In England and Wales the age of a child is taken from 1 September - 31 August for the intake starting that September.
Applications for primary school places need to be made before your child is five - many schools admit children at four years.
Applications for secondary education are usually made the Christmas before the year your child is due to start. You should contact the Local Authority (LA) Admissions Team for the area you are moving. Contact us if you have any concerns.
You have to apply for places at each of the schools your child will attend - even if the nursery primary or junior school are linked you must make an application to move them on to the next stage. If a school is popular there is no guarantee that your child will get a place.
Types of School
There are now four categories of state schools, Community Schools, Foundation schools, Voluntary Aided schools and Voluntary Controlled schools, each of which will have different admissions policies. In addition to these there are also Academies which are state funded independent schools. The extent to which Academies follow government guidance and regulations is determined by the contract each school has with the Secretary of State for Education and Skills.
When considering schools you should find out what their admissions policy is and check with the LA for information of education provision at all levels, application procedures and transport policies.
To find details on your LA click on the Local Authorities link under 'Other Links'.
Choosing a School
You have the right to state a preference for which school you want your child to go to, whether the school is inside or outside the area you live in, however your child does not have an automatic right to a place at that school.
Schools operate selection criteria if they are over subscribed; these are published by the LA and can be found on their web site.
If you are not offered a place for your child at the school you have chosen, you have the right to appeal to an independent panel. To find more information on choosing a school for your child in England and Wales go to the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Parents Centre web page.
Look at the 'obtaining a school place' link for detailed information on admissions.
When choosing a nursery place or school for your child there are several sources of information to help you make your decision:
- Visit the school.
- Check out the school's resources and the children's work.
- Ask how the school involves parents.
- Would it suit your child?
Many schools hold open days and evenings where you can meet the staff and see children's work, or you could make an appointment to visit the school at another time, and ask to talk to the Headteacher.
Your local authority produces a booklet listing all the schools in your area. The booklet will tell you:
- About the schools
- How many pupils they admit
- Their admission arrangements
- How popular they are
- Where to get more information
Every school publishes a brochure (called a prospectus) each year. These contain lot of useful information including details of the school's admissions policy in detail. You can get a copy from the school.
Performance
Every year the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) publishes performance tables for primary and secondary schools. The primary school tables tell you:
- Key facts about each school.
- How well its pupils have done in the 11 year old tests which mark the end of Key Stage 2 of the national curriculum.
- What percentage of the school's 11 year olds have reached the national expected level of achievement, level 4.
The secondary school tables tell you:
- Key facts about each school
- Information about GCSEs, GNVQs and other exam results
- The pupils' absence record
Separate tables for 16-18 year olds cover all schools with sixth forms and colleges in further education. These can be found on the DCSF website. These tell you:
- Key facts about schools and colleges
- Details of exam results