines, admission criteria, appeals and complaints.
If you live in England contact your local council to find: state-funded…
All schools have admission criteria to decide which children get places.…
Most children start reception full-time in September after their fourth…
Follow your local council’s application process to: apply for a primary…
If your child does not have a place, contact your local council for…
You’ll be sent a letter with the decision about your child’s school. If…
You can complain about the way the appeal was carried out, but you can not…
Information about academy admissions and the role of the Department for Education (DfE).
How to object to admission arrangements and how admission authorities can apply for an in-year variation or appeal against a direction to admit a child.
Advice for state-funded school admission authorities, independent schools, local authorities and parents.
Applying for a school place, home schooling and travel costs
Statutory guidance that schools must follow when carrying out duties relating to school admissions.
Information that academies – including any educational setting with academy arrangements – and further education (FE) colleges must or should publish on their website.
Information that schools maintained by a local authority must or should publish on their website.
Statistics on appeals against admission decisions in primary and secondary schools.
Files for the electronic transfer of 2025 co-ordinated admissions data, primarily for use by software suppliers.
Files for the electronic transfer of 2024 co-ordinated admissions data, primarily for use by software suppliers.
Files for the electronic transfer of 2023 co-ordinated admissions data, primarily for use by software suppliers.
Files for the electronic transfer of 2022 co-ordinated admissions data, primarily for use by software suppliers.
How local authorities should collect and submit admission appeals data from all community and voluntary-controlled schools in their area.
Guidance and templates to help free schools write their admission and referral policies.
How and when to apply for childcare places and schools.
Guidance about using the pupil premium, service premium or early years pupil premium oversubscription criteria in school admissions.
Guidance to help admission authorities advise those involved with school admission appeals to understand their roles and responsibilities.
A letter written to higher education admissions officers to ensure they are fully aware of grading arrangements for the qualifications that Ofqual regulates for the 2023 to 2024 admissions cycle.
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