Children in England can take up a full-time school place in the
Autumn term following their fourth birthday, but there is no
requirement for them to be in education until the start of the
school term following their fifth birthday.
Many children start secondary school in the September following
their eleventh birthday, but in some areas state-funded
schooling is arranged differently, with intakes and transfers
at different ages.
Summer born children starting school
The school admissions code currently allows parents to ask for
their children to be admitted outside their usual age group -
i.e., to the year above or below the one they would usually be
expected to join, given their date of birth. However,
admissions authorities still have discretion over whether to
agree to this.
The process - applying for a school place in the normal
admissions round
For admission at normal points of entry (for example, entry
into the first year of infant/ primary or secondary school)
parents apply to their home local authority.
Choosing schools
Parents and carers in England can express preferences for
particular schools; there’s no absolute right to choose a
particular school, if that school is oversubscribed - i.e., it
has more applicants than places available.
How admission authorities allocate school places
Where a school is under-subscribed (i.e., has fewer applicants
than places available), any child applying during the normal
admissions round must usually be offered a place, although
there are some exceptions.
Oversubscription criteria
Where a school is oversubscribed, the school's admissions
authority must rank applications against its published
oversubscription criteria. The oversubscription criteria used
must be "reasonable, clear, objective, procedurally fair, and
comply with all relevant legislation, including equalities
legislation" (para 1.8 of the school admissions code).
There's further information in the full PDF briefing about
admission rules for:
- Children automatically receiving the highest priority in
admissions, for example, looked-after or previously-looked
after children.
- Children with a statement of special educational needs or
an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) naming a
particular mainstream school.
- faith schools.
- academically selective schools.
What criteria can't be used to allocate places?
Admissions authorities determine their own admissions criteria,
but the school admission code sets out certain things they
cannot do. These include:
- Adopting arrangements that directly or indirectly
disadvantage children from particular social or racial groups,
or children with disabilities or SENs.
- Departing from the published admissions criteria (i.e.,
using their discretion to admit a child who'd not otherwise
qualify for a place).
- Taking into account the order of preference on the
application form - i.e., giving a child lower priority simply
because the parent had named the school third rather than first
on the form.
- Interviewing parents or children (with very limited
exceptions).
Options for parents or carers who don’t get the school
place they wanted for their child
Parents who are refused a place for their child at a particular
school have a right of appeal. Other options include
remaining on waiting lists, joining the waiting lists of
schools not originally applied for, or arranging other
provision – e.g., home schooling.
Support and information for parents on school
admissions
Local authorities, voluntary agencies and charities can provide
advice and guidance to parents about applying for state-funded
schools.
There can be differences in admission processes and the
criteria used from school to school and area to area; this note
is intended as a general guide only and parents should consult
their home local authority for local information.
