Important dates for secondary school applications

Important dates in 2023 and 2024

Date	What happens
1 September 2023	School application process starts. It's time to find out about schools in your area and apply for a school place.
31 October 2023	The deadline to apply for a school place is 11:59pm.
22 January 2024	The deadline to apply late for a school place with a good reason.
February 2024	Applications are looked at and school places are decided.
1 March 2024	National Offer Day. If you applied online or gave an email address, you'll get an email from school admissions to let you know the outcome of the application. If you applied by post and don't have an email address, a letter will be sent to you by first-class post.
15 March 2024	The deadline to accept or refuse the school place offered. If you don't reply the offer could be removed.
28 March 2024	Deadline to make an appeal if your child wasn't offered a place at one of the schools you listed as the first, second or third preference.
April to August 2024	Appeals are discussed and decided at meetings called appeal hearings. Children in the reallocation pool are offered school places as they become available.
September 2024	Children start school.