Moving from primary to secondary school

For a child starting Year 7 in September 2027, the usual pattern is:

• From 1 September 2026: applications usually open.
• 31 October 2026: the deadline for secondary school applications. Applying late makes it less likely your child is offered one of your chosen schools. 31 October 2026 is a Saturday, so check your council's own closing time.
• 1 March 2027: offers of secondary places are sent (the next working day if it falls on a weekend or bank holiday). You must accept by the date in the offer letter.

You apply through your own council, even for schools in another council's area. List your preferred schools in order. Listing only one does not improve your chances. If your child is offered none of your choices, the council must offer a place elsewhere, usually the nearest school with places.

Primary applications work differently: they close on 15 January and offers go out on 16 April.

Source: GOV.UK, School admissions (guide, last updated 8 January 2025) and Apply for a secondary school place.

You can join the waiting list for any school that refused you (the admission authority must keep one open for at least the first term of the school year), and you can appeal against each refusal separately. The admission authority must give you at least 20 school days to appeal, and appeals must be heard within 40 school days of the appeal deadline. A panel of three or more independent people hears the case.

The school named in an EHC plan must give your child a place. The plan must be reviewed and amended before a move between phases of education, and for a move into secondary school that review and any amendments must be finished by 15 February in the calendar year of the move at the latest (SEND code of practice, paragraph 9.179). That is before offer day for other families, so start the conversation early.

For children with other special educational needs, every school must publish a special educational needs information report on its website. Read it, then speak to the school's SEN coordinator.

These are common differences, not rules. Every school is different, which is why the questions below matter.

• Size. Secondary schools are usually much bigger than primaries.
• Teachers. In primary, one class teacher knows your child well. In secondary, children usually have a different specialist teacher for each subject and move rooms between lessons, with a form tutor as the main day-to-day contact.
• Rules and equipment. There is often more homework, a longer day, and more kit to organise. Check the uniform policy early, including the new limit on branded items (see our uniform guide).
• The journey. Many children travel alone for the first time. See the school transport guide if the school is far away.

For scale, the middle state-funded primary school in England has about 225 pupils and the middle secondary about 1,046 (January 2026 school census, from the school register held by Governance Register). Individual schools vary a lot, so check the one you are considering on its page.

• What transition days or visits do Year 6 children have, and when are they?
• How does the school get information from my child's primary school, and who reads it?
• Who is my child's first point of contact, and how do I reach them?
• How are form groups made? Will my child know anyone in theirs?
• How does the school settle new Year 7s in the first half-term, and what happens if my child is struggling to settle?
• What help is there for children who are anxious, have additional needs, or find unstructured times hard?
• How is homework set and supported, and how will I know how my child is doing?

Schools' published results, attendance and inspection history are on each school's page here. You can put up to four side by side with Compare schools.

This section is practical advice, not official guidance.