School Admissions FAQs

For the normal year of entry to a school we assume that you're accepting the Suffolk school place offered, unless you complete and return the non-acceptance form which is enclosed with your offer letter.

If your child has been offered a school in another county, you may be required to formally accept the place. Please contact the school direct for details.

For in-year applications to community and voluntary controlled schools, we assume that you're accepting the school place offered, unless you contact the school or Admissions Team to withdraw the place.

For in-year applications to an academy, voluntary aided, foundation or free school, this information will be available from the school.

Parents and carers were posted an offer of a school place, by second class post, to a primary (including infant, junior and middle) school on Tuesday 18 April 2017, if their application was made by the closing date of 15 January 2017.

If your application was received after 15 January 2017 please see the section 'Applications received after the closing date – late applications' in the Admissions to Schools in Suffolk 2017/2018 guide.

The non-acceptance form is provided to enable parents who have applied for a place in the normal year of entry to notify us that an alternative arrangement has been made, for example, your child will now attend an independent school, or you've moved out of the area.

If you've submitted a subsequent application, or you're appealing a decision for a school place and you're waiting for this outcome, you don't need to notify us of this with the non-acceptance form.

When you receive your offer letter, you will receive information about the reasons why you have not received your school preferences for your child.

Your offer letter should also contain details about how to appeal the decision made or you can find out more information about the appeal process here

For the normal year of entry to a school, if you've been refused a place at a preferred school, you'll automatically be put on a waiting list for that school in case a place becomes available.  Waiting lists close on Friday 12 January 2018 for applications made for the normal year of entry for the 2017/18 school year.

We understand that for a number of reasons parents may want to change the schools they originally listed on their application. For further guidance, please view:

• Apply for a secondary school place for the 2017/2018 school year and read the guidance provided under the tab ‘after you apply: School Offer Day’ or
• Apply for a primary school place for the 2017/2018 school year and read the guidance provided under the tab ‘after you apply: School Offer Day’

If we are unable to offer your child a place at one of your preferred schools for the normal year of entry, we will automatically add their name to the waiting list for these schools on National Offer Day. Names are placed on the waiting list in the priority order set out in the school's admission oversubscription criteria and not in the order in which an application is received. Your child's name can therefore move up and down the waiting list depending on what other applications are received for that school.

You can ring the us on 0345 600 0981 (local rate) or email us at admissions@suffolk.gov.uk to find out your child’s position on the waiting list, but please remember that it is only accurate at the time of the phone call.

Should there be some circumstances which may affect your child's place on the waiting list ( moving home for example), you should send the appropriate written evidence to the admissions team as soon as possible.

Waiting lists close at the end of the first full week of the spring term (Friday 12 January 2018 for applications to the 2017/2018 school year). You will then need to make an in-year application for a place at your preferred school.

For the normal year of entry to a school, if you've been refused a place at a preferred school, you'll automatically be put on a waiting list for that school in case a place becomes available. We do not hold waiting lists for in-year applicants to community and voluntary controlled schools. Some academies, voluntary aided and free schools do hold waiting lists for in-year applicants. This information is available from the school.

We understand that for a number of reasons parents may want to change the schools they originally listed on their application.

For information and guidance on how to make a late application and when you will be notified of the outcome please see the section ‘Applications received after the closing date – late applications’ in the Admissions to Schools in Suffolk 2017/2018’ guide.

Online applications

The online facility is now closed for the secondary (including high and upper) and the primary (including infant, junior and middle) school applications.

Paper applications

We do not acknowledge receipt of paper applications and strongly recommend applicants get proof of posting.

If you're still worried that your application has not been received, we recommend that you submit another application.

If you want to change any of your school preferences you should submit a paper application form (CAF1). This will replace any previous application and will supersede all your previous preferences.

Therefore, if you do not include a school above your new preferences in your second or subsequent applications that you included in your first application then you will be agreeing to the following:

• That any previous offer that may have been made for that school will be withdrawn if we can offer a place at a school from the second or subsequent applications.
• That you will no longer have the right to appeal against a refusal for that school.
• That your child’s name will be removed from any waiting list for that school.