Parents across the country will find out on Tuesday (April 16) if their children have secured a place at their first choice school.
National primary school offer day is the day parents find out which schools have accepted their children for admissions this September.
When applying, parents can submit a first-choice school, as well as backup options.
And if parents aren’t offered their first choice, they can appeal the offer.
When is primary school offer day 2024?
Parents and carers will be told which school their child has received offers from on Tuesday, April 16.
On the day, local councils inform parents of which primary schools have offered their three and four-year-old children places.
Councils will make contact with families via either email or letter.
The time of the announcements will vary by council area.
How likely am I to get my first choice primary school?
Parents have been told they are likely to get their first choice place if they meet the requirements of catchment areas.
The UK Government said that in 2022, 92.2 per cent of families received an offer from their first choice of primary school and 98.1 per cent received an offer from one of their top three choices.
What happens after I receive an offer of a school place?
Once you have been allocated a school, a parent or carer has to formally accept the offer by a certain deadline, which is specific to each local authority.
When you get the notification of the allocated school, there will be a step-by-step guide to what to do next.
You are also able to add your child’s name to the waiting list for any school that you have applied to. Schools keep a waiting list for at least one term.
How are places decided?
Each local authority has different criteria but normally certain factors are taken into account such as:
- Those who live close to the school;
- Those who have a brother or sister at the school already;
- Those from a particular religion (for faith schools);
- Those whose parent has worked at the school for two years or more
Can parents appeal against the decision?
Parents and carers not happy with the school they are given can appeal. Parents are advised to accept the school offered, even if they are appealing, in case the process takes time or the appeal is rejected.
Parents or carers who want to appeal against a decision should first contact the school’s admission authority.
The case will then go to an independent panel that will look at the case presented by both the admission authority and the parent before coming to a decision.
During the first stage of the appeal, the panel will decide whether the admission arrangements complied with the law and whether they were impartially and correctly applied.
In stage two, the panel will balance the impact on the school against the reason for the child to be admitted.
Results should be given in writing within five working days of the appeal.
