Admission arrangements
How the school decides who gets a place: the published admission number, oversubscription criteria and how to apply, for this year and next. Schools that are their own admission authority must publish them by 15 March in the year before entry.
Check this on my websiteWho it applies to
- Published on
- The school's own website
- School type
- Academies and maintained schools
- School stage
- All stages, from early years to sixth form
- Only applies to
- Schools that are their own admission authority: academies, foundation and voluntary-aided schools
- Does not apply to
- Nursery schools, sixth-form only providers and alternative provision
When is it due?
- How often
- Every admissions round
- Due by
- 15 March each year
Arrangements for entry in September of year N+1 must be published by 15 March of year N.
What's needed
Publish the determined admission arrangements, including oversubscription criteria, on the admissions page for both the current and next admission year.
What it must contain
4 parts- Gives the published admission number for each age groupMust
- Sets out its oversubscription criteriaMust
- Explains how to apply for a place at the schoolMust
- Explains how applications are considered for each age groupMust
What the official sources say
Set out in 3 official sources:
What maintained schools must or should publish online
The admission arrangements must explain: – how the school considers applications for places in each relevant age group (that is, the age group in which children are normally admitted) – how many children the school intends to admit in each relevant age group (known as the published admission number, or PAN)
Must§ Admission arrangements > September admissions – normal point of entry
– how the school allocates places, if there are more applicants than places available
Must§ Admission arrangements > September admissions – normal point of entry
Show 3 more from this source
By 15 March each year, the school must publish on its website the admission arrangements for children who will be starting school at the normal point of entry in September of the following year. It must retain them there for the whole of the academic year in which offers for places are made.
Must§ Admission arrangements > What foundation and voluntary-aided schools must publish > September admissions – normal point of entry
Foundation and voluntary-aided schools must publish their admission arrangements to comply with the: – school admissions code – school admission appeals code
Must§ Admission arrangements > What foundation and voluntary-aided schools must publish
– what a parent or carer needs to do if they want to apply for their child to attend the school
Must§ Admission arrangements > September admissions – normal point of entry
What academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish online
– how many children the trust intends to admit in each relevant age group (known as the published admission number, or PAN)
Must§ Admission arrangements > September admissions – normal point of entry
– how the trust allocates places if there are more applicants than places available
Must§ Admission arrangements > September admissions – normal point of entry
School admissions code 2021
All schools must have oversubscription criteria for each ‘relevant age group’
Must§ para 1.7, under heading 'Oversubscription criteria', page 10
1.50 Once adm ission authorities have determined their admission arrangements, they must notify the appropriate bodies44 and must publish a copy of the determined arrangements on the school’s website or their own website (in the case of a local authority) by 15 March in the determination year45 and continue displaying them for the whole offer year (the school year in which offers for places are made).
Must§ para 1.50, page 19
Show 2 more from this source
15 March 2022 Deadline for admission authorities to send a copy of their full determined admission arrangements to their local authority and publish those arrangements on the schools website or on their website (in the case of a local authority).
Must§ Example timetable, Determination Year (2021/22), page 42
1.2 As part of determining their admission arrangements10, all admission authorities must set an admission number for each ‘relevant age group’11.
Must§ para 1.2, page 9
Questions schools ask
Does every school have to publish the admission arrangements?
Academies and maintained schools must publish it. It only applies to schools that are their own admission authority: academies, foundation and voluntary-aided schools.
When does the admission arrangements need to be published?
How often: Every admissions round. Due by: 15 March each year. Arrangements for entry in September of year N+1 must be published by 15 March of year N.
What must the admission arrangements include?
Gives the published admission number for each age group; Sets out its oversubscription criteria; Explains how to apply for a place at the school; Explains how applications are considered for each age group.
Where does the requirement for the admission arrangements come from?
It is set out in What maintained schools must or should publish online, What academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish online and School admissions code 2021.
Changes to the official sources
Dated change notes published by the Department for Education on the sources above.
12 November 2020 · What academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish online
Added new sections on 'Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium' and 'Executive pay'. Updated sections on 'Admission arrangements', 'Ofsted reports', 'Exam and assessment results', 'Curriculum', 'Pupil premium', 'Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up premium', 'Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium', 'PE and sport premium for primary schools', 'Equality objectives' and 'Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)'.
12 November 2020 · What maintained schools must or should publish online
Added new sections: 'Schools that do not have a website' and 'Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium'. Updated sections on 'Admission arrangements', 'Exams and assessment results', 'Curriculum', 'Pupil premium', 'Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up premium', 'PE and sport premium for primary schools', 'Equality objectives', 'Special educational needs and disability (SEND) information', 'Governors' information and duties'.
1 November 2016 · What maintained schools must or should publish online
Clarified what information voluntary-aided schools must publish about their admission arrangements.
We last checked these sources on 21 September 2026.
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Official sources last checked 21 September 2026 · register version 1.0.4