UK School Admissions Timeline 2026/27: Every Key Date

School admissions in England are coordinated by your local authority, even if you are applying to academies, free schools, or voluntary-aided faith schools. You submit a single application listing your preferred schools in rank order, and the equal preference system ensures each school assesses your application against its own oversubscription criteria without knowing where you ranked it.

Oversubscription criteria vary by school type but typically follow a standard hierarchy: looked-after children first, then siblings, then distance from the school measured in a straight line. Faith schools may add criteria such as church attendance, and grammar schools require children to pass the 11-plus entrance exam. You can browse primary schools and secondary schools on EduNavigate to research options in your area.

The admissions cycle runs on a fixed annual timetable set by the Department for Education. Primary and secondary admissions follow the same broad process but have different deadlines. Understanding these dates is the single most important thing you can do to avoid a late application, which dramatically reduces your chances of securing a preferred place.

Primary applications are for children starting Reception in September 2027. Your child must be born between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023 to be eligible for this round. The timeline starts with school open days in the autumn term and ends with national offer day the following April.

Open days and tours typically run from September to October 2026. This is your best opportunity to visit schools, meet headteachers, and get a feel for the environment. Applications open through your local authority portal in September 2026, and the national deadline is 15 January 2027. Submit well before this date to avoid last-minute technical issues.

National Offer Day for primary schools is 16 April 2027. You will receive your offer by email or through the local authority portal. If you are not offered your first-choice school, you are automatically placed on the waiting list for any higher-ranked school. For help deciding which schools to list, see our How to Choose a School guide.

Secondary applications are for children moving into Year 7 in September 2027. This applies to pupils currently in Year 5 during the 2025/26 academic year. The secondary cycle runs earlier than primary, with a much tighter window between open days and the application deadline.

Secondary school open evenings and tours run from September to October 2026. Applications open in September 2026 and close on 31 October 2026 — nearly three months earlier than the primary deadline. This compressed timeline means you should start researching schools in the summer term of Year 5 so you are ready to visit as soon as open events begin.

National Offer Day for secondary schools is 1 March 2027. As with primary, you will be placed on waiting lists for any higher-preference schools automatically. If your child is sitting the 11-plus for grammar school entry, results are usually released in October, giving you time to finalise your preference list before the deadline.

Below is a visual summary of the major admissions dates for both primary and secondary applications for the 2026/27 cycle. Keep these dates saved — missing a deadline can significantly affect your options.

National Offer Day is the date when local authorities release school place offers simultaneously across England. For secondary schools this falls on 1 March 2027, and for primary schools on 16 April 2027. Most authorities send emails in the evening of the day before or early on offer day itself, and you can also log in to the portal to view your result.

You will receive one offer only — the highest-preference school where you met the admissions criteria. If none of your preferences can offer a place, your local authority will allocate the nearest school with available spaces. You are automatically added to the waiting list for any school you ranked higher than the one offered.

After receiving your offer, you typically have two weeks to accept. Even if it is not your first choice, accept the place to secure it while you wait for movement on waiting lists or prepare an appeal. Waiting lists are maintained until at least 31 December 2027, and places do become available over the summer as families move or change plans.

If your child is not offered a place at a preferred school, you have the legal right to appeal. Appeals are heard by an independent panel and must be lodged within 20 school days of receiving the offer decision. The appeal form is available from the school or local authority, and you should submit it as soon as possible to secure an early hearing date.

The appeal panel considers two things: whether the school's admissions process was correctly applied, and whether the disadvantage to your child of not attending outweighs the impact on the school of admitting an extra pupil. Success rates vary widely — nationally around 20–25% of appeals are upheld, but this rises significantly for infant classes where the legal cap of 30 does not apply in the same way to junior and secondary schools.

Prepare your case carefully. Gather evidence of why the specific school is right for your child, such as medical needs, proximity, curriculum specialisms, or social connections. You can bring a friend, family member, or advocate to the hearing. For more detail on choosing the right school and understanding the criteria, read our How to Choose a School guide.

Start researching schools now so you are ready when applications open. These tools will help: