Parents urged to apply for secondary school places before October deadline

Parents and carers of children starting secondary school next year are being urged to submit their applications before the end of October.

Applications opened in North Yorkshire on Saturday for children currently in Year 6 who are due to transfer from primary to secondary school in September 2027.

Families have until Saturday, October 31, to apply, with parents able to name up to five schools in order of preference.

Figures from last year’s admissions process show 90 per cent of North Yorkshire families were offered a place at their first-choice secondary school.

A total of 97 per cent received an offer from one of their top three preferences.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for education, learning and skills, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, said: “Starting secondary school is a major milestone in a child’s education and we always want the admissions process to be as easy and smooth as possible for families.

“There is always a high demand for school places and we do our utmost to ensure that children are offered a place at their preferred secondary school.

“Parents of Year 6 children can state their preference for up to five schools on their common application form and it is a tight window so I would urge parents and carers to submit their application as early as they can.”

The council is also reminding families to consider its controversial home-to-school travel policy when choosing schools.

Under the policy, free transport is generally provided to the nearest suitable school with available places where it is beyond the statutory walking distance.

Crucially, the council has warned that a child’s catchment school for admission purposes may not be considered their nearest suitable school for transport purposes.

The distinction means families could potentially secure a place at their preferred or catchment school but not qualify for council-funded transport to get there.

National Offer Day, when families will learn which secondary school their child has been allocated, will be on March 1 next year.

Information about applications is available from North Yorkshire Council’s secondary school admissions service, while families concerned about transport eligibility can check the criteria using the council’s school travel support information and nearest-school tool.