School Admissions FAQs

Secondary (including high and upper) school places for the 2019/2020 school year

Online applications – 1 March 2019 (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 have not been offered a place at your preferred school(s), this email will give you more information about what to do next. This will include details of how to make an appeal.

*if you've ticked the relevant box on the online application. Please check your 'spam' and 'junk' folders.

Paper applications – 1 March 2019 (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 – 1 March 2019 (National Offer Day):

If you applied online you should receive an email with the offer of a school place, unless you have indicated that you do not wish to receive an email. 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
• that you haven’t changed your email address since making your online application
• whether your mailbox is full.

If none of the above 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.

Please note: if you have changed your email address since submitting your online application and you have not updated your details in ‘My Account’, then an email will have been sent to the email address you used to apply for a school place. If you no longer have access to your old email address, you will still be able to log on to view your child’s school offer using your old email address.

Paper applications – 1 March 2019 (National Offer Day):

If you applied on a CAF1 paper application form, or you applied online and indicated that you did not want to receive an email with the offer of a school place, 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

We assume that you are accepting the school place offered unless you complete and return the non-acceptance form accessed through your offer email or enclosed with your offer letter if you made a paper application.

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.

Further information

You can find out more by reading the section What to do after receiving your offer (Step 7) on the following page:

• Apply for a secondary school place 2019/2020

Parents and carers are emailed or posted by second class post an offer of a school place to a secondary (including high and upper) school on 1 March 2019, if their application was received by the closing date of 31 October 2018.

If your application was received after 31 October 2018 please see the Admissions to Schools in Suffolk 2019/2020 guide for information on late applications and when you are likely to hear the outcome

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.

You can still return the non-acceptance form after the date specified on it.

If we cannot meet any of your preferences, we will offer your child a place at the next nearest suitable school with spaces available.

For more information and guidance, read the section What to do after receiving your offer (Step 7) on the following page:

• Apply for a secondary school place 2019/2020

You can contact us on 0345 600 0981 (local rate) to find out your child’s position on a waiting list. Please remember that the information we provide is only accurate at the time you contact us.

There may be circumstances which affect your child’s place on the waiting list (moving house, for example). In which case 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 2019.

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 2019.

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

If your child has been refused a school in another county, you should contact the school directly for details of waiting lists or how to appeal.

You can find out more about waiting lists by reading the section What to do after receiving your offer (Step 7) on the following page:

• Apply for a secondary school place 2019/2020

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.

If you do not want your child’s name on a waiting list, please email us at admissions@suffolk.gov.uk or ring the Admissions Team on 0345 600 0981 (local rate).

The waiting lists for community and voluntary controlled schools will close on 31 December 2019. 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 2019.

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 can find out more by reading the section What to do after receiving your offer (Step 7) on the following page:

• Apply for a secondary school place 2019/2020

We understand that there are several reasons why parents may want to change the schools they originally listed on their application.

Read the Admissions to Schools in Suffolk 2019/2020 guide for more information on late applications or you can find out more about your options by reading the section What to do after receiving your offer (Step 7) on the following page:

• Apply for a secondary school place 2019/2020

If your child is eligible for SCC funded school travel, the Passenger Transport Team will contact you by the end of April 2019, for those that applied by the closing date of 31 October 2018, with details of how and when to opt in, as travel will not be provided automatically.

If you have not been contacted by the end of April 2019, and you think your child may be eligible for SCC funded school travel, you should contact our Customer Service Team on 0345 606 6173, or email them at customer.service@suffolk.gov.uk.

If your child is not eligible for SCC funded school travel, we have provided some information on www.suffolkonboard.com/schooltravel that may help you consider how your child will travel to and from school, accompanied as necessary. Information about sustainable travel options is also available at www.suffolkonboard.com/SMOT.

Read the National offer day FAQ’s for school travel.

SCC funded school travel eligibility will not be reassessed unless there is a change of school offered or change of the child’s home address. If you are refused school travel you will be able to appeal against this decision.

Read the National offer day FAQ’s for school travel.

The closing dates for on time applications for school places for the 2019/2020 school year have now passed.

You can still submit an application by completing 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
• You will not be able to view your offer online

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

For information and guidance on late applications please see the Admissions to Schools in Suffolk 2019/2020 guide.

Online applications

You should have received an email acknowledgement if you have submitted an online application for the normal year of entry.

Paper applications

Due to the high volume of applications received, we're unable to tell you if your application has been received. It is 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.

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

We cannot guarantee your child a place at any school.

A catchment area school may not be the nearest school to your child's home address.

Some voluntary aided, foundation, free schools and academies do not operate catchment areas to rank applications.

Find out about making an in-year application for the 2018/2019 school year.

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

• Apply for a primary school place 2019/2020 
• Apply for a secondary school place 2019/2020

You can find information about school and post-16 travel policies by visiting www.suffolkonboard.com/schooltravel   

Read the National offer day FAQ’s for school travel.