What is the deadline to apply for secondary school in England?

The national deadline for on-time secondary school applications is 31 October in the year before your child starts Year 7. Applications are made through the local authority where you live, even for schools in a neighbouring area.

When is National Offer Day for secondary schools?

National Offer Day for secondary schools is 1 March, when families are told which school place they have been offered.

Does the order I rank schools in matter?

Yes, but only to you. Schools cannot see where you ranked them, so you should always list schools in genuine order of preference. Each preference is assessed independently and you are offered the highest-ranked school whose admissions criteria you meet.

The Secondary School Application Timeline in England: A Month-by-Month Guide

Applying for a secondary school place runs on fixed national dates. Miss the 31 October deadline and your options shrink. Here is the full timeline and how to use your preferences wisely.

Securing a secondary school place in England is a process governed by national dates and a common application form run by your local authority. The single most important thing to know is the deadline: 31 October in the year before your child starts Year 7.

The timeline at a glance

Start of Year 6 (September): applications open through your home local authority's website. If any local schools select by ability or aptitude, register for their tests now — some close in the summer beforehand.
31 October, Year 6: the national closing date for on-time applications. Apply through the authority where you live, even for schools in a neighbouring authority.
1 March (National Offer Day): families are told which single school they have been offered.
Spring: you accept your offer, join waiting lists for preferred schools, and lodge an appeal if you wish.
Summer term onwards: waiting lists move and appeals are heard.

How preferences actually work

You can usually name several schools — often up to six — in order of preference. Two rules are widely misunderstood:

Ranking is confidential. A school does not know whether you put it first or fifth, and cannot treat you worse for ranking it lower. So always rank by genuine preference.
Each preference is assessed independently. You are offered the highest-ranked school whose criteria you meet. Listing only one school does not improve your chances at it — it just leaves you with nothing to fall back on.

Use every preference

The most common mistake is naming too few schools. If you list one or two competitive schools and miss out, the authority allocates you to the nearest school with places — which may be nowhere you would have chosen. Fill your list, including at least one realistic school you would be content with.

If you do not get your first choice

Waiting lists: you can stay on the list for any school you preferred above the one you were offered. Lists are re-ranked by the school's criteria each time someone joins, so you can move down as well as up.
Appeals: you have the right to appeal to an independent panel. Evidence — medical, travel, sibling links, or a specific provision only that school offers — is what persuades panels.
Late applications are processed after on-time ones, which is why the 31 October deadline matters so much.

Do your research before you rank

Because ranking is by genuine preference, the work happens before the form: visit schools, compare Progress 8 and Ofsted outcomes, and check each school's last-distance-offered figures to gauge how realistic a place is. SchoolFinder lets you shortlist and compare nearby secondaries side by side so your preference order reflects real information, not guesswork.