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Get a place for your child at a primary or secondary school - applications, deadlines, admission criteria, appeals and complaints.

• Choosing schools

  If you live in England contact your local council to find: state-funded…

• Admission criteria

  All schools have admission criteria to decide which children get places.…

• School starting age

  Most children start reception full-time in September after their fourth…

• How to apply

  Follow your local council’s application process to: apply for a primary…

• School waiting lists

  If your child does not have a place, contact your local council for…

• Appealing a school's decision

  You’ll be sent a letter with the decision about your child’s school. If…

• Complain about the appeals process

  You can complain about the way the appeal was carried out, but you can not…

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.

• Updated: 24 February 2026

Information about academy admissions and the role of the Department for Education (DfE).

• Updated: 21 March 2023

• Updated: 3 March 2016

• Updated: 26 May 2016

• Updated: 26 November 2015

Statistics on appeals against admission decisions in primary and secondary schools.

• Updated: 14 August 2025

• Updated: 25 October 2021

Guidance and templates to help free schools write their admission and referral policies.

• Updated: 22 February 2023

The Secretary of State for International Trade has decided to admit Uzbekistan to the UK’s Enhanced Framework.

• Updated: 25 October 2021