Applying for a Year 7 place

You apply through the council where you live, even if the schools you want are in a neighbouring council area. You do not apply to the school, and you cannot apply through School Checker.

On the form you list schools in order of preference. Listing only one school does not improve your chances of getting it.

When a school has more applicants than places, its admission criteria decide who gets in. Children in care come first. After that, criteria often include distance, a brother or sister at the school, faith or a feeder primary school. Your council publishes the criteria for each school.

Your council sends every family its offer on national offer day. If your child has an education, health and care (EHC) plan, the school named in the plan must give them a place.

• Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on 31st of October 2026.
• Applications usually open on 1st of September 2026.
• Councils send secondary offers on 1st of March 2027. If 1st of March falls on a weekend or bank holiday, offers go out on the next working day.

Applying for a Reception place instead? Primary school applications close on 15th of January 2027.

Enter your postcode. We open your postcode district with secondary schools selected. Use your full postcode to see straight-line distances from your home.

Your council's admissions booklet sets out each school's criteria and often shows how places were allocated last year. Browse councils and open yours. Each council page links to its official admissions site.

• Ofsted grade and the date of the last inspection.
• Key stage 4 results, including Progress 8, where published.
• Attendance and persistent absence.
• Straight-line distance from your postcode. Councils measure distance in their own way, so check the booklet.
• Pupils on roll against published capacity, a rough sign of how full a school is.

Then visit the schools you like on their open days before you apply.

• We do not show catchment areas or the last distance offered.
• We do not take applications or pass anything to your council.
• We cannot tell you whether your child will get a place. Your council decides using each school's criteria.

• School admissions: how to apply (GOV.UK)
• School admissions: admission criteria (GOV.UK)

Dates checked against GOV.UK on 30th of September 2026.