School admissions policies

Admissions authorities must consult with the public to make changes to their policies. If there are no changes, they must still consult every seven years.

We are the admissions authority for community and controlled schools.

Foundation, aided, free schools and academies are their own admissions authority.

For the current arrangements, use our directory to find a school.

To find out more about how we deal with school admissions applications, read our school admissions schemes.

Schools consulting on their admission policies

There are currently no schools consulting on their admission policies.

Consultation dates for 2025-26 policies

  • 1 October 2023 to 31 January 2024 – schools consult on their admissions policies if they wish
  • 28 February 2024 - arrangements must be formally determined
  • 15 March 2024 - arrangements must be published
  • 15 May 2024 - deadline for objections to the schools adjudicator

Admissions authorities may consult any time within the consultation period. 

What happens next?

Once the consultation has closed, all responses will help to determine the school's final arrangements.

If you believe a school’s new arrangements to be unlawful, you can object to the schools adjudicator. You must do this by 15 May. For more information, visit Gov.uk.