Apply for a school place
You may be applying for a school place outside of the usual time of entry. This might be because you have moved house, because your child is unhappy at their current school, or because they have been excluded.
These are known as 'transfers' or 'in-year' applications. You should not remove your child from their current school before you have made a transfer application and secured a place at another school.
If you wish to apply for an in-year transfer to one of the schools below, you must contact the school directly to make an application. You will not be able to apply for an in-year transfer to one of the schools below using the online system.
Primary schools
- Amesbury Archer Primary
- Amesbury Primary School
- Bemerton St John Primary
- Chilton Foliat
- Clarendon Infants and Juniors
- Old Sarum
- Pembroke Park Primary
- Saint Edmunds Calne
- St Georges RC Warminster
- St John's Trowbridge
- St Joseph's Malmesbury
- St Patrick's RC Corsham
- The New Forest Primary
- St Nicholas Porton
- The Holy Trinity Primary Academy (Great Cheverell)
Secondary schools
- Sarum Academy
- The Trafalgar School
- Wyvern St Edmund's
To apply for your child to transfer to any Wiltshire school other than those listed above, please apply online using the Parent Portal (opens new window) below. Alternatively, a copy of the in-year transfer application form can be obtained by calling Customer Services on 01225 713 010. All paper application forms must be posted back to the address on the application form. Email copies will not be accepted.
Applications can only be submitted a term in advance on the required admission date.
If you wish to apply for an in-year transfer to a school outside of Wiltshire, you need to contact the Local Authority which the school is situated in.
You can apply for a school place for the September 2024 entry using the Parent Portal (opens new window). You will only be able to submit your application from 1 September 2023.
- Reception 2024 entry
- Infant to Junior transfer (Y3)
- Yr 7 Secondary 2024
The national deadline dates for submitting applications are:
- Reception 2024 entry - 15 January 2024
- Infant to Junior transfer (Y3) - 15 January 2024
- Yr 7 Secondary 2024 - 31 October 2023
National Offer Date for primary schools is Tuesday 16 April 2024
All online applicants who applied by the national deadline date will receive notification of the outcome on national offer dates as stated below:
- Reception 2024 entry - 16 April 2024
- Infant to Junior transfer (Y3) - 16 April 2024
- Yr 7 Secondary 2024 - 1 March 2024
Parent Portal (opens new window)
If you do not wish to apply online then you can submit a paper application form. Application forms can be obtained by calling our Customer Service Team on 01225 713010.
If you submit a paper application, then the outcome will be posted to you second class on national offer day. This is the day it will be posted to you and not the date you will receive it. We always recommend that parents apply online so that they can receive the outcome of their application on national offer day.
You must not double click the log-in button or icons when using the Parent Portal.
If you are having issues accessing the Parent Portal follow the steps below:
- close all of your Wiltshire Council browser sessions on every device that you have used, for example phone, tablet and laptop
- follow your individual device instructions to clear the cache and cookies
- ensure that you are using the same email address that you registered with (check that CAPS LOCK is off)
- turn off any Virtual Private Network (VPN) that you may be using (some sites will block specific country or place IP addresses).
If you are still unable to access the system then please reset your password. When entering your new password, please do this manually and do not copy and paste or use any auto populate function as this can use an old password. Following the password reset and before logging back in, follow the step below;
- close all of your Wiltshire Council browser sessions on every device that you have used, for example phone, tablet and laptop
If you are still unable to access the Parent Portal once you have followed these steps, email AdmissionsTechnicalIssues@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window) (this email address is for Parent Portal access issues only not school admission enquiries) and provide us with detailed information on the steps you have followed. This information will be passed on to our service provider to investigate and we will respond to you as quickly as possible.
All parents are required to accept or decline the school place they have been offered by the stated deadline using the Parent Portal.
Parent Portal (opens new window)
If you have applied for a school place using the Parent Portal then you will need to log back into the portal and select one of the following options:
- Accept offer - Accepts the place offered
- Hold this place while I pursue Waiting List / Appeal options - If you do not want to accept the offered place because you are choosing to appeal or appeal and go on the waiting list for one of your higher preferences, use this option
- I no longer require a school place - Only use this option if you wish the whole application to be completely withdrawn. You will be asked to confirm why the place is no longer required
If you have applied using a paper application, follow the guidance in the letter to accept of decline your place.
If you have submitted a paper application, then the outcome will be posted to you second class on national offer day. This is the day it will be posted to you and not the date you will receive it.
Follow the instructions in the decision letter to accept or decline your school place by the stated deadline.
Wherever possible we have offered a place at the highest ranked school named on your application form. If any of your preferences have been rejected it will be because the school is oversubscribed, and your child did not have a high enough priority for a place.
If it has not been possible to offer a place at any of the schools named on your application form, a place will have been offered at the nearest school to your home address with available places. If you have not secured a place at your preferred school then you may wish to select the 'waiting list' or 'waiting list and appeal' option from the drop down menu in the parent portal when confirming if you wish to accept or decline the school place that has been offered.
We recommend that you read the 'How to accept or decline your school place via the Parent Portal' section.
Please take the time to read this guidance, which contains some important and useful information.
There is no right of admission to any school
This means that:
- a child's admission to a school does not provide any guarantee that any other children you may have will be admitted to the same school either now or in the future
- there is no right of admission to the school (or schools) that serve the area in which you live
- when offered a place at a school, any previous offer of a school place is withdrawn; and
- unless you are entitled to the provision of free school transport (see below), you are prepared to be responsible for the daily cost and arrangement of your child's travel to and from school until they are due to leave the school.
Transport to and from school
Free transport is normally provided to pupils who attend their designated area school (for the purposes of determining transport entitlement) who live more than three miles from the school or a shorter distance where the route is unsafe. There are other circumstances in which free transport may be provided.
For more advice about school transport see the dedicated school transport page which also contains the transport application form.
Accepting a place at the school offered whilst appealing for another school
It is important to note that accepting the place offered will not adversely affect the chances of winning an appeal. We would recommend that you do accept the place offered for the time being.
Waiting lists are held for oversubscribed schools. In addition, you have the right of appeal to an independent panel if you have not received an offer of a place at any school for which you applied.
Voluntary aided and foundation schools and academies manage their own waiting lists and appeals, and you should contact these schools directly for more information. You must contact the school directly to place your child's name on the waiting list.
Waiting lists and appeals for community or voluntary controlled schools are managed by the local authority. Parents must request to place their child's name on the waiting list, it will no longer automatically be added. Parents who wish to appeal for a community or voluntary controlled school must complete an appeals form and return this to the local authority as well as selecting the option to appeal on the online system.
Parents who wish to place their child's name on the waiting list or appeal for a place at a school outside Wiltshire, should select the relevant option on the online portal and contact the school directly for further information.
For further details on how to appeal if your child has been refused a place at your preferred school, visit Appealing against a decision.
It is important to understand that only one offer of a school place for each child can be held at any one time. This means that if you submit a new application for your child, your new preferences will automatically supersede any preferences named on your earlier application. For applications for 2024 entry, if any of your new preferences are agreed, the place previously offered will automatically be taken away.
Applications received between 1 November 2023 and 8 March 2024 are late applications. Decisions on late applications are sent out on 26 April 2024.
If you have applied using the Parent Portal you will be able to view the outcome of your application on 26 April 2024 using the portal after 10am. If you have applied using a paper application the outcome of your application will be posted out to you on the 26 April 2024.
It is important to be aware that only one offer of a school place for each child can be held at any one time. This means that if you submit a new application for your child, your new preferences will automatically supersede any preferences named on your earlier application. If any of your new preferences are agreed, the place originally offered will then automatically be taken away.
Parent Portal (opens new window)
How to submit an application between 9 March 2024 - 26 April 2024
If you wish to apply for a secondary school place after the 8 March 2024 then you will need to complete a paper application form which can be obtained by calling Customer Services on 01225 713010. This will need to be posted back to Wiltshire Council. Applications received after the 8 March 2024 will be considered in date order of receipt and will not be processed until after the 17 May 2024.
It is important to be aware that only one offer of a school place for each child can be held at any one time. This means that if you submit a new application for your child, your new preferences will automatically supersede any preferences named on your earlier application. If any of your new preferences are agreed, the place originally offered will then automatically be taken away.
How to submit an application from 27 April 2024
Submit your application using the Parent Portal (opens new window).
It is important to be aware that only one offer of a school place for each child can be held at any one time. This means that if you submit a new application for your child, your new preferences will automatically supersede any preferences named on your earlier application. If any of your new preferences are agreed, the place originally offered will then automatically be taken away.
Late primary and infant to junior applications
Applications received between 16 January 2024 and 26 April 2024 are late applications. Decisions on late applications are sent out on 24 May 2024.
If you have applied using the Parent Portal you will be able to view the outcome of your application on 24 May 2024 using the portal after 10am. If you have applied using a paper application the outcome of your application will be posted out to you on the 24 May 2024.
It is important to be aware that only one offer of a school place for each child can be held at any one time. This means that if you submit a new application for your child, your new preferences will automatically supersede any preferences named on your earlier application. If any of your new preferences are agreed, the place originally offered will then automatically be taken away.
Parent Portal (opens new window)
How to submit an application between the 27 April 2024 - 24 May 2024
If you wish to apply for a primary school place or an infant to junior transfer after the 27 April 2024 then you will need to complete a paper application form which can be obtained by calling Customer Services on 01225 713010. This will need to be posted back to Wiltshire Council. Applications received after the 27 April 2024 will be considered in date order of receipt and will not be processed until after the 28 June 2024.
It is important to be aware that only one offer of a school place for each child can be held at any one time. This means that if you submit a new application for your child, your new preferences will automatically supersede any preferences named on your earlier application. If any of your new preferences are agreed, the place originally offered will then automatically be taken away.
How to submit an application after 25 May 2024
Submit your application using the Parent Portal (opens new window) below.
It is important to be aware that only one offer of a school place for each child can be held at any one time. This means that if you submit a new application for your child, your new preferences will automatically supersede any preferences named on your earlier application. If any of your new preferences are agreed, the place originally offered will then automatically be taken away.
Previously looked after children (England)
A previously 'looked after child' is a child who is no longer looked after by the local authority because they are the subject of an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order.
If you are applying for a school place under this criteria, the documentary evidence required is:
- a copy of the relevant order
- a letter / document confirming the child was in the care of the local authority.
Evidence must be provided by the relevant deadline date.
Internationally adopted previously looked after children (including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)
The definition of previously looked after children includes children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased
to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
If you are applying for a school place under this criteria, the documentary evidence required is stated in the attachment below. It is the parents responsibly to ensure that the relevant documentation is provided by the deadline date.
Internationally adopted Previously Looked After Children (PDF) [231KB] (opens new window)
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