If your child did not get a place at the school you wanted for September 2026
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 primary schools still have places
A list of schools with places for September 2026 will be uploaded on 16 April.
Check which junior schools still have places
A list of schools with places for September 2026 will be uploaded on 16 April.
Check which secondary schools still have places
A list of schools with places for September 2026 will be uploaded on 2 March.
Automatic waiting lists and how to apply to make or amend an application
You will automatically be added to the waiting list of any Leeds schools you preferenced that are higher on your application list than the place you were offered.
Find out about how to remove your child from a waiting list and how to apply or amend an application.
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.
You can see how places were allocated at each school by finding the 'Last child offered a place' on our check a school's admissions details tool. September 2026 allocation information will be uploaded on offer days (2 March 2026 for secondary school places and 16 April 2026 for primary school places).
When is offer day 2026
All schools in England make their offers on the same days.
Reception and junior places
Reception and junior places at primary school (September 2026) are offered on Thursday 16 April 2026.
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 2026) are offered on Monday 2 March 2026.
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
If you applied on our portal, you will be sent an email with your offer. This should arrive by midday on offer day.
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 your child is on waiting lists or you decide to appeal (this will not affected either process)
Offer day timeline
Primary school timeline
| 16 April 2026 |
Offer day |
| 30 April 2026 |
First cut off for changes to be made before our first reallocation of places and deadline for accepting offers
|
| 15 May 2026 |
Deadline for submitting an appeal to ensure the appeal hearing will be before September
|
| May to August 2026 |
Places allocated from waiting lists
|
| June to July 2026 |
Appeals heard by independent appeal panels
|
| September 2026 |
Start primary school
|
Secondary school timeline
2 March 2026
|
Offer day |
| 20 March 2026 |
First cut off for changes to be made before our first reallocation of places and deadline for accepting offers
|
| 31 March 2026 |
Deadline for submitting an appeal to ensure the appeal hearing will be before September
|
| April to August 2026 |
Places allocated from waiting lists
|
| May to July 2026 |
Appeals heard by independent appeal panels
|
September 2026
|
Start secondary school
|
