By Branwen Jeffreys & Julia Bryson
BBC News
Parents of children starting secondary school in England and Wales in September 2024 need to apply for their place within the coming weeks.
Different rules apply in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
When is the deadline to apply for a secondary school place?
In Wales, applications are open for at least six weeks during September and October, with closing dates set by individual local authorities.
In Scotland, councils decide where children are placed, so there is no application deadline.
How do I apply for a secondary school for my child?
Applications for state secondary school places in England 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.
Image source, Getty Images
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 and 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 Scotland, local authorities have to work with parents and the professionals who support their child to identify the best option for secondary education.
When is offer day for secondary school places?
Children starting Year 7 in England and Wales in September 2024 find out about school places on 1 March.
In Northern Ireland, post-primary school places are released on 20 May.
How do I choose a secondary school?
You should start by visiting the school and speaking to teachers, other parents and pupils, to get the full picture.
Researchers we’ve spoken to say only 10% of the difference in how well pupils do is down to variation between schools – the other 90% is largely due to family circumstances.
It has also been shown that if you pick a secondary school based on Ofsted reports, by the time your child reaches GCSE level there is little difference between those graded Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate, once results are adjusted to account for pupils’ backgrounds. Only with Outstanding schools is there a clear difference.
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.
Research from the University of Bristol about how 3,250 secondary schools in England admitted pupils in September 2020 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.
What if you do not get the school you want?
You can appeal but the process varies across the UK.
In England, appeals are decided by an independent panel. To succeed, parents must show 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.
The percentage of appeals made has not changed significantly in recent years, 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 in the child’s favour, the appeal can move to a second stage where parents set out their argument, and the admission authority responds.
In Northern Ireland, you can appeal against a decision if you think the school didn’t 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.
What if you apply after the deadline?
If you apply for a place after the deadline in England and Wales, your 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 waiting list of the school you want.
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.
