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Reception and Year 7 deadlines and offer days across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including, in Wales, where each council sets its own, the dates councils publish.
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Ask the AdvisorDeadline reminders
Save schools to a free account, turn reminders on, and we’ll email you 30, 14 and 3 days before each deadline we hold for them.
Get deadline remindersSecondary application deadline
14 daysSaturday, 31 October 2026
National deadline for Year 7 (secondary school) applications for September 2027 entry. Late applications may reduce your chances.
Reception application deadline
90 daysFriday, 15 January 2027
National deadline for Reception (primary school) applications for September 2027 entry. Late applications may reduce your chances.
Secondary National Offer Day
135 daysMonday, 1 March 2027
All families receive their secondary school offer on this date (or the next working day if 1 March falls on a weekend).
Primary National Offer Day
181 daysFriday, 16 April 2027
All families receive their primary school offer on this date (or the next working day if 16 April falls on a weekend).
Welsh councils set their own closing dates. For September 2027 secondary entry, the councils we checked close between 9 and 31 October 2026 (Rhondda Cynon Taf is earliest); we have not confirmed the dates for Gwynedd, Carmarthenshire and Caerphilly. Check your council's admissions page. Primary (Reception) closing dates are set by each council too. Offer days are the same across Wales, set in Welsh law: 1 March for secondary and 16 April for primary, or the next working day.
Secondary application closing date — Vale of Glamorgan
12 daysThursday, 29 October 2026
Closing date for Year 7 (secondary) applications to Vale of Glamorgan Council for September 2027 entry. Welsh councils each set their own.
(published by Vale of Glamorgan Council, checked 19 September 2026; confirm on the council's site)
Secondary application closing date — Blaenau Gwent
13 daysFriday, 30 October 2026, 5pm
Closing date for Year 7 (secondary) applications to Blaenau Gwent Council for September 2027 entry, at 5pm. Welsh councils each set their own.
(published by Blaenau Gwent Council, checked 19 September 2026; confirm on the council's site)
Secondary application closing date — Cardiff
13 daysFriday, 30 October 2026
Closing date for Year 7 (secondary) applications to Cardiff Council for September 2027 entry. Welsh councils each set their own.
(published by Cardiff Council, checked 19 September 2026; confirm on the council's site)
Secondary application closing date — Powys
13 daysFriday, 30 October 2026
Closing date for Year 7 (secondary) applications to Powys Council for September 2027 entry. Welsh councils each set their own.
(published by Powys Council, checked 19 September 2026; confirm on the council's site)
Secondary application closing date — Torfaen
13 daysFriday, 30 October 2026, 5pm
Closing date for Year 7 (secondary) applications to Torfaen Council for September 2027 entry, at 5pm. Welsh councils each set their own.
(published by Torfaen Council, checked 19 September 2026; confirm on the council's site)
Secondary application closing date — Bridgend
14 daysSaturday, 31 October 2026, 4pm
Closing date for Year 7 (secondary) applications to Bridgend Council for September 2027 entry, at 4pm. Welsh councils each set their own.
(published by Bridgend Council, checked 19 September 2026; confirm on the council's site)
Secondary application closing date — Ceredigion
14 daysSaturday, 31 October 2026
Closing date for Year 7 (secondary) applications to Ceredigion Council for September 2027 entry. Welsh councils each set their own.
(published by Ceredigion Council, checked 19 September 2026; confirm on the council's site)
Secondary application closing date — Conwy
14 daysSaturday, 31 October 2026
Closing date for Year 7 (secondary) applications to Conwy Council for September 2027 entry. Welsh councils each set their own.
(published by Conwy Council, checked 19 September 2026; confirm on the council's site)
Secondary application closing date — Denbighshire
14 daysSaturday, 31 October 2026
Closing date for Year 7 (secondary) applications to Denbighshire Council for September 2027 entry. Welsh councils each set their own.
(published by Denbighshire Council, checked 19 September 2026; confirm on the council's site)
Secondary application closing date — Flintshire
14 daysSaturday, 31 October 2026
Closing date for Year 7 (secondary) applications to Flintshire Council for September 2027 entry. Welsh councils each set their own.
(published by Flintshire Council, checked 19 September 2026; confirm on the council's site)
Secondary application closing date — Isle of Anglesey
14 daysSaturday, 31 October 2026
Closing date for Year 7 (secondary) applications to Isle of Anglesey Council for September 2027 entry. Welsh councils each set their own.
(published by Isle of Anglesey Council, checked 19 September 2026; confirm on the council's site)
Secondary application closing date — Merthyr Tydfil
14 daysSaturday, 31 October 2026
Closing date for Year 7 (secondary) applications to Merthyr Tydfil Council for September 2027 entry. Welsh councils each set their own.
(published by Merthyr Tydfil Council, checked 19 September 2026; confirm on the council's site)
Secondary application closing date — Monmouthshire
14 daysSaturday, 31 October 2026, 4pm
Closing date for Year 7 (secondary) applications to Monmouthshire Council for September 2027 entry, at 4pm. Welsh councils each set their own.
(published by Monmouthshire Council, checked 19 September 2026; confirm on the council's site)
Secondary application closing date — Neath Port Talbot
14 daysSaturday, 31 October 2026
Closing date for Year 7 (secondary) applications to Neath Port Talbot Council for September 2027 entry. Welsh councils each set their own.
(published by Neath Port Talbot Council, checked 19 September 2026; confirm on the council's site)
Secondary application closing date — Newport
14 daysSaturday, 31 October 2026
Closing date for Year 7 (secondary) applications to Newport Council for September 2027 entry. Welsh councils each set their own.
(published by Newport Council, checked 19 September 2026; confirm on the council's site)
Secondary application closing date — Pembrokeshire
14 daysSaturday, 31 October 2026
Closing date for Year 7 (secondary) applications to Pembrokeshire Council for September 2027 entry. Welsh councils each set their own.
(published by Pembrokeshire Council, checked 19 September 2026; confirm on the council's site)
Secondary application closing date — Swansea
14 daysSaturday, 31 October 2026
Closing date for Year 7 (secondary) applications to Swansea Council for September 2027 entry. Welsh councils each set their own.
(published by Swansea Council, checked 19 September 2026; confirm on the council's site)
Secondary application closing date — Wrexham
14 daysSaturday, 31 October 2026
Closing date for Year 7 (secondary) applications to Wrexham Council for September 2027 entry. Welsh councils each set their own.
(published by Wrexham Council, checked 19 September 2026; confirm on the council's site)
Secondary offer day
135 daysMonday, 1 March 2027
Welsh law sets one day for every state secondary school in Wales to send its offers for September 2027 entry: 1 March, or the next working day if 1 March falls on a weekend or bank holiday.
Primary offer day
181 daysFriday, 16 April 2027
Welsh law sets one day for every state primary school in Wales to send its offers for September 2027 entry: 16 April, or the next working day if 16 April falls on a weekend or bank holiday.
Placing request deadline (P1)
149 daysMonday, 15 March 2027
Statutory date. To ask for a school other than your catchment school for P1 in August 2027, your placing request must reach the council by 15 March 2027 — the council must then answer by 30 April 2027. Request later and the council has two months instead, and the school may already be full. Some councils set an EARLIER deadline of their own, so check yours.
Placing request deadline (S1)
149 daysMonday, 15 March 2027
Statutory date. To ask for a school other than your catchment school for S1 in August 2027, your placing request must reach the council by 15 March 2027 — the council must then answer by 30 April 2027. Request later and the council has two months instead, and the school may already be full. Some councils set an EARLIER deadline of their own, so check yours.
Council decision on placing requests (P1)
195 daysFriday, 30 April 2027
Statutory date. Councils must answer a P1 placing request received by 15 March 2027 no later than 30 April 2027. No written answer by this date means the request is treated as refused, and you may appeal within 28 days.
Council decision on placing requests (S1)
195 daysFriday, 30 April 2027
Statutory date. Councils must answer a S1 placing request received by 15 March 2027 no later than 30 April 2027. No written answer by this date means the request is treated as refused, and you may appeal within 28 days.
Primary 1: the Education Authority sets each round's application dates, and we have not yet confirmed them for September 2027 entry. For September 2024 to 2026 entry, P1 applications closed in late January and the EA issued outcomes in late March or April. Check eani.org.uk for this year's dates. Year 8 (post-primary): the Education Authority sets each round's application dates, and we have not yet confirmed them for September 2027 entry. For September 2023 to 2026 entry, Year 8 applications closed in the second half of February and the EA issued outcomes in May. The EA says it will publish the September 2027 dates in mid-December 2026. Check eani.org.uk for this year's dates.
Transfer Test paper 1 (SEAG)
28 daysSaturday, 14 November 2026
Paper 1 of SEAG's Transfer Test, sat at the pupil's chosen assessment centre by P7 pupils applying for September 2027 to schools that use SEAG outcomes in their admissions criteria.
(published by SEAG, checked 23 September 2026; confirm at seagni.co.uk)
Transfer Test paper 2 (SEAG)
35 daysSaturday, 21 November 2026
Paper 2 of SEAG's Transfer Test, sat at the pupil's chosen assessment centre by P7 pupils applying for September 2027 to schools that use SEAG outcomes in their admissions criteria.
(published by SEAG, checked 23 September 2026; confirm at seagni.co.uk)
In England, the national deadline for Reception applications is 15 January. In Wales, each council sets its own primary closing date, so check your council’s admissions page. Children starting Reception in September must be four by 31 August of the same year. Late applications are still accepted but considered after on-time ones.
The national deadline for Year 7 applications in England is 31 October. Applications submitted after this date are classified as late and processed after all on-time applications. In Wales, each council sets its own closing date, and they differ, so check the Wales list above and your council’s admissions page.
In England, Primary National Offer Day is 16 April (or the next working day) and Secondary National Offer Day is 1 March (or the next working day). Wales uses the same two days, set in Welsh law for every council. In Northern Ireland the Education Authority sets the outcome dates each year: for September 2024 to 2026 entry it issued P1 outcomes in late March or April, and Year 8 outcomes in May. Scotland has no national offer day — each council publishes results at different times.
Yes. In England you have 20 school days from the date on your offer letter to submit an appeal, and the appeal hearing must happen within 40 school days; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland set their own appeal timetables. Appeals are heard by an independent panel and the strongest grounds are normally (a) procedural errors, or (b) the case that the child’s needs outweigh the prejudice of adding another pupil to the school.
You apply to the local authority (council) where you live — not the school. This is true even if you want a school in a different council area. The exception is Northern Ireland, where applications go through the EA Connect portal.
Want the full step-by-step? Read our complete 2026–2027 school admissions timeline — every key date from application to National Offer Day to appeals, explained.
Save the schools you’re considering to a free account and turn reminders on. We’ll email you 30, 14 and 3 days before each application deadline we hold for them (state schools in England, and some in Wales), and in the week before any open day we list.