Application process
If you live in Nottinghamshire, you need to apply to Nottinghamshire County Council for admission to any school in any year group regardless of the school that you wish to apply for.
If you're unsure whether you live in the area covered by Nottinghamshire County Council, you can find your local authority using the DirectGov search facility.
There are several different types of schools in Nottinghamshire:
- academy, voluntary aided or foundation schools - make their own decisions on admissions through their governing bodies
- community and voluntary controlled schools - Nottinghamshire County Council makes the decisions on admissions.
In all cases, the County Council will write to you to confirm the outcome of your preference(s).
Applying Online
You can apply online for a school place if your child is:
- Starting school for the first time
- Transferring from an infant school to a junior school in September
- Transferring from a junior school to secondary school in September
You can only apply online if you are applying in one of the above circumstances.
At certain times of the year the on-line application service will be unavailable.
In order to use the online application, you will need an e-mail account. Applying online is safe and secure and you can make changes to your application right up to the closing date. You will receive an e-mail to say that your application is being processed.
Internet access is available at most public libraries and some schools may allow you to use their computers to apply.
Changing school during the year
You may wish to apply for a school place part way through the academic year. This could be because
- you are moving
- you want your child to change school
If so, you cannot apply online. For more information on what to do and how to get assistance, see the admission to school at other times page.
Your application
Preferred schools
- Make four preferences. This includes any schools you may wish to apply for that are outside Nottinghamshire (this includes schools in Nottingham City). You can check criteria in the admissions to school guide: schools information.
- List the schools in the order you most prefer. Do not name the same school more than once.
- We recommend that one of your preferences should be for a school where you are sure your child will meet one of the higher criteria for admission. You can find criteria in the admissions to school guide: schools information.
- Check whether you need to complete a supplementary form or provide additional information. You can find this out from the admissions to school guide: schools information.
Oversubscription
Where a school has more applications than places available, it is considered to be oversubscribed. The admission oversubscription criteria are used to decide the order in which places can be allocated.
Admissions to schools: school information gives a summary of the admission oversubscription criteria for all Nottinghamshire schools. This information is also available from the school.
Remember that living in a catchment area, attending a nursery or children’s centre, attending a linked school or having a brother or sister attending a school does not guarantee that your application will be successful. It may, however, for some admission authorities give your application higher priority within their admission oversubscription criteria.
If you think your preferred school is the only school which could cater for your child’s needs, you must provide additional written evidence from a professional stating the reasons why this is the only school which could cater for your child’s needs.
How places are allocated
All Nottinghamshire schools have a Published Admission Number (PAN). This is the number of school places that must be offered in each relevant age group in a school. Where there are more applications than places available, the admission oversubscription criteria are used to decide how places are allocated.
If you apply online you will be sent an e-mail on offer day. You can then log in to the online application service to view the outcome for each of your preferences.
If you apply by telephone or by completing a paper application, the outcome of your preferences will be posted to you second class on offer day.
You have the right of appeal against any preference that is refused in the intake year group and will be placed on a waiting list.
Waiting lists
Waiting lists are held for all schools in Nottinghamshire where the number of applications received is greater than the number of available places in the intake year group.
The order of places on a waiting list is decided by the admission oversubscription criteria for the school. No reference will be made to the date we receive your application or whether you have chosen to appeal.
Your position on a waiting list may change. If late applications have a higher priority within the oversubscription criteria they will be placed higher than those who have been on the list for some time. If your child is offered a place at a higher preferred school, their name will be removed from any waiting lists for lower preferences.
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What to look for in a school
Find a school
Book a school visit
The best way for you to decide whether a school is the right one for your child is to take a look for yourself. Any Head Teacher will be happy to show you round their school and talk about the benefits it can offer your child.
You may also like to talk to the teachers and other parents to get a better idea of what the school is like and how it will suit your child's temperament and abilities.
Every school is different. Each has many individual qualities that make it unique, from on-site facilities and extra-curricular activities to class sizes and the strength of its links with other schools and the community.
Read the key information published by schools
From September 2012 regulations no longer require that schools publish a prospectus and have a curriculum policy. Instead, schools will be required to publish key information online (you can look up contact details for schools).
View the school's results
There are also other things you can look at to help give you a fuller picture of a school and its achievements:
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Appeals
If you are not offered a place at your preferred school(s), you have a right of appeal to an independent appeals panel.
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