School Admissions FAQs

Primary (including infant, junior and middle) school places for the 2018/2019 school year

Online applications – Monday 16 April 2018 (National Offer Day):

• You can log on to see the outcome of your application on offer day
• You will receive an email with details of your child's offer of a school place on offer day if you've ticked the relevant box on the online application. Please check your 'spam' and 'junk' folders.
• You will also receive a letter, which we will post out on this day by second class post with the offer of a school place and information about what to do next.

Paper applications – Monday 16 April 2018 (National Offer Day):

You will be sent a letter, which we will post out on this day by second class post with the offer of a school place and information about what to do next.

If you cannot access your online account please contact the Admissions Team on 0345 600 0981 (local rate) or email us at admissions@suffolk.gov.uk for assistance.

Online applications – Monday 16 April 2018 (National Offer Day):

If you applied online and ticked the relevant box on the online application, you should receive an email with the offer of a school place. If you applied online successfully, you should have received a confirmation email immediately. If you did get a confirmation email and you have not received your offer email on National Offer Day, please check:

• your spam or junk mail folder
• whether your mailbox is full.

If neither of the above two bullet points apply, please ring the Admissions Team on 0345 600 0981 (local rate) or email us at admissions@suffolk.gov.uk.

If you did not receive a confirmation email immediately after applying online, you may not have successfully submitted your application and will need to submit a paper CAF1 application for consideration.

Paper applications – Monday 16 April 2018 (National Offer Day):

If you applied on a CAF1 paper application form, you will receive a letter which will be posted on National Offer Day by second class post.

Suffolk schools for the normal year of entry

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

Schools outside of Suffolk for the normal year of entry

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

In-Year applications

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 are posted an offer of a school place to a primary (including infant, junior and middle) school, by second class post, on Monday 16 April 2018, if their application was made by the closing date of 15 January 2018.

If your application was received after 15 January 2018 please see the section ‘Applications received after the closing date – late applications’ in the Admissions to Schools in Suffolk 2018/2019 guide.

Parents and carers were posted an offer of a school place to a secondary (including high and upper) school, by second class post, on Thursday 1 March 2018, if their application was made by the closing date of 31 October 2017.

If your application was received after 31 October 2017 please see the section ‘Applications received after the closing date – late applications’ in the Admissions to Schools in Suffolk 2018/2019 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 have moved out of the area.

If you have submitted a subsequent application, or you are 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 preference(s) 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.

For the normal year of entry to a school, if you have been refused a place at a preferred school, you will automatically be put on a waiting list for that school, in case a place becomes available.

The waiting lists for community and voluntary controlled schools will close on 31 December 2018. The waiting lists for those foundation, voluntary aided schools, and academies who have agreed to operate the same policy as Suffolk County Council will also close on 31 December.

Information on when the waiting lists close for voluntary aided, free schools and academies who do not follow the same policy as Suffolk County Council is available from the schools directly.

We understand that there are several reasons why 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 2018/2019 school year or
• Apply for a primary school place for the 2018/2019 school year.

If we are unable to offer your child a place at one of your preferred schools, 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. 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.

The waiting lists for community and voluntary controlled schools will close on 31 December 2018. The waiting lists for those foundation, voluntary aided schools, and academies who have agreed to operate the same policy as Suffolk County Council will also close on 31 December.

Information on when the waiting lists close for voluntary aided, free schools and academies who do not follow the same policy as Suffolk County Council is available from the schools directly.

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.

The waiting lists for community and voluntary controlled schools will close on 31 December 2018. The waiting lists for those foundation, voluntary aided schools, and academies who have agreed to operate the same policy as Suffolk County Council will also close on 31 December.

Information on when the waiting lists close for voluntary aided, free schools and academies who do not follow the same policy as Suffolk County Council is available from the schools directly.

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 there are several reasons why 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 2018/2019 guide.

Applications for the normal year of entry

The closing dates for on time applications for a school place in the normal year of entry for the 2018/2019 school year have now passed.

If you have not yet made an application or wish to make a further application, please complete a paper application form (CAF1).

Please Note:

• We do not acknowledge receipt of paper applications so we strongly suggest that you get proof of postage as we cannot be responsible for forms lost in the post.

Late applications or changes will be considered after we have offered school places for the applications we have received on time.

For further information please read how to apply for a:

• secondary school place for the 2018/2019 school year
• primary school place for the 2018/2019 school year

In-year applications

Parents and carers can make an in-year application for their child to go to a new school:

• during the school year
• at the start of the school year but in a different age group from the school's normal entry year

For further information please read how to apply for a:

• secondary school place for the 2018/2019 school year
• primary school place for the 2018/2019 school year

Paper applications

Due to the high volume of applications received, we're unable to tell you if your application has been received. It's for this reason that we 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.

Check which application form you need to complete by using our when can I apply tool.

Find information and guidance on how to apply for a:

• secondary school place for the 2018/2019 school year
• primary school place for the 2018/2019 school year

If you've recently moved, or you're unhappy about your child's current school you can apply for a school place during the current school year 2017/2018.

You can search for schools in your area by checking the catchment areas list and maps for schools.

We cannot guarantee your child a place at any school including their catchment area school.

Find out about making an in-year application for the 2017/2018 school year.

Information and guidance is available on how to apply for the coming year:

• secondary school place for the 2018/2019 school year
• primary school place for the 2018/2019 school year

Find information about school and post-16 travel policies in our home to school and college travel section.