Primary school applications close on 15 January: only 85% of Inner London children get their first choice

Councils are already taking applications for a primary school place starting in September 2027, and the deadline is 15 January 2027. The date is the same across England. Late applications are dealt with after everyone else — by which time popular schools are usually full.

Who does this apply to?

Children born between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023. In September 2027 they start Reception, the first year of primary school in England. You must apply even if your child already attends the nursery attached to that same school — a Reception place is not given automatically.

Where do you apply for a primary school place?

Through the council for the area where you live, even if the schools you want are in a different borough or a different city. One application, one form, with your chosen schools listed in order of preference.

How many schools should you list?

As many as your council allows — usually between three and six. Naming a single school to "improve your chances" is a common and expensive mistake. It does not make an offer more likely, and if that school is full the council will allocate whatever place is left, sometimes a long way from home.

When do you find out?

16 April 2027 is national primary offer day. If it falls on a weekend or a bank holiday, offers go out on the next working day. You are offered exactly one school: the highest preference on your list that had room.

Department for Education figures for 2026 show 92.4% of primary applicants in England were offered their first preference and 98.4% one of their top three. London is noticeably worse: 85.0% in Inner London and 90.0% in Outer London — the lowest rates in the country.

Does a child have to start school at four?

No. The school starting age in England is four, and most children do start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. But compulsory school age comes later: 31 December, 31 March or 31 August following the fifth birthday, whichever comes first.

Until then a parent can ask to delay the start or to send the child part-time. The application itself still has to go in with everyone else's, by 15 January.

What happens if you delay until five?

The child is usually placed straight into Year 1, skipping Reception. You can ask for a Reception place instead, but the school does not have to agree. This is the main risk for summer-born children, born between April and August: the Department for Education publishes separate guidance for their parents, and the request should be made before the application goes in.

What happens if you miss the deadline?

Your application is still accepted, but it is considered after all the on-time ones. The offer arrives later than 16 April, and sought-after schools are normally full by then. What is left is the waiting list and an appeal — everyone refused a place has the right to appeal.

Can a school ask for immigration documents?

No. The right to free state education in England does not depend on the immigration status of the child or the parents, and a school is not entitled to demand visa documents as a condition of admission.