Check the latest school admissions deadlines here, and find all the dates you need so that you don’t miss application deadlines for school places this year.
What you need to do and which form you need to use, depends upon your child's birth date.
| When was your child born? | What do you need to do? |
|---|---|
| On or after 1 September 2017 | They are not yet due to start school. Please see the page 'What age do children start school?' or our information about pre-school, childcare and early years. |
| Between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 | They are due to start school in September 2021. The primary school application round will open no later than 12 October 2020 and the deadline to apply is 15 January 2021. |
|
Between 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2014 and they attend an infant school |
They are due to move to junior school in September 2021. The primary school application round will open no later than 12 October 2020 and the deadline to apply is 15 January 2021. |
| Between 1 September 2009 and 31 August 2010 | They are due to transfer to secondary school in September 2021. The secondary school application round will open no later than 12 September 2020 and the deadline to apply is 31 October 2020. |
| Any other time | You will need to make an in-year application. |
If you are not sure that your child is ready to start school you can find information about your options for deferring or delaying here.
If you wish your child to transfer between schools at any other point, then you can find information about changing schools and in-year applications here.
Have you missed the deadline?
Please see our information about late applications here.
Do you need to make changes to an application you have already submitted?
Please see our information about making changes here.
Detailed timelines and key dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 12 October 2020 | Primary admissions round opens For children born between 1 September 2016 - 31 August 2017 and 1 September 2013 - 31 August 2014. |
| 15 January 2021 | Closing date for primary school applications Applications (online or paper) must be received by this date. |
| 15 January 2021 | The closing date for providing evidence of exceptional social or medical reasons. Find more information here. |
| 19 February 2021 | Co-ordination admissions scheme applied No changes can be made to applications before national offer day after this date. |
| 16 April 2021 | National offer day If you have applied online before 19 February you will be able to view the offer of a school place by accessing your online account. An email confirmation will be sent during office hours. If you applied on a paper application form, a letter informing you which school your child has been offered will be posted by 2nd class post on this date, meaning you will receive your letter up to three to five after national offer day. |
| 30 April 2021 (onwards) | Changes to your application From this date onwards, any late changes to your application and new, late applications that have not been processed will be considered. |
| 21 May 2021 | Closing date for primary admission appeals Appeals for primary school places must be received by this date. |
| June / July 2021 | Admission appeals hearings Main primary admission appeals to be heard during this period. |
| 31 December 2021 | Closing date for holding school waiting lists All waiting lists held by us end on this day. |
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| September 2020 | Secondary admission round information Letters will be distributed to primary schools for Year 5 children who live in North Yorkshire and attend a maintained North Yorkshire school. |
| 12 September 2020 | Secondary school admissions round opens no later than this date For children born between 1 September 2009 - 31 August 2010. |
| 31 October 2020 | Closing date for applications The last date both online and paper applications can be received for a school place in Year 7. |
| 31 October 2020 | The closing date for providing evidence of exceptional social or medical reasons. Find more information here. |
| 21 December 2020 | No changes to applications can be made No changes can be made to applications before national offer day after this date. |
| 15 February 2021 | Special Educational Needs The school to which a child with an Education, Health and Care Plan will transfer in September 2021 is named in their Plan by this date. |
| 1 March 2021 | National offer day (1 March or next working day) If you have applied online before 21 December you will be able to view the offer of a school place by accessing your online account. An email confirmation will be sent during office hours. If you applied on a paper application form, a letter informing you which school your child has been offered will be posted by 2nd class post on this date, meaning you will receive your letter up to three to five after national offer day. |
| 15 March 2021 (onwards) | Changes to your application From this date onwards, any late changes to your application and late applications that have not been processed will be considered. |
| 13 April 2021 | Closing date for secondary admission appeals Appeals for a place at a particular secondary school must be received by this date. |
| April / June 2020 | Admission appeal hearings Main secondary admission appeals to be heard during this period. |
| 31 December 2021 | Closing date for school waiting lists All school waiting lists end on this day. |
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| TBC - Dependent on the current COVID-19 situation
|
Selection parents' evening - Ripon Grammar School At this meeting officers will explain how the selection procedure is administered and address any questions raised. |
| 28 June 2020 | Closing date for requests for selection testing This is the last date for requests to be made for children to be entered for the selection testing in September 2020. |
|
19 October 2020 |
Invitations issued for the November selection test during this week. |
| 31 October 2020 | Closing date for secondary school applications Applications for a school place in Year 7 must be received by this date. |
|
Week commencing 7/8 November 2020 |
Selection test day The selection test for Year 6 children will be held at Ripon Grammar School. |
| 4 December 2020 | Selection test results issued You will be notified of your child’s selection result. |
| 21 December 2020 | Last date that changes to your secondary school applications can be taken into account before National Offer Day |
| 1 March 2021 | National offer day If you have applied online before 21 December you will be able to view the offer of a school place by accessing your online account. An email confirmation will be sent during office hours. If you applied on a paper application form, a letter informing you which school your child has been offered will be posted by 2nd class post on this date, meaning you will receive your letter three to five after national offer day. |
| 15 March 2021 (onwards) | Changes to your application From this date onwards, any late changes to your application and late applications that have not been processed will be considered. |
| 13 April 2021 | Closing date for secondary admission appeals Admission appeals for Year 7 places must be received by this date. |
| April / June 2021 | Admission appeal hearings Main secondary admission appeals to be heard during this period. |
| 31 December 2021 | Closing date for school waiting lists All waiting lists held by us end on this day. |
What happens after the offer of a school place?
If you want to accept the place
You do not have to do anything if you wish to accept a place offered at a community or voluntary controlled school. The head teacher of the school has been informed of the allocation and will make any further arrangements regarding the admission to secondary school.
To accept places offered at schools which are their own admission authority, please contact the school direct. To find out if this is the case for your school, check what type of school it is here.
If you do not want to accept the place
If you have not been offered your preferred school you have a statutory right to an admission appeal. You should keep all correspondence you receive as it may be required if you lodge an appeal.
The school place that has been allocated on national offer day is in line with the North Yorkshire co-ordinated admission scheme.
If you do not wish to take up the ‘offered place’ because you have made alternative arrangements for education, such as homeschooling or independent schooling, please contact the admissions team by email as soon as possible.
If you have been offered a place at a voluntary aided school or academy, which you do not wish to accept, you will need to contact the school direct. Find out more here about the different types of school.