By Hazel Shearing & Julia Bryson & Nathan Standley
BBC News
Parents of children starting primary school this autumn will soon be getting their offers.
More than 90% of applicants in England got their first choice last year, but what do you do if your child misses out?
When do parents find out primary school places for 2024?
Parents in England and Wales will find out which school has offered a place to their child on Tuesday 16 April.
In England, if you missed the 15 January application deadline, you will not be considered until after the first round of offers.
In Wales the deadline varied between council areas. If you believe there is a really good reason your application is late, you should contact the admission authority, who may consider it with the others if that is their policy.
In Northern Ireland, the deadline was 26 January and parents will be notified either via online portal or by letter on Thursday 25 April.
And in Scotland, parents who submitted requests for a place by 15 March will hear back by Tuesday 30 April.
If you asked for a place after that deadline, the council has two months to make a decision, but all the places at the school you want may have been filled.
How do I appeal against a primary school place?
In England, the letter you receive notifying you of the decision should tell you what to do.
Anyone can appeal, however it is recommended to accept the offer your child did receive, even if you do want to appeal against it. This is to ensure that at least one place is available if the appeal is unsuccessful.
You have at least 20 school days from offer day to submit an appeal, which consists of sending off a form and then attending a hearing with an independent admissions panel.
They will consider a number of factors, including class size limits and whether the school’s admissions arrangements were followed correctly.
In Wales, you can also challenge the decision during an appeal hearing, which will examine the arguments from both sides.
In Scotland, your appeal may be heard before an appeal committee, including councillors or other local people such as teachers and parents.
Those wanting to appeal in Northern Ireland should go to the Education Authority website, where you can send off a form.
After you have appealed, an independent admissions appeal tribunal decides if the school has correctly applied its admissions criteria.
How are primary school admissions decided?
In England, children in care, or who have been in care before, have to be given top priority.
After that, schools and local authorities have their own admissions criteria to decide which children to prioritise.
- Living near the school
- Having a sibling at the school
- Being from a particular religion (for faith schools)
- Being eligible for pupil premium
- Having a parent who has worked at the school for over two years
Your local council can give you more information about a particular school or authority’s criteria.
What about children with special education needs and disabilities?
If your child has special needs and disabilities (SEND) in England, their Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will specify a school, which must give them a place.
In Wales, children with additional learning needs (ALN) will have an Individual Development Plan (IDP), maintained by a school, college or local authority.
In Northern Ireland, there is a separate application process for children with a SEND statement.
Image source, Getty Images
What do parents need to do on offer day?
On the day you get the offer, your letter, email or notification should tell you what to do next.
In England, a parent or carer has to formally accept the offer by the given deadline.
In Wales, the local authority or school will give you a start date and any other information you need. You might also have to return a slip to say you intend to take the offer.
In Scotland, some councils will ask for a reply to the offer to confirm the place.
In Northern Ireland, those who applied online in January can log in to the online portal and get information on their child’s primary one application on 25 April.
