Parents and carers can now apply for primary and secondary school places for September 2023.
The deadline for applications to secure a place at a Suffolk secondary school is Monday 31 October 2022.
The deadline for applying for a primary school place, including infant and junior schools, is Sunday 15 January 2023.
All applications received by the relevant closing date are processed at the same time using the schools’ oversubscription criteria to prioritise applications when necessary. Late applications are processed after all of those received on time.
Last year, Suffolk County Council received just under 15,400 applications from parents and carers indicating at which school they would prefer their child to be educated from September 2022.
Just over 95% of applicants received offers for their first preference school and almost 99% of applicants received an offer for one of their top three preferred schools.
Before making a school application, parents and carers need to consider how they will get their child to and from school. School Travel eligibility is based on a child attending the nearest suitable school that would have had a place available. This might not be the catchment area school. To find out more about SCC’s school travel policy please visit www.suffolkonboard.com/schooltravel.
Councillor Rachel Hood, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, SEND and Skills, said:
“Parents and carers should carefully consider which schools to apply for on behalf of their child. It is important that they complete and submit their application by the relevant closing date to give their child the best chance of being offered a place at one of their preferred schools. Parents and carers can list up to three schools on their application and we recommend that they apply for more than one school.”
“It is also important to think about how their child will travel to school before they apply for a school place. I would strongly recommend that you check which is your child’s nearest school on our Nearest School Checker because this might not be their catchment area school. This can be found at http://nearestschool.suffolk.gov.uk/.”
Parents and carers should apply online at www.suffolk.gov.uk/admissions as they will receive confirmation that we have received their application. If for any reason parents and carers are unable to apply online they should apply on a paper application (CAF1). Suffolk County Council is unable to acknowledge receipt of paper applications and therefore suggest that proof of posting is obtained.
If families are planning to move house or think their circumstances may change before next September, it is still important to make an application on time. Advice and guidance about this process is available at www.suffolk.gov.uk/admissions.
Families who apply online will be able to log on to the Online Service on the National Offer Day, which is Wednesday 1 March 2023 for secondary school places and Monday 17 April 2023 for primary school places, to see their offer of a school place, and they will receive an email to confirm this offer on the same day. Offer letters will be sent by second class post to applicants who made a paper application.
Information to help parents and carers make their application is available at www.suffolk.gov.uk/admissions.
