Parents of children who have started in Year 6 this September are reminded to submit their secondary school applications before the application deadline on Tuesday 31st October, to give them the best chance of being offered a preferred school.
Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) is strongly advising parents in Nottinghamshire to list four preferences when applying for their child’s secondary school place for next year.
Please look at the school admission arrangements to understand how your application will be considered for your preferred schools, making sure to include schools where your child will have higher priority within the criteria.
It’s important to remember there’s no guarantee of a place at a school even if you live in the catchment area or your children attend a linked primary school. This is why understanding each school’s admission criteria and using all four preferences on an application is key.
If no places are available at the preferred school, an alternative offer may be made but this won’t automatically be in the catchment area, or be the nearest school. Places can only be offered at the next closest school with places available after all the on-time preferences have been processed. This means your child could be offered a place at a school further away.
Councillor Tracey Taylor, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said: “Whilst next September may feel a long time away, having just started a new school year, it’s very important that parents make sure their secondary school applications for next year are submitted on-time by Tuesday 31st October. Please be sure to use all four preferences on the application.
“I must stress that, whilst this doesn’t necessarily guarantee a place at your preferred school, it does give the best chance of getting a school that you’re happy for your child to attend.
“The good news is that last year, more than 97% of families that applied for a secondary school place on time were offered one of their preferred schools.
“I’d advise parents to visit the council’s website and make sure they’ve read the Admissions to Schools Guide and admissions criteria for all the schools they’re interested in”.
How to apply for your child’s place
Nottinghamshire residents need to apply to NCC even if their preferred schools are in other areas, such as Nottingham City or Derbyshire.
The easiest way to apply is online at www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/schooladmissions. You’ll receive an email confirmation that your application has been received.
When making your application, please:
- Apply on time by Tuesday 31st October 2023. Applying late significantly reduces the chances of a child being allocated one of their preferred schools, as most places will be allocated on National Offer Day (Friday 1st March 2024) to people who applied on time.
- Check the admission oversubscription criteria and include schools within the four preferences where the child will have high priority within the admission oversubscription criteria. Information about the criteria for Nottinghamshire schools can be found on the council’s website. All secondary schools in Nottinghamshire have their own oversubscription criteria, which can vary from school to school.
- Use all four preferences for the best chance at getting your child into a school you and they are happy with.
- Include other relevant information. In the application, please mention any information which may affect how the admission oversubscription criteria are applied. You should also tell the council if you’re moving house, as this may affect how the application is considered. It’s important to read the relevant sections in Admissions to Schools: Guide for Parents 2024-2025, which can be found at: nottinghamshire.gov.uk/admissions.
For more information about the application process, schools, the number of places available or how places are allocated, please visit www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/admissions or call 0300 500 80 80.