Parents of children living in Nottinghamshire, who have started year 6 this September are being reminded to submit their secondary school applications before Thursday 31 October.
The council is urging parents to make use of all four of their school preferences, as making only one preference does not ensure that a place is allocated at that school.
If parents only list one school on their application and there are no places available at that school, an alternative offer is made but this is not automatically at the catchment area school or the nearest school to their home.
Places can only be offered at the next closest school with places available after all other on-time applications have been processed – so if other families nearby have used all four of their preferences, their children will have a better chance of getting a place at a nearby school and those who only listed one preference could be admitted to a school further away.
Using all four school preferences gives parents and their child the best chance of getting a place at a school they are happy with.
Councillor Sam Smith, Nottinghamshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and SEND, said: “Starting secondary school is a huge milestone and I’ve no doubt that parents and children may already have strong feelings about their preferred school – which is why I would encourage parents when submitting their applications to use all four preferences and ensure they apply on time by Thursday 31 October.
“Whilst this doesn’t guarantee your child a place at their preferred school, it does offer them the best chance of being offered a school that you would be happy for them to attend. Last year more than 98% of families that applied for a secondary school place on time were offered one of their preferred schools.
“I would advise parents to visit the council’s website and make sure they have read the admissions to schools guide and the admissions criteria for the schools that they are interested in. This will help families understand how places will be allocated at their preferred schools”.
Nottinghamshire residents need to apply to Nottinghamshire County Council even if their preferred schools are in other areas such as Nottingham City or Derbyshire.
The easiest way to apply is online at www.nottinghamshire.
Secondary school offers will be made on the secondary school National Offer Day, Wednesday 3 March 2025.
When making their application, parents should:
1) Apply on time – by Thursday 31 October. Applying late significantly reduces the chances of their child being allocated one of their preferred schools, as most places will have been allocated on National Offer Day to people who applied on time.
2) Check the admission oversubscription criteria – and include schools within the four preferences where the child will have high priority within the admission oversubscription criteria. Information about the criteria for Nottinghamshire schools can be found on the council’s website. All secondary schools in Nottinghamshire have their own oversubscription criteria – this can vary from school to school.
3) Use all four preferences – for the best chance at getting their child into a school they are happy with.
4) Include other relevant information – in the application, parents should mention any information which may affect how the admission oversubscription criteria are applied. Parents should also tell the council if they are moving house, as this may affect how the application is considered. It is important to read the relevant sections in Admissions to Schools: Guide for Parents 2025-2026, which can be found at: www.nottinghamshire.gov.
For more information about the application process, schools, the number of places available or how places are allocated, please visit the website at www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/
