We use some essential cookies to make this website work.
We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.
We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.
You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.
You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.
Departments, agencies and public bodies
News stories, speeches, letters and notices
Detailed guidance, regulations and rules
Reports, analysis and official statistics
Consultations and strategy
Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports
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…
Types of school and how they're run - community schools, academies, free schools, faith schools, state boarding schools.
All children in England between the ages of 5 and 16 are entitled to a…
Faith schools have to follow the national curriculum, but they can choose…
Free schools are funded by the government but are not run by the local…
Academies receive funding directly from the government and are run by an…
City technology colleges and ‘ the city college for the technology of the…
State boarding schools provide free education but charge fees for…
Private schools (also known as ‘independent schools’) charge fees to…
Check school performance tables (‘league tables’), Ofsted reports and financial information.
Apply for a state primary school place through your local council
Schools can sanction pupils or exclude them - find out what schools are allowed to do, like search pupils for knives or drugs
School closures happen because of an emergency like severe weather - check whether your child's school is closed on your local council website.
Complain about a school - complaints process, when to complain to the Department for Education, the Education Funding Agency or Ofsted.
Find out what help you can get to develop a whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing.
Educational professionals can search for and update establishment details using this service, previously called Edubase.
Advice for state-funded school admission authorities, independent schools, local authorities and parents.
How all state-funded schools in England can get impartial help and advice from Department for Education (DfE) procurement specialists.
Resources to help you buy goods and services for your school, get better value and be compliant with procurement regulations.
The Department for Education’s statutory guidance publications for schools and local authorities.
Official statistics on the inspections and outcomes of maintained schools and academies in England.
Schools are responsible for your child's safety while they're at school or on a school trip
The information that schools maintained by their local authorities must or should publish on their websites.
You can be prosecuted if your child has unauthorised absence from school - truancy, help with getting your child to school, and legal action to enforce school attendance
How schools can share daily attendance data.
Apply for a state secondary school place through your local council
An overview of school capital funding, who it's for, current and past allocations, how it's calculated and spending guidance.
Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.
To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. We’ll send you a link to a feedback form. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Don’t worry we won’t send you spam or share your email address with anyone.