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
Find your child's school term, half term and holiday dates on your local council's website
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…
Check school performance tables (‘league tables’), Ofsted reports and financial information.
Apply for a state primary school place through your local council
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
Apply for a state secondary school place through your local council
Schools set school uniform policy and must make their uniform policy. You should talk to the school if you think your child is being discriminated against.
Types of school and how they're run - community schools, academies, free schools, faith schools, state boarding schools.
School closures happen because of an emergency like severe weather - check whether your child's school is closed on your local council website.
Find out about the type of healthy food all maintained schools and academies in England have to provide under the school food standards.
Plan a journey so your child can get safely to and from school
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. Please fill in this survey (opens in a new tab and requires JavaScript).