In-year admissions information
How parents can apply for a school place part-way through the year, how applications are handled, when they will hear and their right to appeal. Schools that are their own admission authority must publish it by 31 August each year.
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 academic year
- Resets on
- 1 September, the start of the academic year
Items expected to be renewed each September (term dates, music development plan, governance attendance and interests).
What's needed
Publish how to apply for an in-year place, including the application route or form and who to contact, on the admissions page.
What it must contain
6 parts- Sets out how parents can apply for an in-year placeMust
- Explains how in-year applications are dealt with across the school yearMust
- Provides an application form for parents, if it manages its own in-year admissionsMust
- Says when parents will hear the outcome of their applicationMust
- Gives details about the right to appealMust
- Says where to find the council's co-ordinated scheme, if the school is part of itMust
What the official sources say
Set out in 1 official source:
School admissions code 2021
In all subsequent years, they must set out by 31 August at the latest each year, on the school’s website how in-year applications will be dealt with from the 1 September until the following 31 August. They must set out how parents can apply for a school place, and, where they manage their own in-year admissions, provide a suitable application form for parents to complete (and a supplementary information form where necessary), and set out when parents will be notified of the outcome of their application and details about the right to appeal. If the admission authority is to be a part of the local authority’s in-year co-ordination scheme, it must provide information on where parents can find details of the relevant scheme.
Must§ para 2.26, page 28
31 August 2022 Deadline for local authorities to publish on their website details about how in-year applications can be made and how they will be dealt with from the September onwards for all schools in their area. Governing bodies must also publish information about in-year applications by the same date.
Must§ Example timetable, Determination Year (2021/22), page 42
Show 1 more from this source
2.30 Parents must not be refused the opportunity to make an application or be told that they can only be placed on a waiting list rather than make a formal application. Upon receipt of an in-year application, the admission authority, or the local authority if it is co-ordinating the admissions authority’s in-year admissions, should aim to notify the parents of the outcome of their application in writing within 10 school days, but they must be notified in writing within 15 school days62.
Must§ para 2.30, page 29
Questions schools ask
Does every school have to publish the in-year admissions information?
The official sources we check set no requirement for academies. The official sources we check set no requirement for maintained schools. It only applies to schools that are their own admission authority: academies, foundation and voluntary-aided schools.
When does the in-year admissions information need to be published?
How often: Every academic year. Resets on: 1 September, the start of the academic year. Items expected to be renewed each September (term dates, music development plan, governance attendance and interests).
What must the in-year admissions information include?
Sets out how parents can apply for an in-year place; Explains how in-year applications are dealt with across the school year; Provides an application form for parents, if it manages its own in-year admissions; Says when parents will hear the outcome of their application; Gives details about the right to appeal; Says where to find the council's co-ordinated scheme, if the school is part of it.
Where does the requirement for the in-year admissions information come from?
It is set out in School admissions code 2021.
Changes to the official sources
The sources for this item do not publish dated change notes. Their current versions are listed above.
We last checked these sources on 21 September 2026.
Is this on your school's website?
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Official wording that does not apply to schools (2)
2.26 In 2021, own admission authorities and governing bodies must set out on the school’s website by 31 October 2021 how in-year applications will be dealt with from the 1 November 2021 until 31 August 2022.
In all subsequent years, local authorities must publish information on their website by 31 August at the latest each year to explain how in-year applications can be made and how they will be dealt with from 1 September onwards in that year. This includes setting out which schools they will co-ordinate the applications for and which schools will manage their own in-year admissions. They must also set out contact details for any admission authority that manages its own in-year admissions.
Official sources last checked 21 September 2026 · register version 1.0.4