Introduction
Pupils start at a Secondary school in Year 7.
Pupils start at an Upper school in Year 9.
All applications for a secondary or upper school place in September 2025 must be made to your home authority – if you are unsure if your child lives in Somerset, you can check whether we are your local authority for school admissions.
You can find information about delayed and accelerated transfers on our page Delayed or Accelerated Admission.
How to get more information
Please read the Secondary Admissions Guide before making your application. This contains everything you need to know in order to make your school place application including information on the different types of schools, published admission numbers and the criteria used to allocate places at schools and academies.
SEND information - part of our Local Offer
Starting school or changing schools if your child has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHC plan)
If your child has an EHC Plan you do not need to apply for school using the admissions process mentioned above.
If your child is known to the Inclusion Support Services, there may be an opportunity for some support with school entry planning.
A phased transfer process happens when your child is transferring from one school type to another, for example
- first school to middle school
- primary to secondary
- infant to junior
Parents of children who are part of a phased transfer process can discuss the next placement as part of their annual review meeting.
Please see the Education, Health and Care Plan Annual Reviews section of Somerset’s SEND Local Offer for more details.
How to apply
The closing date for secondary and upper school applications was 31 October 2024. Please use the button below to make a late application.
Paper applications are available from Customer Contact on request.
If you are applying for a place at a primary, infant, first, middle or junior school the closing date is not until 15 January 2025. You can apply using our Citizen Portal.
We only offer one school place for each child. If you submit ‘new’ preferences and it becomes possible to offer a place at one of these schools, any place we have offered you previously will be withdrawn.
How you find out which school you’ve been offered
If you applied online by 31 October 2024 you will receive an email with the outcome of your application on 3 March 2025. If you applied using a paper application form your outcome will be sent out by second class post on 3 March 2025.
From 3 March 2025, you can also view the outcome of your online application by logging into the online application system.
Outcomes will not be given out over the phone or in person at the Council offices.
What happens if you miss the deadline or want to change your preferences after the closing date
It is the parent or carer’s responsibility to make an on-time school place application. If you are making an application after the closing date, it will be classed as late and your application will be considered according to the dates below.
For applications received by 21 March 2025, we will send outcomes on 2 May 2025. These will be sent by email.
Applications received after 21 March 2025 will be processed in strict date order of receipt, and outcomes will be sent out after 2 May 2025. These will be sent by email.
Outcomes for late applications for schools in other local authorities will be made in line with the outcome dates for that local authority.
Outcomes will not be given out over the phone or in person at the Council offices.
Important tips for making your school place application
We would strongly advise that you carefully consider the following when making your school place application.
- It is strongly advised you put 3 school preferences on your form especially if you live in an urban area. You are not given a higher priority for any school by stating it as your only preference and may be more likely to be allocated a school you have not chosen. This could also be some distance from your home address. Although it is unlikely it could even be the case that it is not possible to allocate your child a school place and you need to make a further application in the second round.
- Please visit the Find a school page to find schools in your local area
- All preferences are considered equally and a place is offered at the highest preference possible.
- If you wish to be considered for your catchment school you must include it as one of your preferences. You can check your school catchment area on a map on the School Catchment page. The map is a representation of the catchment areas and cannot be relied upon for purchasing a property. If you are considering purchasing a property or if you live near a school border then please contact us.
- There are no guarantees that siblings will be allocated to the same school when the school is over-subscribed. You are advised to put other preferences, especially if you live outside the catchment area.
- Carefully read the over-subscription criteria for the schools you have chosen.
- If your preferred school requires a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) or further proof (for example, proof of regular church attendance), it is essential that this is sent in with your application form if you would like your child to be considered under the appropriate criterion. You can upload any supporting information, such as a SIF onto your online application. All SIFs can be found on the school website.
- If you have recently moved address or are due to move please provide proof of your new address. This can be the ‘exchange of contracts’ letter from the solicitors on a house purchase or a minimum 6 month tenancy agreement.
- You will be responsible for transporting your child to any school you name as a preference unless you have a statutory entitlement.
- Please ensure you fully complete the applicant details section of the application form including supplying a phone number and email address.
Fraudulent school place applications
We thoroughly investigate all potentially fraudulent or misleading applications we are made aware of and welcome information from schools and the public.
If you know or suspect that someone is trying to or has gained a school place fraudulently please let us know. You can send us this information anonymously if you prefer and rest assured that your details will remain completely confidential.
