Find out which school place you have been offered, and what to do after the offer.
If your child did not get a place at the school you wanted for September 2024
If your child did not qualify for a place at any of your preferred schools, they will be offered a place at their closest school with available places.
Read an example of how an admissions policy works
Example
Sam applies to Big town Primary as their first preference school. Sam's child is not offered a place there, even though their home is inside the school’s catchment area.
There were more applications than places so the school used their admissions policy to decide who to give places to. Thirty places were available:
- two places went to children who are fostered (priority 1)
- twenty places went to children with a brother or sister at the school (priority 2)
- the remaining eight places went to children who live in the catchment area but live closer to the school than Sam and their child (priority 3)
Instead, Sam was offered a place at their second preference of Small town Primary which had 30 places available:
- five places went to children who have a brother or sister at the school (priority 2)
- 20 places went to children who live inside the catchment area (priority 3)
- the remaining five places went to children who live near the school but outside the catchment area, including Sam’s child (priority 4)
You also have the option to:
Check which schools still have places
Lists to be published on offer day.
Join a waiting list
If you're not offered a place at a school you prefer, you can join a
waiting list for another school.
Make an appeal
If you are unhappy with your offer, you can
make an appeal. In the meantime, you should accept the school place you have been offered. This will not affect your appeal.
When is offer day 2024
All schools in England make their offers on the same days.
Reception and junior places
Reception and junior places at primary school (September 2024) are offered from 8am on Tuesday 16 April 2024.
If you want your child to start Reception part-time or at a later date, you should speak to your school.
Year 7 places
Year 7 places at secondary school (September 2023) are offered from 8am on Friday 1 March 2024.
If your child has an EHC plan, they will receive their school place offer when it is named in the final amended plan.
Find out which school place you've been offered
To check which school place you've been offered, log into
our online application portal. You will need your email address and password.
You will also receive an email with your offer. If you applied for a school place by paper form, you will receive an offer letter in the post (a few days after offer day).
Accepting your offer
You need to accept your offer with the school directly. You can find their contact details on our
school details tool.
You must accept the offer by the deadline given in the offer email or letter. Otherwise, it may be withdrawn and the place given to someone else.
You should accept your offer even if you decide to join a waiting list or appeal (this will not affect either process).
Offer day timeline
Primary school timeline
Important dates
16 April 2024
| Offer day |
| 30 April 2024 | First cut off for waiting list requests and deadline for accepting offers |
| 14 May 2024 | Deadline for submitting an appeal to ensures the appeal hearing will be before September
|
| May to August 2024 | Places allocated from waiting lists
|
| June to July 2024 | Appeals heard by independent appeal panels
|
| September 2024 | Start primary school
|
Secondary school timeline
Important dates
1 March 2024
| Offer day |
| 15 March 2024 | First cut off for waiting list requests and deadline for accepting offers |
| 28 March 2024 | Deadline for submitting an appeal to ensures the appeal hearing will be before September
|
| April to August 2024 | Places allocated from waiting lists
|
| May to July 2024 | Appeals heard by independent appeal panels
|
September 2024
| Start secondary school
|
