Before you apply | Use the portal to apply | Changing my application
| Key timescales | Key steps for each person applying |
|---|---|
| 1. Read the advice on our website and Apply online | |
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Applications usually take up to |
2. Submit your application online (20 school days before you want your child to start in a new school). |
| 3. We will email you confirming your application has been submitted to Leicestershire School Admissions team. If you don't receive an automated email check all email folders/re-submit your application. | |
| 4. We will email you to confirm we have downloaded your application for processing. | |
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5. No further information will be sent to you unless we require any additional information to support your application. |
| 6. When a decision has been made we will email you inviting you to log into the Portal, where you can see what decision has been made and what to do next. | |
| Confirmed places are held for a maximum of 20 school days | 7. Where a place has been confirmed, you will need to contact the school to organise a start date directly with them. |
*School days do not include weekends, bank holidays and school holidays.
How do I apply
What you need to know and do before applying to change school
If you’re applying for more than one child you need to complete a separate application for each child.
You should only include additional information if it is relevant to the school's admission criteria.
If more than one parent has legal responsibility for your child, both parents must be in agreement over the school(s) requested.
Some Leicestershire schools manage their own admissions, where this is the case you'll need to apply to the school directly. See appendix 3 of the document below:
Includes a list of all Leicestershire maintained schools, including those schools that manage their own admissions arrangements.
Applications should be submitted online
We expect all applications to be submitted online. If you’re finding this hard, please ask a relative or friend to help you (your local school may also be able to help).
If you need access to a computer or scanner, you can book a library computer.
If you’re not already a member you’ll need to join the library which you can do online or by visiting the library.
Selecting which schools to apply for
Make sure to select 3 schools (including at least 1 within your catchment area, where applicable) to give yourself the best chance of being offered a school place – only submit your application once you're happy with your preferences and the order they're in.
You can view nearest schools along with catchment maps for local authority maintained schools in our find a school search. For academy school catchments, please visit the school website.
Look at the websites for each school that you're interested in applying to and read each school's admissions policy and criteria (these vary from school to school).
Timescales
- It usually takes up to 15 school days (sometimes longer) from the date of applying for a school place and receiving a decision.
- '15 school days' doesn’t include weekends, bank holidays and other scheduled school holidays; within this timeframe we'll be coordinating responses from the schools that you've applied for.
- If you apply after 1 June of each year it may be difficult for us to get a place for your child to start in a new school before the school summer holidays, meaning that the start date might not be until the autumn term.
- If we have been able to confirm a place at a school, you must take up this place within 20 school days of receiving a decision or we will have to withdraw our offer of a place.
Applying for a new school for a child who is in Year 10 or Year 11
We don’t recommend moving school once your child has already started a 2 year GCSE course.
Even if the future school has availability, it’s not likely it will be able to offer the modules or options that your child has already chosen at their current school.
What you need to know while making your application
You will need to apply for the chronological (birth year) group that your child should be in (but please include in the notes box section of the application form if the year group that you are applying for is different to their birth year).
We will contact the school to check whether the new school(s) would be willing to accept your request to start in a year group other than your chronological year group. You will hear from us or the school to advise whether your request has been accepted.
Where possible we will aim to follow the timescales set out in the overall 'changing a school during term time' process.
We'll check whether there is a space in your chosen school once we receive your application. There's no guarantee that we can offer you a place at any of the schools you prefer, particularly if you've selected schools that are often highly oversubscribed.
Information you will be asked for during the application (if applicable)
You'll need to upload a copy (this can be scanned, pdf, Word or image format) of:
- a valid, fully signed tenancy agreement (confirming address, period of tenancy, names of tenants and signatures of tenant and landlord/letting agent) or
- your solicitor's letter confirming when completion of purchase of your new property took place, and
- your most recent council tax bill, or evidence you have vacated your previous address.
Failure to provide the information and documents we need could cause a delay in your application being processed.
Apply using your portal account
You'll need to set up a portal account, if you don't already have one. Either way follow our step by step guide to apply:
See our Parent Portal guidance to apply
School transport
If transport is an important consideration to you in deciding which school your child should go to, see our information on School transport when applying for a school place.
Changing my application after I have submitted it
Please use the school admissions contact form to request any changes to your application.
What happens next
Find out what happens next after you have applied.
What happens after you have submitted your application and what to do next
Confirmation emails
- We will email you confirming your application has been submitted to Leicestershire School Admissions team.
- We will then email you to confirm when we have downloaded your application for processing.
- No further information will be sent to you until we have made a decision, unless we require any additional information from you to support your application
Not given any of the schools you selected
If you haven’t been given any of the schools that you selected in your application, we will email you to let you know, and advise you on the next nearest school that is available, you will still need to re-apply (with 3 additional schools). This will be classed as a new application, and therefore could take a further 20 school days to confirm whether a space is available.
Contacting us
You do not need to contact us if you're happy with the school place you have been allocated, but you will need to contact the school to organise a start date directly with the school.
Don't need the school place
If you don't need the school place you've been allocated, please use the refusing a school place section of our school admissions contact form to let us know.
Refused school place
If you have been refused a place at the school of your choice, you can appeal online.
School admissions for children in care (or previously in care)
Looked after children and previously looked after children – children who have left care through adoption, a special guardianship order or child arrangements order, but not children who have been returned to their birth parent(s), will receive the highest priority when it comes to deciding which school a child is allocated.
A social worker, with the help from the virtual school, will apply online through the usual school admissions processes to secure a place for a looked after child. The social worker will also liaise with any other local authorities or schools where an application is being made to a school outside of Leicestershire.
For more information see looked after children protocol and Leicestershire Virtual School.
Gifted and talented children that are moving school
More information on this can be found at Gifted and talented children.
UK service personnel (armed forces) and Crown servants
Armed forces or Crown servant children do not get automatic priority over other children, therefore there is no guarantee that you will be given your school of choice.
You can apply for a school place for your child(ren) once you have an official letter that has been issued by the relevant government department confirming your relocation date, with as much information as possible about where you will be living. Supporting information will need to be attached to your school application form. We will then be able to allocate a place in advance of you arriving in the area (if there is space available).
More information is available in the school admissions policy.