Secondary school applications close on 31 October: in London only 70% of children get their first choice

Applications for a secondary school place starting in September 2027 close on 31 October 2026 — a Saturday, six weeks away. It applies to children born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016, who are in Year 6 now. Missing it does not mean applying later: a late application is only considered once every on-time application has been dealt with, by which point the popular schools are full. Last year 83.6% of children in England were offered their first-choice school — but in London only 70.5%.

What exactly is the deadline, and who does it apply to?

Applications opened on 1 September 2026 and close on 31 October 2026, for admission to Year 7 from September 2027. It covers children who turn 11 by 31 August 2027 — those born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016.

Offers arrive on National Offer Day, Monday 1 March 2027. Primary school runs on a different cycle: applications close on 15 January 2027 with offers on 16 April 2027.

What happens if you apply after 31 October?

The application is not rejected, but it goes into a second round — considered only after places have been allocated to every application submitted on time. In practice the sought-after schools are already full by then.

GOV.UK puts it plainly: "Your child is less likely to be offered a place at their chosen schools if you miss the deadline." Councils do look separately at good reasons — serious long-term illness, a death in the family, a recent move with proof of address — but there is no general right to apply late.

Do you apply to the school or to the council?

To your local council only, never to the school. This is the single most common mistake for first-time applicants: you send the school nothing, even if you attended its open day.

The rule holds when the school is in another borough: the application still goes to the council where the child lives, and that council coordinates with the neighbouring one. You can find your council's form by postcode on the GOV.UK page "Apply for a secondary school place".

How many schools should you list?

Under the School Admissions Code a council must let you name at least three schools in order of preference. London councils generally allow six; most other regions allow three.

Fill every slot, and not as a formality. The order is your preference, not your odds: schools do not see where you ranked them and do not penalise a second placing. Leaving lines blank simply cuts the number of options the system can offer you.

How likely is a first-choice place?

Department for Education figures for the 2026 round ("Primary and secondary school applications and offers: 2026", published 18 June 2026): 83.6% of children in England received their first choice, 95.0% one of their top three, and 96.4% one of the schools they listed. So 3.6% were offered none of their listed schools.

London is markedly worse. According to London Councils, of 86,057 applications 70.5% received a first-choice offer — down 1.1 percentage points on the previous year. 89.6% got one of their top three and 94.3% one of their listed schools, leaving 5.7% of London families with none. The DfE notes that London is the only region where first-preference rates sit consistently below 75%.

The practical takeaway: in London, fill all six slots and include at least one school you are near-certain to reach on distance.

What if none of your listed schools is offered?

The council must offer a place at another school where one is available. No child is left without a school — the question is how far from home the offer lands.

You can also join a waiting list. An admission authority must keep one open for at least the first term of the school year, and you can be added even if your child already holds an offer elsewhere.

How do schools decide who gets in?

When there are more applicants than places, oversubscription criteria apply. By law the highest priority goes to looked-after and previously looked-after children, and to children whose Education, Health and Care Plan names a particular school — that school must admit them.

Beyond that each school sets its own criteria and the law gives no closed list. The most common are siblings already at the school; distance from home or a catchment area; feeder schools; and social or medical need. A school must state clearly how it measures distance and what counts as the home address — worth reading before you apply, because "nearest on the map" and "nearest under the school's rules" are not always the same school.

How are faith schools and grammar schools different?

Schools with a designated religious character may prioritise by faith when oversubscribed. That normally requires a separate supplementary information form, submitted to the school itself rather than the council.

Grammar schools select on academic ability through the 11+ — and the timing is a trap. You register for the test separately and much earlier. In many London boroughs registration for selective tests closes as early as 31 July, the tests run from mid-September to mid-November, and the Code requires schools to tell parents the result before 31 October so it can inform the main application. The grammar school still has to be named on your council application: passing the test does not by itself secure a place.

Do you need immigration documents?

No. Department for Education guidance is unambiguous: admission authorities must not ask to see passports or other immigration information as a condition of admission.

The right to school education does not depend on the immigration status of the child or the parent, including where a no recourse to public funds condition applies. A school may ask for a passport only to confirm a name and date of birth where there is no UK birth certificate — that is an identity check, not a status check. Children awaiting an asylum decision are entitled to attend school, and the outcome of the claim does not affect that entitlement.

Separately, a council must not refuse to consider an application simply because the family does not yet live in its area.

What if you move to the UK mid-year?

Then it is an in-year admission and the 31 October deadline does not apply to you. Under the School Admissions Code a parent can apply for a place at any school at any time. You must be notified of the outcome in writing within 15 school days, with councils expected to aim for 10.

Where no place can be found, the Fair Access Protocol applies: every council must have one, and under it a place must be allocated within 20 school days. The Code names refugee and asylum-seeking children explicitly among those the mechanism exists for.

Can a refusal be appealed?

Yes. You get at least 20 school days from the date of the refusal letter, which states the exact deadline. An independent panel of at least three people hears it, within 40 school days of the appeal deadline; you get at least 10 school days' notice of the hearing and a decision usually within five.

The panel's decision is binding: if the appeal is upheld, the admission authority must offer a place.

The important exception is infant class size appeals — Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 — where the statutory limit of 30 pupils per teacher applies and an appeal can only succeed on three narrow grounds. Ordinary arguments such as convenience or school quality are not considered at all in that category, which is why those appeals almost never succeed. It does not apply to secondary admissions.

Is it the same in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

No, the systems differ. Scotland has no 31 October deadline: a child goes by default to their catchment school, and to ask for a different one you submit a placing request. The key date is 15 March — apply by then and the council must respond by 30 April; with no written response by that date the request is treated as refused.

Wales has no single national closing date; each local authority sets its own, with admission rounds usually open for at least six weeks in September and October. Northern Ireland runs a different system entirely — post-primary transfer through an online portal, with a February deadline rather than an autumn one.

What should you do in the next few days?

Find your council's form by postcode and set up an account — registration takes longer than people expect. Read the admission rules of every school you are interested in: how it measures distance and what it treats as the home address. Check whether a faith school needs a separate supplementary form. Fill every slot on the list, not one or two. Save the confirmation of submission.

And do not leave it to the 31st: 31 October 2026 is a Saturday, and council websites do not always cope with a weekend rush.

All the deadlines that matter are collected in the ONLYWAY calendar.

Read also: Free school meals: who qualifies · School rankings and UCAS: choosing a school