Applying for a reception place (Year R)

If your child was born between 1 September 2014 and 31 August 2015, they will be eligible to start school in the school year beginning September 2019.

Starting School (Year R) and transfer to Year 3 (Junior School)
Applications open – 1 November
Application deadline – 15 January
Notification date for on time applications – 18 April 2017

Applying for a school place for their child is an exciting and important prospect for parents. It is straightforward to complete your application online.

How do I apply for a school place?

If your child lives within Hampshire County Council’s local authority area, you can complete an application online for any publicly-funded school.

If you do not have access to the internet you can request a paper application form from a Hampshire school.

How is the allocation of places decided?

Parents can list their top three preferred schools when applying. Each school has an admissions policy, which is usually published on their website. If there are more applications for a school than there are places, the allocation will be made by applying the criteria set in the school’s admissions policy. The catchment area of the school is usually the biggest factor. You can see which catchment area you live in on our catchment area map.

Any tips for how to choose my preferred schools?

Use your preferences wisely. Investigate schools, especially your catchment area school. Find out how many applications the school had last year compared to places available, and the final criterion used to allocate places. This may give you some idea of the likelihood of your preference being met.

Schools’ websites are great sources of information about the ethos and policies of the schools. Visiting schools is very important, to help you get a feel for the atmosphere and the culture in the school community.

What should I do if I do not get a place at my first choice school?

If all available places at a school have been allocated and it is over-subscribed, a waiting list will be established.

Your child will automatically be added to the waiting list of any school you named on your application that was a higher preference than the school where your child was allocated a place. Your child’s position on a waiting list is determined by the priority order shown in the school’s admission policy. This might include factors like living in the school’s catchment area, having a brother or sister at the school, or the distance from your home to the school. It will not take account of how long your child has been on the list.

If your child has been refused admission to a school, you have the right to appeal to an independent appeal panel. More about appeals.