{"id":3859,"date":"2026-05-21T07:08:37","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T07:08:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stg-carolp-staging.kinsta.cloud\/?p=3859"},"modified":"2026-05-21T07:08:37","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T07:08:37","slug":"year-7-admissions-autumn-checklist-parents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/findopendays.com\/?p=3859","title":{"rendered":"Year 7 admissions \u2014 the autumn checklist for parents."},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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If your child is in Year 6, you have until 31 October 2026 to apply for a secondary school place starting in September 2027. That date is non-negotiable in every English local authority. Miss it and you become a “late applicant,” which usually means you’ll only be considered for places after on-time applicants have been allocated.<\/p>

The thing nobody tells you is how much of the autumn term you’ll lose to the process. Open evenings cluster between mid-September and mid-October. Most schools run only one. Some run two. Coordinating which to attend, in what order, and with what questions is more work than parents anticipate. This guide gives you a week-by-week structure.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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We get a wave of late applications every year in the first week of November from parents who genuinely thought the deadline was 31 December. It isn’t. It never has been. The window is shorter than people remember.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u2014 Admissions Officer, county council, South East England<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The deadline that matters<\/h2>

The national deadline for secondary admissions in England is 31 October. It applies to applications for entry into Year 7 the following September. Every local authority \u2014 every council \u2014 uses the same date.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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September, week by week<\/h2>

Week 1 (early September)<\/h3>

Build your shortlist. Most families start with too many schools \u2014 eight or ten \u2014 and need to narrow before the open evening rush. Use the free FindOpenDays catchment search to filter by realistic distance from your home postcode, then read the most recent Ofsted report and Progress 8 figure for each.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Week 1 checklist<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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List 5\u20138 schools within sensible travel of home<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Public transport, walking time, or your school run capacity<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Read the latest Ofsted report for each<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Pay attention to the date \u2014 old reports may be misleading<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Check Progress 8 for the last three years<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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One-year scores are noise; trend matters more<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Note any schools with selective elements (grammar, partially-selective, faith)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Test dates and additional forms apply<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Diary the open evening dates<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Most are September weeknights, 5pm or 6pm starts<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Week 2\u20133 (mid-September)<\/h3>

Open evenings begin. Most schools run a single evening between 4:30pm and 8:30pm. Some run a tour week alongside it. Bring questions, bring your Year 6 child if you can, and don’t worry if you only manage to attend three or four \u2014 quality of attention matters more than quantity.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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EXPERT TIP<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Bring a notebook with one page per school<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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By the third open evening, the schools blur. Write down three things straight after each visit: a strength, a concern, and a question still unanswered. You’ll thank yourself in late October.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Download our 1-page open-evening template<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Week 4 (late September)<\/h3>

Selective schools begin testing. Grammar school tests in most counties run between mid-September and mid-October. If you have a partially-selective option, the test date may be earlier than the application deadline \u2014 check carefully and don’t miss it. The test sits separately from the LA application form.<\/p>

October, week by week<\/h2>

Week 1 (early October)<\/h3>

If you haven’t yet, log into your local authority’s online application portal. You usually need a council or government gateway login \u2014 set this up now if you haven’t. Some LAs charge a (small) verification fee for paper applications, so the online route is faster and easier.<\/p>

Week 2 (mid-October)<\/h3>

Visit any second-choice tours or follow-up sessions. Many schools run smaller tour days for families who couldn’t attend the headline open evening. These are often more useful than the open evening itself \u2014 quieter, more personal, more questions get answered.<\/p>

Week 3 (late October)<\/h3>

Make your final list. Most LAs let you list six choices, ranked. Some let you list more. Listing fewer is risky: if you list three and don’t get any, you’ll be allocated a place at the nearest school with vacancies, which may be a long bus ride away.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Week 3 \u2014 final list checklist<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Rank your choices honestly by preference<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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List the school you actually want first, even if you think you won’t get it<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Use all the slots your LA allows<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Listing fewer choices does not improve your chances at any one school<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Include at least one school where you meet admissions criteria comfortably<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Travel distance, sibling rule, or catchment area<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Submit the form online before the deadline<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Don’t wait until 31 October itself \u2014 the system slows down<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Save the confirmation email or reference number<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Without it, you have no proof of an on-time application<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Week 4 (31 October)<\/h3>

The deadline. Submit the application by the time stated on your local authority’s website \u2014 usually midnight, but some LAs use 5pm. After this, the application is “in” and you wait until 1 March for the result.<\/p>

What goes on the form<\/h2>

The form itself is not complicated, but a few fields trip families up consistently.<\/p>

Address<\/h3>

Use the address where the child genuinely lives. If you’ve recently moved, use the new address but keep documentary evidence \u2014 utility bills, council tax \u2014 because admissions teams check. False addresses are the single biggest reason places are revoked.<\/p>

Sibling links<\/h3>

Most schools give priority to applicants with a sibling already at the school. List the sibling’s full name, year group, and date of birth. The sibling rule typically only applies if the older sibling will still be at the school in September, which matters if the older child is in Year 11 of an 11\u201316 school.<\/p>

Faith schools<\/h3>

Faith schools usually require a separate Supplementary Information Form (SIF) on top of the LA application. Without the SIF, faith criteria don’t apply. The SIF is downloadable from the school’s own website and submitted directly to them, not via the LA.<\/p>

Special educational needs<\/h3>

If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), the application process is different and runs through the SEND team rather than the standard admissions form. Contact your LA’s SEND team if you haven’t already.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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I see at least one application every year that lists three schools because the family thought listing only their favourites would somehow make those favourites more likely. That’s not how it works. List six. List eight if your LA allows. Use every slot you have.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u2014 Head of Admissions, county council<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The five most common mistakes<\/h2>
  1. Listing too few schools.<\/strong>\u00a0Six choices is the typical maximum. Use them all. The schools below your top choice don’t reduce your odds at the top one \u2014 they protect you against a bad outcome<\/li>
  2. Treating the deadline as 31 December.<\/strong>\u00a0It’s 31 October. It’s always 31 October. There is no extension<\/li>
  3. Forgetting the Supplementary Information Form for faith schools.<\/strong>\u00a0Without it, you’re not in the faith allocation pool<\/li>
  4. Submitting using an address you’re about to leave.<\/strong>\u00a0Admissions teams check. Plan ahead if a move is imminent<\/li>
  5. Assuming “in catchment” means “guaranteed.”<\/strong>\u00a0Catchment is one factor, not a guarantee. In oversubscribed schools, even families inside the catchment can miss out<\/li><\/ol>

    What if it goes wrong<\/h2>

    On 1 March 2027 (National Offer Day), every family who applied on time will receive an offer \u2014 whether it’s their first choice or not. If it isn’t the school you wanted, three options open.<\/p>

    Accept and join the waiting list<\/h3>

    Accept the school you’ve been allocated, even if it isn’t your preferred. Then join the waiting list at the school you wanted. Waiting lists move through April, May and into the summer term as families decline places. Movement is most likely in oversubscribed schools \u2014 ironically, the ones you most wanted.<\/p>

    Appeal<\/h3>

    If you believe the school’s admissions criteria were misapplied, or if you have a strong specific reason your child needs that school (medical, social, EHCP-related), you can appeal. Appeals are heard by independent panels, usually between May and July. Strong appeals come prepared with evidence; weak appeals come prepared with feeling. The panel responds to evidence.<\/p>

    In-year admission<\/h3>

    If your circumstances change later \u2014 a house move, a sibling joining, a particular school developing capacity \u2014 you can apply “in-year” at any point. The waiting list is the most likely route, but in-year admissions are processed continuously.<\/p>

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    Final thoughts<\/h2>

    Year 7 admissions look more complicated than they are. The key dates are 31 October 2026 (apply) and 1 March 2027 (find out). Everything between is preparation: open evenings, a shortlist, a ranked form. Do the preparation properly in September and the rest follows.<\/p>

    The schools that matter most to you are usually the ones you’ll have to compete for. List six. Rank them honestly. Visit the ones you can. And keep the receipts \u2014 both for your application and for any move you make in the run-up. Good luck.<\/p>

    FAQ<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    When\u2019s the deadline to apply for secondary school for September 2027? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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    31 October 2026. It\u2019s the same date in every English council, and there\u2019s no December extension \u2014 that\u2019s the myth that catches families out every year. Miss it and you\u2019re a late applicant, considered only after everyone who applied on time.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

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    How many schools should I put on the form? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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    As many as your council lets you \u2014 usually six \u2014 ranked by genuine preference. Listing fewer doesn\u2019t improve your odds at your top choice; it just leaves you exposed if you miss out, in which case you\u2019re handed the nearest school with a space. Use every slot.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

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    Does being in catchment guarantee a place? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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    No. Catchment is one factor, not a promise. At oversubscribed schools, families inside the catchment area miss out every year, which is exactly why you shouldn\u2019t pin everything on one in-catchment school.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

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    What\u2019s a Supplementary Information Form, and do I need one? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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    You need one if you\u2019re applying to a faith school. The SIF is an extra form, downloaded from the school\u2019s own website and sent straight to the school \u2014 not the council. Without it, the faith criteria simply don\u2019t apply to your child.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

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    What happens if we don\u2019t get our first choice on offer day? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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    You\u2019ll still get an offer on 1 March 2027 \u2014 just maybe not the one you wanted. You can accept it and join the waiting list for your preferred school (lists move all spring as families decline), appeal if the criteria were misapplied or you have a strong evidenced case, or apply in-year if your circumstances change later.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    From open evenings in September to the 31 October national deadline. A week-by-week guide to applying for secondary school in England, with the deadlines that catch families out and the questions you should ask before naming a school on your form.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3860,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[66,67,68,69,36],"class_list":["post-3859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-admissions","tag-catchment","tag-open-evenings","tag-secondary-admissions","tag-year-6","tag-year-7-admissions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/findopendays.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3859","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/findopendays.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/findopendays.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/findopendays.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/findopendays.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3859"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/findopendays.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3859\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/findopendays.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/findopendays.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/findopendays.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/findopendays.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}