Apply for a secondary school place 2023/2024

Applications for the normal year of entry

Find out if your child is eligible to start secondary school during the 2023/2024 school year.

The closing date for on time applications for secondary school places for the 2023/2024 school year has now passed.

If you have not yet made an application or wish to make changes to your application for a secondary school, please see Step 5 or complete an editable version of the application form (CAF1) (Word, 71KB) and email to admissions@suffolk.gov.uk, or if you are unable to access this version apply for a place by downloading and completing an application form (CAF1) (PDF, 206KB)*.

Please send any applications, evidence or supporting information by email to admissions@suffolk.gov.uk. If you don’t have access to a scanner, you can take photos of your application form, evidence or supporting information and attach these to your email.

If you are unable to send us your application or supporting evidence by email, we strongly suggest you get proof of posting. We are not responsible for forms lost in the post and we do not acknowledge receipt of paper applications.

*If you don't have a printer please contact us on 0345 600 0981 (local rate) and we will send you a paper application form in the post.

Read the Admissions to Schools in Suffolk 2023/2024 guide for more information about anything in this section.

In-year applications

If your child is changing schools, you need to think about:

• your reasons for moving schools
• if the school is right for your child
• how your child will travel to school
• the availability of places in the year group at your preferred school. Be aware that even if the school is full, you are still able to apply for a place.

Read the guidance on transferring schools (PDF, 101KB) before moving your child from their current school.

You can apply for a place for your child at any time to any school outside of the normal admissions round.

Applications will not normally be considered more than one term ahead of the date when you want your child to start at the school.

Some voluntary aided, free schools and academies may have different arrangements. You should contact them directly for more information.

Find your nearest schools

We strongly recommend that you check which school is your child's nearest suitable school on our Nearest School Checker because this might not be their catchment area school.

You can find out which are your child's three nearest Suffolk schools (based on the statutory walking distance including Public Rights of Way) by putting your postcode into our Nearest School Checker. 

We update this each year to include new roads and developments.

Please see Step 4 for information on Suffolk County Council funded school travel.

Check if there is a catchment area school for your child's home address

A catchment area is the geographical area served by a school. The catchment area school may not be the nearest school to your child’s home address.

Some voluntary aided, free schools and academies do not operate catchment areas. Please check the school's admissions policy for details.

Use our school catchment area lists to find out if your child's address has a catchment area school.

You can view the catchment area map for individual schools on Suffolk Infolink. 

We would only provide Suffolk County Council funded school travel to your child's catchment area school if it is the nearest school to their home that would have had a place available for them and they meet the distance criteria. Please see Step 4 for further information.

If you live near a county border

If you live near the border with Cambridgeshire, Essex or Norfolk you may wish to apply for schools in those local authorities. You can visit their websites for details about the schools in their areas.

Applications for the normal year of entry

If your child lives in Suffolk and you want to apply for a school in a neighbouring authority, you must still apply through Suffolk County Council.

If you live outside Suffolk you must apply to your home local authority if you are applying for a Suffolk school.

In-year applications

You should contact the relevant school or local authority where the school is located for advice on how to apply.

Finding information about schools

You can find information about schools in Suffolk and other counties from their:

• website
• prospectus
• open days

Search the list of schools' details, admissions policies and Supplementary Information Forms or read the Directory of Schools in Suffolk. This will help you to understand how places are offered for each school you are interested in, as they may be different from one another.

The list of schools and the Directory includes:

• contact details for each school
• the number of places in the year group, known as the Published Admission Number (PAN), and information relating to last year’s on time applications
• the admissions policy which includes the oversubscription criteria used to rank applications

Choosing your school preferences

Applications for the normal year of entry

You can apply for up to 3 schools, putting them in order of preference.

Each of your preferences will be considered equally and separately.

Your preferences and the order you put them on your admissions application could affect your child’s eligibility for SCC funded school travel. Please see Step 4 for further information.

Listing second and third preferences will not affect your child’s chance of being offered their first preference. Your first preference will be offered above your second or third preferences where possible.

We cannot guarantee your child a place at any school.

In-year applications

Check with the Admissions Team or the school on the availability of places for your child’s year group. You need to be:

• aware that even if the school is full, you are still able to apply for a place
• realistic about your preference(s)
• aware that a place at any school, including your catchment area school, cannot be guaranteed

If there are more applications than there are places available, the relevant oversubscription criteria will be applied, and the applicants will be ranked. The applicant(s) with the highest criteria will be offered a place(s).

Search the list of schools' details, admissions policies and Supplementary Information Forms or read the Directory of Schools in Suffolk for the oversubscription criteria and a copy of the SIF, if relevant.

Choosing a school for a child with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Read advice and tips for parents choosing a school for a child with SEND.

Suffolk County Council (SCC) Funded School Travel

Please be aware: You must consider how your child will travel to and from school before you apply for a school place.

The following information is very important:

1. We will provide SCC funded school travel to the Nearest Suitable School that would have had a place available for your child when they are: a) aged under 8 and live at least two miles from the school; or b) aged 8 or older and live at least three miles from the school. This would be whether or not an application was made for a place at that school. The nearest suitable school might not be your child's catchment area school.

2. It is important that you check which school is your child’s nearest suitable school on our Nearest School Checker for the 2023/2024 school year, because this might not be the catchment area school. You can find out which are the three nearest Suffolk schools (based on the statutory walking distance including Public Rights of Way) by putting your child’s postcode into our Nearest School Checker. We update this each year to include new roads and developments.

3. We would only provide SCC funded school travel to your child's Catchment Area School if it is the nearest suitable school to their home that would have had a place available for them and they meet the distance criteria.

4. Your School Preferences and the order you put them on your admissions application could affect your child’s eligibility for SCC funded school travel. Our school travel scenarios can help you work out when your child might be eligible for SCC funded school travel to their school when the age and distance criteria are met. There is also detailed information on School Travel to County High School, Upper Site, Beetons Way and County High School, Lower Site, Oliver Road from September 2023.

5. Full details about SCC funded school travel, including the School Travel Policy, additional arrangements for low income families and those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), can be found at Suffolk on Board.

Applications for the normal year of entry

The closing date for on time applications for secondary school places for the 2023/2024 school year has now passed.

Online applications: You cannot make an online application after the closing date of 31 October 2022. If you applied online, you are able to view your online application here.

Paper applications: If you have not yet made an application or wish to make changes to your application for a secondary school, please complete an editable version of the application form (CAF1) (Word, 71KB) and email to admissions@suffolk.gov.uk, or if you are unable to access this version apply for a place by downloading and completing an application form (CAF1) (PDF, 206KB)*.

Please send any applications, evidence or supporting information by email to admissions@suffolk.gov.uk. If you don’t have access to a scanner, you can take photos of your application form, evidence or supporting information and attach these to your email.

If you are unable to send us your application or supporting evidence by email, we strongly suggest you get proof of posting. We are not responsible for forms lost in the post and we do not acknowledge receipt of paper applications.

*If you don't have a printer please contact us on 0345 600 0981 (local rate) and we will send you a paper application form in the post.

You may need to complete a Supplementary Information Form (SIF), further information is below.

Read the Admissions to Schools in Suffolk 2023/2024 guide for more information about anything in this section.

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

If you live in Suffolk or in another county and you wish to make an in-year application to a Suffolk school, it depends on which school/s you want to apply for:

• Suffolk County Council deals with in-year applications for community and voluntary controlled schools
• Voluntary aided, free schools and academies deal with their in-year applications directly

Click on the school’s name in our list of schools' details, admissions policies and Supplementary Information Forms to find out the type of your preferred school and the oversubscription criteria. You can also find this information in the Directory of Schools in Suffolk.

If you wish to make an in-year application to a Suffolk community and/or voluntary controlled school:

Complete an editable version of the in-year application form (CAF2) (Word, 71KB) and email to admissions@suffolk.gov.uk, or if you are unable to access this version apply for a place by downloading and completing an in-year application form (CAF2) (PDF, 202KB)*.

Please send any applications, evidence or supporting information by email to admissions@suffolk.gov.uk. If you don’t have access to a scanner, you can take photos of your application form, evidence or supporting information and attach these to your email.

If you are unable to send us your application or supporting evidence by email, you may wish to get proof of posting when you send your application. We are not responsible for forms lost in the post and we do not acknowledge receipt of paper applications.

*If you don't have a printer please contact us on 0345 600 0981 (local rate) and we will send you a paper application form in the post.

If you wish to make an in-year application to a Suffolk voluntary aided, free school or academy, you should:

1. check with the school to see if they have their own application form that they would prefer you to complete and request a copy if required.
2. check whether you need to complete a Supplementary Information Form (SIF), see our list of schools' details, admissions policies and Supplementary Information Forms. A SIF provides extra information for the admissions authority. This helps them apply their oversubscription criteria to rank your application.
3. apply for a place by completing the school’s own application form, or complete an editable version of the in-year application form (ADM1) (Word, 68KB) and email to the school, or if you are unable to access this version apply for a place by downloading and completing the in-year application form (ADM1) (PDF, 217KB)*.
4. complete the SIF (if required).
5. send the application form and the SIF (if required) directly to the school you are applying for.

You can find the email addresses for individual schools on Suffolk Infolink.

*If you don't have a printer please contact us on 0345 600 0981 (local rate) and we will send you a paper application form or a SIF in the post.

If you live in Suffolk and wish to make an in-year application to a school outside Suffolk, please contact the relevant local authority to find out how to apply.

Supplementary Information Form (SIF)

You may need to complete a SIF if one of your preferences is for the following type of school:

• Academy
• Free school
• Voluntary aided

A SIF provides extra information for the admissions authority. This helps them apply their oversubscription criteria to rank your application.

Check the oversubscription criteria for the schools you wish to apply for. Find the oversubscription criteria and the SIFs in the list of schools' details, admissions policies and Supplementary Information Forms or in the Directory of Schools in Suffolk.

You need to send your SIF to the school.

Applications for the normal year of entry

Online applications: If you made an online application, you can still view your school place offer here. 

Paper applications: We will process your application and you will be notified of the outcome as soon as we can, but it may take several weeks.

We are unable to provide up-dates on the progress of an existing application.

If you have not been offered a place at your preferred school(s), you will be given information about what to do next. This will include details of how to make an appeal.

Read the Admissions to Schools in Suffolk 2023/2024 guide for more information about anything in this section.

In-year applications

For community and voluntary controlled schools, the Admissions Team aims to notify you of the outcome of your application in writing within 10 school days of receiving it. However, we will notify you in writing of the outcome within 15 school days.

If you have provided an email address on your application form, we will notify you of the outcome by email. If you haven’t provided an email address, we will send you a letter in the post.

If you have not received an email or letter after 15 school days of sending your application, please contact us by emailing admissions@suffolk.gov.uk or by calling us on 0345 600 0981.

The Admissions Team cannot give you the outcome of your application over the phone.

For voluntary aided, free schools and academies, the school should aim to notify you of the outcome of your application in writing within 10 school days of receiving it. However, they must notify you in writing of the outcome within 15 school days.

Contact information for all schools is available from our online Infolink directory of schools in Suffolk.

Applications for the normal year of entry

Read the Admissions to Schools in Suffolk 2023/2024 guide for more information about anything in this section.

If you're happy with the school your child has been offered

We will assume you have accepted the school place offered to your child if we have not heard from you.

This will not affect your chances of getting a place at a higher preference school either:

• from the waiting list
• through an appeal (for any of your preferred schools that your child has been refused a place at)

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.

If you're not happy with the school your child has been offered

Waiting lists

If we are unable to offer your child a place at any of your preferred school(s), we will automatically add their name to the waiting list for that school(s).

Names are placed on the waiting list in priority order. This is set out in the school’s admissions oversubscription criteria.

The order of the waiting list can change when:

• a new child’s name is added
• the circumstances of a child already on the list changes

This means a child’s place on the waiting list can go up or down, for example, due to withdrawals or late applications.

The waiting lists will close on 31 December 2023 for:

• community and voluntary controlled schools
• voluntary aided schools and academies who have agreed to operate the same policy as Suffolk County Council

You can find out when the waiting lists close for voluntary aided, free schools and academies that do not follow the same policy as Suffolk County Council from the schools directly.

You can contact the Admissions Team 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 the information we provide is only accurate at the time you contact us.

Appealing the decision

You have the right of appeal if your child has been refused a place at any of your preferred school(s).

Find out about the appeals process and download an appeal form.

Appeal forms received by the Education Appeals Office on or before 29 March 2023 will be heard by 15 June 2023.

If they are received after this date they may be heard later. In some case, appeals may not be heard until after the beginning of the new school year.

If you want to apply for a different school(s)

You must submit a paper application form (CAF1) if you wish to apply for a different school(s) after receiving an offer of a school place.

However, the new application will supercede your previous application.

This means that you must include any schools from your first application above your new preferences on your second or subsequent application if you would like them to remain as a live preference and you still want:

• the right to appeal 
• your child’s name to remain on the waiting list

In-year applications

Unsuccessful applications

If your application is unsuccessful then you will have a legal right to appeal the decision. The details of how to appeal should be included in the decision letter.

You may also wish to make another application for a different school.

If your child does not have a local school place, we will offer a place at an alternative community or voluntary controlled school, or notify you of an alternative school in your area.

Waiting lists

We do not hold waiting lists for in-year applications to community and voluntary controlled schools.

Some voluntary aided, free schools and academies do hold waiting lists throughout the year for all year groups. This information is available from the schools directly.

Making another application for the schools you have already applied for

If your application has been refused, we will not process another application for the same school in the same school year, unless there has been a significant change in circumstances of the parent/carer, child or school. This might be a house move or a place becoming available at a school.

If circumstances have not changed you can make another application for the following school year. However, this will not normally be considered more than one term ahead of the date when you want your child to start at the school.

Some voluntary aided, free schools and academies may have different arrangements. You should contact them directly for more information.

The Admission arrangements for 2023/2024 (Determined Admission Arrangements) include:

• The oversubscription criteria for community and voluntary controlled schools
• Published Admission Numbers for Suffolk schools

The Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme for schools in Suffolk for the 2023/2024 school year explains how Suffolk County Council co-ordinates admission arrangements for the normal year of intake for all mainstream schools in Suffolk and with other neighbouring authorities.

You can search the list of schools' details, admissions policies and Supplementary Information Forms for the 2023/2024 school year. 

Find out about Suffolk's Fair Access Protocol.

Download the Local Authority Report 2022.

Ofsted are changing the way they inspect and report on schools. Parents can find out how this will affect them.