Apply for a school place

Before you apply

Parents or carers must apply for their child to:

If your child needs a school place in a different year group or at another point in the year, you need to apply to move school.

You should check if your child is eligible for free or post-16 school transport.

To find out more about a school, use our directory.

Further information on going to school in Lincolnshire is available in our guide.

SEND school places

Most children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) will have their needs met at a mainstream school or college. 

If your child has an education and health care plan (EHCP), you should contact your caseworker as you cannot apply via the typical admissions process.

If you need to apply for a place at a special school, read about SEND school places.

If your child does not have an EHCP, you can continue to apply online.

How to apply

You can apply for a school place in September online:

  • primary school admissions open on 14 November 2022 and close 15 January 2023
    • re-opens 17 April 2023 and closes 19 May 2023
  • secondary school admissions open on 9 September 2022 and close on 31 October 2022
    • re-opens 1 March 2023 and closes 27 March 2023

When you apply:

  • you can select up to three schools, in order of preference
  • you may want to check if your child is eligible for free or post-16 school transport
  • you can amend your application at any time before the closing date
  • if you are moving house or need to change schools, read about moving school

Service personnel and crown servants

You can apply for a school place in advance of a forces move. 

You can apply within the usual deadline for Reception, Year 3 or Year 7. At any other time, you can apply six weeks in advance.

You must send us proof of your posting when making your application.

If you have been posted, We will ask the schools you apply for if they wish to offer you a place, even if they are full. You can apply using a unit postal address, forces address or private address in some cases.

If no school can offer a place, we will find you one at the closest to your new address with a space.

Get in touch with the admissions team if you need more information.

Foreign nationals

Foreign national children residing in the UK normally have the right to attend schools in England which are:

  • state-funded
  • independent 

To lawfully enter the country to access a school, foreign national children residing outside the UK will normally need either:

  • a right of abode
  • an immigration status which otherwise permits them to enter the UK to study at a school

Parents’ responsibility to check eligibility for a school place

Parents of foreign national children are responsible for checking that their children have a right under the UK entry conditions to study at a school. They should do this before applying for a place.

It is not the role of state-funded schools or local authorities to ask for proof of eligibility before offering a place.

If foreign nationals residing outside the UK want to enter the UK to study at an independent school which is a licensed student sponsor, they should contact the school directly. If it accepts the application, it will send them a reference number. This is called a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). Parents will need a CAS before they can apply for their child’s visa. They cannot enter to study at schools which are not licensed student sponsors.

Parents can find more information on gov.uk - visas and immigration.

Make or amend a school application

School offer dates

If we receive your application on time, you will be able to collect your offer on:

  • primary schools - 17 April 2023
  • secondary schools - 1 March 2023

If you apply by paper form, we will post your offer on the same dates. We are unable to give out details over the phone.

If your application is late, we will process it after the following dates:

  • primary schools - 29 May 2023 then send you a letter
  • secondary schools - 3 April 2023 then send you a letter