Apply for a school place

You can apply for a school place for your child online.

In year applications

School entry applications are usually for Reception, Junior and Year 7. You can apply for up to three schools.

If you want to apply for a school place outside normal school entry years you can apply for a transfer to another school.

Any parent wishing to apply for a transfer must obtain a Common Transfer Form from their current school. 

The current school must complete Section 2 and send the application to the Admissions Team by email at ed-admissions@sheffield.gov.uk or by post:

Admissions
Floor 5, West Wing
Moorfoot
S1 4PE

We will manage your application on your behalf, and we aim to inform you of the decision for the school you have applied for within 15 school days. 

If it is not possible to offer a place at any of your preferred schools, we will give you advice on the statutory appeal procedure.

Children new to Sheffield

If you are new to Sheffield and would like a school place, please call the Children Missing Education Team on 0114 273 6462 or email ed-missingchildren@sheffield.gov.uk. You can make an appointment to complete an application to apply for a school place.

Secondary school 2023

If your child was born between 1 September 2011 and 31 August 2012, they will transfer to secondary school in September 2023. 

Online applications closed October 2022. You can download a form from this page or receive a form by calling 0114 273 5790.

Reception 2023

It is the responsibility of parents to ensure that they apply for a school place for their children when entering Reception for the first time.

Applications are invited every Autumn term (mid-September to early October), and the closing date for submitting applications is 15 January each year.

Authorities must enable pupils to enter Reception for the first time from the September after their 4th birthday.

When will my child start reception

Most parents will apply for reception this year if their child was born in-between:

1 September 2018 to 31 August 2019
  • your child will be eligible to start in September 2023
  • you can apply from Autumn 2022
  • closing date for applications is 15 January 2023
1 September 2017 to 31 August 2018
  • your child will be eligible to start in September 2022
  • you can apply from Autumn 2021
  • closing date for applications is 15 January 2022

Some parents may have concerns about their child beginning school so young and not feel they are ready for full time education. 

There are options for parents to consider as long as they comply with the law. This requires pupils to be in full time education at the beginning of the statutory school age, which is the term after their 5th birthday (the following September, which is the beginning of a new academic year).

Other options

Defer entry

You can request to defer entry until later in the academic year, such as January or after Easter, but your child must be attending full time education from the beginning of the statutory school age. 

Parents wishing to defer entry until later in the academic year should discuss this with their child’s allocated school after allocations are confirmed each year.

Attend school part time

Your child could attend school part time for a period before going full time or reaching compulsory school age. The pattern of any part-time attendance is at the discretion of the Headteacher.

Delay entry

You can request to delay admission into school until the term after their 5th birthday. This option is only available for summer children.

Summer born children

Summer born children are pupils whose date of birth falls between 1 April and 31 August.

Parents of summer born pupils currently have the right to request that their child’s admission into full time education is delayed until the term after their child’s fifth birthday.

Parents wishing to consider this option will then need to decide whether they wish their child to enter full time education in Y1 (child’s chronological year group) or Reception (education out of year group).

Any request must be made in writing to:

Nichola Furniss
Principal Admissions Officer
Moorfoot Building
Floor 5
Sheffield
S1 4PL

Entry into Sheffield sixth form schools for September 2023

Before starting the Sixth Form application process, students are strongly advised to check individual school websites for information regarding open events, GCSE grade requirements and subject availability.

Applications opened on 28 November 2022. The closing date for applications was 31 January 2023.

Applications are made using Sheffield Progress. Students will be issued with a login and password by their current school. Students attending schools that are not signed up to Sheffield Progress may self-register. 

See Appendix 1 in the Sixth Form application information document for details.

Students are invited to list up to three Sheffield school Sixth Forms in order of preference in their application.

Students requiring any additional support, such as extra time in exams, (not Education Health Care Plans) during their time at a Sheffield Sixth Form school should state this clearly within the personal statement/supporting evidence. 

If you are eligible for one or more of your choices, you will only be made one offer of a school place, and this will be the highest ranked school for which you are eligible. Students should accept or decline a conditional offer by 17 March 2023 via Sheffield Progress.

Decisions will be announced during the week of 27 February 2023. If you have not heard by 3 March, please contact us.

Tie breakers

All Sixth Form schools have a tie breaker to determine who to allocate a place to in the event that the school reaches its admission limit. The tie breaker at non-faith Sheffield Sixth Form schools is distance from home to school. This is measured in a straight line. 

Faith schools

The tie breaker for faith schools (All Saints and Notre Dame) is based on random selection of all eligible students.

All applicants for All Saints and Notre Dame Sixth Forms should indicate if they are baptised in the Catholic faith on their application within the personal statement/supporting evidence.  These schools give higher priority for Sixth Form places to Catholic students.

You can find out more in the Sixth Form application information document. Alternatively, contact your careers advisor or our 6th Form Admissions Officer, tracey.senior@sheffield.gov.uk.

Special educational needs and disabilities

Most children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) attend a mainstream school or college.

You should apply through the admissions process described above, unless your child has an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. It will be helpful to give information about your child’s needs when applying.

Admissions for oversubscribed schools are prioritised using a set of categories. These include living within the school catchment or having siblings at the school. Medical, social or special educational needs are not a priority category, but they can be used as a tiebreaker in a priority category if needed.

Such needs will only be considered if you give supporting evidence from a professional. This could be a letter or report from the hospital or your doctor. You must do this before the closing date for applications. 

If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan

Children and young people with EHC Plans attend mainstream schools and colleges, integrated resources (specialist units in mainstream schools) or special schools.

You can only apply for a special school or integrated resource if your child has an EHC Plan. 

Your child’s school place will be arranged by our SEND Statutory Assessment and Review Service (SENDSARS), not through the general admission process.

SENDSARS will contact you when it is time to apply to discuss your preferred education setting. They will do this when your child is due to move from nursery to primary; primary to junior; junior to secondary; and secondary to Post 16.

If you would like your child to move to a different school mid-year or outside standard admission times, you should ask for an emergency review of their EHC Plan. You can ask your child’s current school or SENDSARS for this.

If your child is being assessed for an EHC Plan

If you are undergoing an assessment but we have not yet agreed to issue a plan, you should apply for your child's school place through the normal admissions process.

Find out more information about EHC Plans on the Sheffield Directory.

Admission for children outside their normal age group

You can ask for your child to be educated with a different age group. This could be because they are gifted and talented or have experienced problems such as ill-health.

If your child already attends school, you can ask their head teacher about this. If your child is not yet on a school role, please contact us for information and advice.

Admission arrangements

Arrangements for 2024-25

We are responsible for determining admission arrangements for all our Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools.

The admission arrangements for 2024-25 were determined on 31 January 2023 by the Education, Children and Families Committee.

The final report and all other documents including the co-ordinated admission schemes are available on request. 

Any objections to the determined admission arrangements for 2024-25 must be submitted to the School Adjudicator by 15 May 2023. Office of the Schools Adjudicator at GOV.UK: Office of the Schools Adjudicator.

Arrangments for 2023-24

We are responsible for determining admission arrangements for all our Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools.

Consultation took place between 22 November 2021 and 14 January 2022. The admission arrangements were determined on 17 February 2022.

All documents including the co-ordinated admission schemes are available on request.

Contact School Admissions

Pupil Admissions
Floor 5
Moorfoot
Sheffield
S1 4PL

Applying for a Sixth Form school place 2023

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