In England, if a state-funded school has fewer applications than available places in the relevant intake, it is generally required to offer a place to every applicant. You still need to apply through your local council, and there is an exception for designated grammar schools. A vacancy in one year group does not guarantee space in another.
What does “more places than pupils” mean?
For admissions, the key comparison is between applications and places available for a particular intake or year group—not the school’s total enrolment. A school is undersubscribed when it receives fewer applications than it has places available in that intake. If it is not oversubscribed, the School Admissions Code says all applicants must be offered a place, except at designated grammar schools. The Department for Education states this in paragraph 1.6 of its School admissions code 2021.
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This is not a promise of admission at any time or into any year group. A school might have room in reception but none in year 4, for example. A child whose Education, Health and Care Plan names the school must be admitted under the Code.
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Yes. Places are not assigned automatically, including when your child attends a linked nursery or feeder school. For the normal admissions round, apply through your local council—even if one of your preferred schools is in another council area. Follow the council’s current application process and deadlines; dates and local procedures can vary. GOV.UK explains the application route at Apply for a school place.
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List schools in your genuine order of preference. Listing only one school does not increase the chance of receiving an offer from it. A preference is a request considered under the published admissions arrangements, not an entitlement to choose any school.
Who decides whether to offer a place?
The admission authority for the school is responsible for applying its published arrangements. Depending on the school type, that authority is:
- Community and voluntary controlled schools: the local council.
- Foundation and voluntary aided schools: the governing body.
- Academies: the academy trust.
When a school has more applicants than places, its admission authority applies the published priority criteria in order. The Code gives highest priority, subject to its rules, to looked-after and previously looked-after children; local arrangements set the remaining criteria and tie-breaker. Being nearby does not automatically give priority unless the published criteria say it does. Read the school’s arrangements for the relevant year before applying.
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Your council must provide your child with another school place if none of your preferences can be met. GOV.UK says this is usually at the nearest school with places. You can ask to join a waiting list and appeal a refusal; the council’s and admission authority’s procedures explain how.
For an in-year application—when you are seeking a place outside the normal admissions round—contact your council. It can advise which schools have places in the year group you need. Current availability is specific to that cohort and may change.
If the school refuses your application
A refusal may mean that the relevant year group is full or, in an oversubscribed intake, applicants with higher priority were offered the available places. Check the decision letter for the reason and contact the admission authority if you need more detail. You have a right to appeal, subject to the separate process for cases where an Education, Health and Care Plan names the school. Official guidance is available at Appeal a school admission decision.
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Waiting lists and accepting another offer
You can ask to be placed on a waiting list even if you have received an offer from another school. The admission authority must keep a waiting list open for at least the first term of each school year. Accepting the other offer does not prevent you from appealing; appeals guidance advises considering acceptance so your child has a place while the appeal is pending.
What to explain in an appeal
Read the school’s published admission arrangements and address the facts of your case. Explain any error you believe was made when the criteria were applied, as well as why this particular school would meet your child’s needs. Infant class appeals have specific legal limits, including the general limit of 30 pupils per teacher in reception, year 1 and year 2, subject to exceptions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to check before applying
- The intake or year group you are applying for, and whether there is a place in that cohort.
- Whether you are applying in the normal admissions round or for an in-year place.
- The school’s admission authority and its published criteria, including any tie-breaker.
- Whether the school is a designated grammar school, where the ordinary undersubscription rule has an exception.
- Your council’s application deadlines and process.
This guidance is for state-funded school admissions in England. Admissions systems in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differ.
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