Foundation and voluntary-aided schools must publish their admission arrangements to comply with the:

• school admissions code
• school admission appeals code

September admissions – normal point of entry

By 15 March each year, the school must publish on its website the admission arrangements for children who will be starting school at the normal point of entry in September of the following year. It must retain them there for the whole of the academic year in which offers for places are made.

The admission arrangements must explain:

• how the school considers applications for places in each relevant age group (that is, the age group in which children are normally admitted)
• how many children the school intends to admit in each relevant age group (known as the published admission number, or PAN)
• what a parent or carer needs to do if they want to apply for their child to attend the school
• how the school allocates places, if there are more applicants than places available

Where applicable, schools must also explain how:

• children are selected for a place, if the school is selective
• a parent or carer of a primary-age child can request that the school delay or defer their child’s entry to reception, and the process for requesting admission outside the normal age group
• many external applicants the school intends to admit into the sixth form

• In-year admissions

• By 31 August each year, the school must publish how it will manage in-year applications for places (that is, applications for places in the middle of a school year, or to start in the September of a year which is not the normal point of entry).

• If the governing body manages those applications, the school must provide:

• an application form
• supplementary information, if necessary

• If the local authority manages those applications, the school must publish a link to the in-year co-ordination scheme.

• Admission appeals

• By 28 February each year, the school must publish a timetable setting out how it will organise and hear admission appeals.

• This timetable must:

• include a deadline that allows a parent or carer at least 20 school days from the date of notification that their application was unsuccessful to prepare and lodge a written appeal
• include reasonable deadlines for:
  • a parent or carer to submit additional evidence
  • admission authorities to submit their evidence
  • the clerk to send appeal papers to the panel and parties
• ensure that a parent or carer lodging an appeal receives at least 10 school days’ notice of their appeal hearing
• ensure that decision letters are sent within 5 school days of the hearing, wherever possible

• Further guidance is available in the school admission appeals code.