Statutory guidance

School admissions code

Statutory guidance that schools must follow when carrying out duties relating to school admissions.

Published 19 December 2014
Last updated 17 September 2015 — see all updates

• From: Department for Education

• Applies to: England

Documents

School admissions code

Ref: DFE-00728-2014 PDF, 682KB, 46 pages

Admission of children of crown servants: explanatory note

Ref: DFE-00249-2015 PDF, 122KB, 3 pages

Details

This school admissions code is for:

• headteachers and school leaders
• school staff
• governing bodies
• local authorities
• admission authorities of maintained schools as defined in section 88(1) (a) and (b) of the School Standards and Framework Act (SSFA) 1998
• schools adjudicators
• admission appeal panels

It applies to:

• local-authority-maintained schools
• academies and free schools

It covers:

• admission arrangements
• applications and offers
• ensuring fairness and resolving issues
• relevant legislation

It also features an admissions timeline.

You should read it alongside the ‘School admission appeals code’.

Statutory guidance sets out what schools and local authorities must do to comply with the law. You should follow the guidance unless you have a very good reason not to.

The explanatory note provides information about school places for children of public officials returning from overseas.

Further information about school admissions is available.

Published 19 December 2014
Last updated 17 September 2015 + show all updates

1. 17 September 2015 Added an explanatory note about school places for children of public officials returning from overseas.
2. 19 December 2014 First published.