How to make a school application

When applications are open, you will be able to apply through the 'School Admissions' button, when logged in to the Citizen Portal. Once you have added details about the child you need a school place for, they will be listed at the bottom. You will need to complete an application for each child.

Steps to follow

• Step 1: Choose or add the child you would like to start the application for
• Step 2: Check the postcode for your child's address to ensure you're applying through the correct local authority
• Step 3: Select the transfer/admission group
• Step 4: Enter the child's Unique Identifier (UID), if we have sent you one, to speed up your application. Otherwise proceed with 'No UID'
• Step 5: Provide us with additional details about your child
• Step 6: Provide us with your address details

What address should I use?

You must provide your child's permanent address on the application form (even if you are planning to move house after the application deadline). This address is used to determine your school catchment area and distance from school.

If your child spends part of their week with one parent and part with the other, only one address can be used. This must be the address at which they spend most of their time. If the address on your application is not your child's normal address, you must provide a child arrangements/residence order for this address to be considered.

More information is available if you are moving house.

Warning: Places are withdrawn each year because parents give a false address on their application. This includes cases where parents buy or rent a property solely to use the address in the application, without any intention of taking up permanent residence there. We will investigate all allegations of false addresses and may monitor residency details if use of a temporary address causes concern.

Continuing your application

• Step 7: Tell us about your child's current school. If you are applying for a Year R place, please select 'Next' to skip to 'Your Preferences'. You will automatically skip this page if you used a UID
• Step 8: Choose your school preferences

This is where you will tell us the school you would prefer your child to attend. You may select up to three different schools and it is important that you rank them in the order you would prefer your child to attend. Your first choice school should be at Rank One. For each school, you will be able to tell us your reasons for having chosen those schools and provide any supporting information.

Remember: Naming the same school multiple times will waste a choice and will not increase your chances of a place at that school.

If you do not apply to your catchment area school you may not be offered a place there. Please note that some schools do not have catchment areas and some addresses do not have catchment schools.

We strongly advise checking the admissions policies for each school, so that you know how applications are considered and how the distance from home to school will be measured. Not doing this may affect your chances of being offered a place at a school you like.

• Step 9: Let us know if a sibling also attends the school you are applying for. In order to support your application for a place at that school, please tell us if your child has a brother/sister on roll at the school or at a linked infant/junior school, and still will be next year. If yes, you will then need to provide details about the sibling
• Step 10: Other preference reasons. You will have the opportunity to select reasons relevant to your chosen schools. You can also provide other reasons to support your application, such as significant medical or psychological conditions. You have 3,000 characters and should focus on things that are relevant to the school's admissions oversubscription criteria

Frequently asked questions

Next steps

Once you complete your application, you can read our advice on submitting an application.