Primary School Admission Deadline: 15th January 2025
Choosing a school for your child is one of the most important decisions for any parent to make. This decision has an impact on the rest of their life, therefore it is vital that applications are handed in within the specified timeframe to avoid disappointment. All of our schools follow the admission criteria of the Local Authority and this criteria is used where schools receive more applications than there are places available.
Below are some key dates regarding primary school admissions as per Northumberland County Council’s guidelines:
- Wednesday 15th January 2025 – Online admissions portal closes. Applications made after this date will be considered late if the reason is not considered exceptional and will be processed after 16th April 2025.
- Friday 14th February 2025 – Applications that are considered late due to exceptional circumstances are considered if they are submitted before 14th February.
- Wednesday 16th April 2025 – National Offer Day: Parents are notified of their application outcome.
- Thursday 1st May 2025 – Deadline for parents to refuse the school place they have been offered.
- Thursday 8th May 2025 – Any places that become available are allocated in criteria order for applications that were submitted on-time.
- Thursday 29th May 2025 – All remaining places are allocated on a first come first serve basis.
- Wednesday 31st December 2025 – No waiting lists are held by the local authority after this date.
The Local Authority may give priority to children based upon:
- Who lives close to the school
- Who have a brother or sister currently at the school
- Who are from a particular religious background (faith schools)
- Who are eligible for Pupil Premium
- Whose parent has worked at the school for 2 or more years.
What if my child doesn’t get a place at my preferred school?
If you are not offered your first-choice school, you can appeal the decision and you will be informed on how to do this by your decision letter. However, even if you’re appealing the decision, Northumberland County Council recommend accepting the offer your child received so that they have a school place if your appeal is unsuccessful. This does not affect your appeal or limit other options available to you, but acts as a safety net to secure your child’s education.
Parents or carers who want to appeal should first contact the school’s admission authority, which is responsible for organising the appeal panel, who is an independent panel who look at the case presented by both the admission authority and the parent before coming to a decision. The decision is binding and if the appeal is upheld, the admission authority must offer the child a place at the school.
How to apply?
Please submit your application through the government website online portal: https://schadm.northumberland.gov.uk/CitizenPortal_LIVE/en
If you have any other queries, please contact schooladmissions@northumberland.gov.uk or contact the school of which you are applying to and they will be happy to assist you.
