ORIGINAL ARTICLE: When is the Secondary School Application Deadline?
Parents of children starting secondary school in England and Wales in September 2024 need to apply for their place in the coming weeks.
Different rules apply in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
In England, parents and guardians have until October 31, 2023, to select the school where they want their child to start Year 7 in September 2024.
In Wales, applications are open for at least six weeks during September and October, with closing dates set by local authorities.
In Northern Ireland, parents can apply for a post-primary Y8 place between February 1 and 23, 2024.
In Scotland, councils decide where children are placed, so there is no application deadline.
To apply for a state secondary school in England, applications can be made online on your local council’s website, or by using the council’s application form.
Parents should apply through their local council even if they want their child to attend a school outside their local area.
Applications for children who live in the 33 London local authority areas and Surrey are collated centrally through the Pan-London Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme.
In Wales, parents will be told whether to apply online or via a paper form by their local authority.
In Northern Ireland, applications are made online on the education authority website.
In Scotland, councils provide information about school places in December 2023 or early 2024.
What about Children with Special Education Needs & Disabilities?
If your child has special education needs and disabilities (SEND) in England, their Education, Health and Care plan will specify a school, which must give them a place.
In Wales, a child’s SEND statement will set out a particular school the local authority thinks is appropriate.
In Northern Ireland, there is a separate application process for children with a SEND statement.
In Scotland, local authorities have to work with parents and the professionals who support their children to identify the best option for secondary education.
When is Offer Day?
Children starting secondary school in England and Wales in September 2024 find out about school places on March 1.
In Northern Ireland, post-primary school places are released on May 20.
In Scotland, no offers are made because councils decide where children are placed.
You should start by visiting the school and speaking to teachers, other parents and pupils to get a full insight.
How are Places Decided?
Children in care are given top priority. But beyond that, schools set their own admissions criteria.
Some prioritise children from a particular religion or those who pass an entrance exam.
The University of Bristol conducted research about how 3,250 secondary schools in England admitted pupils in September 2020.
It found:
- 96% gave precedence to siblings of current pupils
- 88% were more likely to give places to local children
- Only 5% prioritised poorer pupils
The Nuffield Foundation charity said prioritising local children “reinforces geographic inequalities” and urged a fairer approach.
For parents and guardians who do not get their chosen school, you can appeal but the process varies across the UK.
In England, appeals are decided by an independent panel.
To succeed, parents must prove that the proper admissions process was not followed or that relevant circumstances about their child were not considered.
If the appeal is successful, the child will be given a place.
But if not, the child can still be added to the school’s waiting list.
In recent years, the percentage of appeals made has not changed significantly, although the proportion which were successful has dropped from 26.3% in 2016 to 21.1% in 2021.
In Wales, you can challenge the decision during an initial appeal hearing.
If the panel does not find the appeal in the child’s favour, it can move to a second stage where parents give their argument and the admission authority responds.
In Northern Ireland, you can appeal against a decision if you think the school did not correctly apply its published admissions criteria.
An Independent Admissions Appeal tribunal hears the case, and if successful, your child will be offered a place.
In Scotland, an appeal committee will arrange a hearing during which you can provide evidence to support your claim.
Applications after the Deadline
If you apply for a place after the deadline in England and Wales, the application will not be considered until after the first round of offers are made the following March.
This means your child is less likely to get a place at your preferred school. However, your child can still be added to the school’s waiting list.
In Northern Ireland, parents who miss the deadline can submit a paper application during the subsequent three weeks. After this, parents cannot apply until the end of the admissions procedure in May – but only to schools with available places.
In Scotland, as councils decide where children are placed, there is no deadline to miss.
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