Applying for a secondary school place
This guide provides supporting information when applying for a school place in Lincolnshire.
Application process
You should apply for a secondary school place when your child is in year 6. Read more on applying for a place outside of age group.
There is one school in Lincolnshire that admits children from year 10 - Lincoln University Technical College (UTC). If your child is in year 9 and you would like to apply for a place at this school, you should contact UTC directly. The timescales in this guide are different for this school.
When to apply for a secondary school place
The dates when you can apply for a secondary school place are published on our apply for a school place page.
However, we accept applications until 12 noon on 14 December 2023. After that deadline we cannot process any new applications or changes of applications. If an application is received after this time, it will be processed after national offer day.
Other local authorities may not operate an extended deadline. If you are applying to schools outside Lincolnshire, that local authority decides whether to accept a late application.
Grammar school tests take place in September. The results are posted before 31 October.
Secondary schools that select on aptitude
Some secondary schools admit a proportion of their intake by pupils who show an aptitude for their specialism. This will be stated in the school's oversubscription criteria. You should contact the school for details about the testing arrangements.
You must apply for a place at these schools in the same way as any other school. If your child does not meet the threshold for selection on aptitude, they will be considered against the remaining oversubscription criteria. This is different to grammar schools. If your child does not meet the required standard at a grammar school, a place will not be offered.