How to apply for your child's secondary school place - as open evenings begin this month
Now’s your chance to scout out which local secondary schools would be best for your child 🏫
- Secondary school applications for 2026 are open now across most of the country
- But parents only have a short window to get applications in, with the deadline falling next month
- Many schools offer open days at this time of year so parents can check them out
- You’ll likely be able to choose three to six schools that you’d prefer your child attends in your application
For parents of this year’s cohort of primary school leavers, there’s not all that long to go to get your ducks in a row for their transition to secondary school.
The new, 2025/26 school year began for young learners across much of the country earlier this month. But for those starting Year 6, the final year of primary school, applications for a secondary school place for next year opened that very same day – or close to it.
Which secondary school your child ends up attending can make a big difference in the coming years. They will tackle qualifications like their GCSEs and potentially even their A Levels there, and the classes they take, friends they make, activities they take part in, and the advice they get there will help them chart a course for life after school. This is why choosing which local schools to apply for can be a headache for parents, who will undoubtedly want to make sure their new school is the right fit for their child.
But how do you actually go about applying for a secondary school place, and how long do parents have? And with it being such an important decision, what’s the best way to get a good sense of what student life at any given school would be like? We’ve taken a look at the Government’s official school admissions advice to find you the answers.
Here’s what you need to know:
How to apply for a secondary school place for 2026
You can apply for a place at a state funded secondary school via your council. You can do this either online or by filling out a paper application form, but you need to send it to the local authority for your area even if you want to apply to a school in another one.
For those wanting to streamline the process by applying online, the Government has a handy online directory available here, which you can enter your postcode into to be directed to the relevant council’s dedicated webpage. Be sure to check out any special instructions or guidance your council has available before you click the ‘apply’ button.
Some councils may require you to create an account for their web portal before you apply, but this should be a simple process. Once you’re registered, you can start filling out your application with details for you and your child.
You will be asked to select at least three preferred schools – or as many as six, depending on the area. You should add your top choice first, followed by others you wouldn’t mind your child attending. The Government recommends that you fill out as many options as are available to you. You might want to visit a few schools or attend a few open days first, but be sure to submit your application before the deadline.
In general, most families will receive an offer from one of the preferred schools on their list. Nationwide, 83.5% of children got into their first choice of secondary school for the 2025/26 academic year. About 96.3% were offered a place at one of their preferred options, meaning that just 3.7% missed out on an offer from any of their listed secondary schools.
How to sign up for a school open day
It’s only natural to want to weigh up your options, especially if you have a few excellent local schools which could be a good fit for your child. Government figures and online league tables can only tell you so much, and visiting the school in question is really the best way to get a sense of what kind of learning environment it is – and what sorts of opportunities, support, and even extracurriculars it provides.
Many state secondary schools have open days or parent information evenings around this time of year for that very reason. If you already have one or two schools in mind, your first port of call will be its website. They will have information on times and dates, as well as how to register your interest, if required.
If you’re not so sure and are weighing up quite a few different options, your local council may once again come to the rescue. Many also have dedicated webpages with information on open days for all local schools in the area. Here’s the page for the Wandsworth London Borough Council – as an example of what these generally look like.
These will often have details of each school’s point of contact for interested parents too. Be sure to check out the schools information on your council’s website to see whether they have something similar.
When is the deadline for applying – and when will you find out?
The Government says that if you miss the application deadline, you can still apply for a place for your child – but they will be less likely to get an offer from one of their (or your) top choices of school.
Applications via local authorities will usually have to be in by the end of next month – Friday, October 31 – at the latest. Be sure to also check the relevant webpage for your local authority to be sure of any unique arrangements they might have in place.
If you get your application in on time, then you will usually find out which local secondary school will be able to offer your child a place for the next academic year on national offers day.
This will be on Monday, March 2 next year for those starting at secondary school in autumn 2026. It is worth noting that you will usually have to accept the offer by a set date too, which will be detailed in the offer letter.
Want to find out more about which criteria come into play when it comes to state secondary school admissions? Check out our explainer online here.