Primary school admissions are now open

Apply by 15 January 2024

If your child is due to start primary school, or transfer to junior school, in September 2024 you can now apply for their primary, infant and junior school place. You will need to submit a school application if your child:

was born between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020
is leaving Year 2 of an infant school in July 2024

You have until 15 January 2024 to apply for their school place. If you miss the deadline, you'll reduce the chances of getting one of your preferred schools for your child.

To help you prepare for applying, here's everything you need to know about the primary school application process.

How to apply

We encourage all applicants to apply through our online admissions system webpage, which is quick, easy to use, and available all day, every day. By applying online, you'll be able to receive the outcome of your application by email.

You can choose up to four schools that you would like to apply for and you must name the schools in order of your preference. If, based on the school's admission criteria, a place for your child is available at more than one of your named schools, an offer will be made for the one that is listed highest on your list of preferences.

If your child is leaving Year 2 of an infant school, you can only name schools with a Year 3 intake on your application form.

We recommend that you apply for four schools in total if possible, in order to increase your chances of being offered a place at one of your named schools. Naming fewer schools on your list of preferences does not increase the chance of you being offered a place at one of those schools, but instead may increase the risk of being offered a place at a school that you have not named.

The online admissions system webpage can provide you with a step-by-step explanation of the full admissions process, and further information on each step, which includes:

Step 1: Research and choose schools to apply for
Step 2: Complete the application form
Step 3: Complete any supplementary forms
Step 4: Applications are assessed
Step 5: Your child is offered a place
Step 6: You accept or decline the place
Step 7: What to do if you don't get a place at your preferred school

Researching primary, infant and junior schools

Deciding which primary, infant or junior schools to apply for is a big decision, so it's important to research schools in order to find the right one for your child.

To help you with researching schools, we've compiled a list of key things to consider when exploring your options:

What is the school's admissions criteria?

Admissions criteria will vary from school to school. You can check the admission criteria for primary schools in the schools admissions booklet web page or on the school's own website. Consider how these may affect your chances of being offered a place.

Many schools base their admission criteria on the distance between your home and the school, and priority is usually given to siblings, so make sure to research first to find out what your options are. Each school must display its admission arrangements on its website or a link to the local authority's admission arrangements.

Where is the school and how will your child get there?

It's important to think about how your child will be getting to and from school. You can find schools in your area using our Directory of Surrey schools web page, which allows you to search via a range of different filters, including phase, type, and location. You can also check a school's approximate distance to your home on the school map web page.

It's also worth checking if your child may be eligible for travel assistance to school. You can check your eligibility via our travel assistance to school webpage.

What are their policies and achievements?

You can find basic information on each school, including contact details, links to the school's website and Ofsted results, as well as admissions and appeals information on our Directory of Surrey schools web page.

You can also find details of their policies, achievements, and assessment results by visiting the school's own website or by reading their brochure. You'll find a brochure on most schools' websites.

Have you been to an open day?

Before making any final decisions, we highly recommend visiting all of the schools that you are considering applying for, if they offer an open day. Most open days are held in the Autumn term and you can find details of open days on the school's website.

During your visit, take a look around the facilities, go to the headteacher's presentation, and talk to the teachers. If the school allows it, take your child along with you so you can gauge their reaction to the school. After all, it's all about finding the right fit for your child.