Secondary school offer day: When are places announced for 2025?

Alice Evans
BBC News
Getty Images A woman sitting beside her daughter looks at paperwork in front of her laptopGetty Images

Secondary school offer day is approaching, meaning families of Year 6 children in England and Wales will soon find out which school they should be attending from September 2025.

Last year, 83% of applicants in England secured their first choice, but what can parents do if they aren't happy when offer day comes around?

When are secondary school places announced for 2025?

Children starting Year 7 in England and Wales in September find out about school places on Monday, 3 March - the first working day of the month.

If you missed the deadline to apply for a place, in England, your application will not be considered until after the first round of offers is made.

In Wales, if you had a good reason for the delay, such as moving to the area after the deadline, the local authority should have considered it alongside on-time applications.

In Northern Ireland, post-primary school places will be sent out on Saturday, 10 May.

In Scotland, no offers are made, as councils decide where pupils are placed.

How are secondary school places decided?

Children in care, or who have previously been in care, are given top priority.

Beyond that, schools or local authorities usually set their own admissions criteria.

Some prioritise children from a particular religion, or those who pass an entrance exam.

Research by the University of Bristol into admissions in England found that:

  • 96% gave precedence to siblings of current pupils
  • 88% were more likely to give places to local children
  • Only 5% prioritised disadvantaged pupils

Do children with Send get priority for school places?

If your child has special education needs and disabilities (Send) in England, their education, health and care plan may specify a school, which must give them a place.

The same applies in Wales if the local authority names the school it thinks is most appropriate for the child in their Send statement.

In Northern Ireland, there is a separate application process.

In Scotland, local authorities have to work with parents and professionals to identify the best option for the child's secondary education.

How do parents accept a school offer?

In England, the offer letter or email you receive will explain what you need to do next.

You may need to accept the place by a given deadline. If you miss that, the offer could be withdrawn and the place given to someone else.

Not all admissions teams in Wales require parents to accept a place - the letter will make clear whether you need to do anything.

Pupils in uniform at a secondary school

How do I appeal against a secondary school placement?

You can appeal against a school's decision, but the process varies across the UK.

In England, appeals are decided by an independent panel. To succeed, parents might have to show that the proper admissions process was not followed, or set out what a school can offer your child that other schools cannot.

If the appeal is successful, the child will be given a place at your school of choice. If not, the child can still be added to the school's waiting list.

On average, just over 20% of appeals are successful, according to government data for 2024.

In Wales, you can challenge the decision during an initial appeal hearing.

If the panel does not find in the child's favour, the appeal can move to a second stage where parents set out their argument, and the admission authority responds.

In Northern Ireland, you can appeal against a decision if you think the school didn't correctly apply its published admissions criteria. An Independent Admissions Appeal tribunal hears the case, and if successful, your child will be offered a place at the school of choice.

In Scotland, most appeals will be dealt with by your local authority. Appeals for children with additional support needs can be made to a tribunal.