Guides · England
The admissions journey, explained.
Plain-English guides to the English school admissions system — the deadlines, the rules, and the parts that catch families out. Sourced from the Department for Education's statutory codes.
4 guides · Reviewed each admissions cycle
Primary · Reception
Primary admissions, explained
Applying the year before Reception, the 15 January deadline, and how offers work on 16 April.
Secondary · Year 7
Secondary admissions, explained
The 31 October deadline, the grammar-school traps that come earlier, and how preferences really work.
After offer day
How school appeals work
Your legal right to appeal, the 20-school-day window, and honest odds of success.
After offer day
Waiting lists, explained
How lists are ordered, why positions move both ways, and what to do while you wait.