Apply for a primary or middle school place

Children can start reception year at primary school from the September after their fourth birthday, by law children don't have to start school until the beginning of the term after their fifth birthday.

Guidelines for applying to primary and middle school

1. When your child can start full time school

If your child was born between: Date your child can start school
1 September and 31 December They can wait to start full time school or request to attend part time until the start of the Spring term (January)
1 January and 31 March They can wait to start full time school or request to attend part time until the start of the Summer term (April)
1 April and 31 August (knows as 'Summer born') Can wait to start full time school or request to attend part time until the start of the Summer term (April).

2. When you need to apply

Children can start reception year at primary school from the September after their fourth birthday. By law children don't have to start school until the beginning of the term after their fifth birthday

You can apply online for a primary school or middle school place between 1 September 2024 and 15 January 2025.

Applying later than this is considered a late application unless in Kirklees judgement there are significant and exceptional reasons for it not being received on time.

When to apply based on your childs date of birth
Child is born between Starts primary school Apply between
1 September 2020 - 31 August 2021 September 2025 September 2024 - January 2025
1 September 2021 - 31 August 2022 September 2026 September 2025 - January 2026
1 September 2022 - 31 August 2023 September 2027 September 2026 - January 2027

Late applications

If you apply after the deadline of 15 January 2025, your application will be considered as late. Late applications are not considered until all on-time applicants have been allocated school places.

Late applications received after 15 February 2025 will be processed as part of the re-allocation period. This is a 'two-week window' after national offer day when Kirklees parents/carers can write to Kirklees Pupil Admissions and change the school preference(s).

Late applications severely reduce your application's success.

3. A child's permanent address

The allocation of a school place MUST be based on the child's permanent address.

A child cannot be 'lodged' with a friend or relation to gain a place at a school.

Only one parent can submit a school application. The parent/carer who applies must have legal parental responsibility for the child.
It must be agreed which parent/carer will apply. When you apply, you are confirming that you have the consent of all those with parental responsibility for the child.

4. Choosing your preferred schools

Before applying, research the schools in your area. Find a school and your priority admission area It's also advisable to:

It is strongly advised that you apply for a school in your priority admission area (PAA). Find a school and your priority admission area It is called this because children living there normally have priority admission over children who live elsewhere. It is also referred to as the catchment area.

All community and controlled schools have a PAA. Academies, free schools, trust schools, voluntary aided schools have their own admissions policy which is made by the governing body of each school. Their policy may or may not include a PAA. You can view these schools using Where's my nearest. This will show all the schools in your location.

Parents/carers are strongly advised to apply for three schools, these are your first, second and third school preferences. This is in case a place is not available at the first preference.

If your child qualifies at more than one school, you will be offered a place at the higher preference school.

5. The three stages of your application on Kirklees Parent Portal

If you do not complete all three stages, your application is not complete and cannot be processed.

Stage 1 Create an account (if you have not already created one in a previous year). If you are the legal parent/carer, enter your details and follow the link that will be sent to the email address you have used. The process will verify your account and provide you with a link that will take you to the login page of the Kirklees Parent Portal.

Stage 2 Add your child's details (if you have not already added them in a previous year)

Stage 3 Add your three preference schools. Check the application and then submit the application.

6. How places are allocated

If there are fewer applicants than there are places available, everyone who applies will be offered a place. When there are more applicants than there are places available there has to be a way of deciding which children are offered places. This is done by having admission criteria, also known as oversubscription criteria, which are considered in order.

In Kirklees the admission criteria for community and voluntary controlled schools are:

  1. children in public care (looked after children) and all previously looked after children, including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be as a result of being adopted.
  2. children who live in the school's Priority Admission Area (PAA) who have a brother or sister attending from the same address at the date of admission (the sibling rule).
  3. children who live in the school's PAA.
  4. children who live outside the school's PAA who have a brother or sister attending from the same address at the date of admission (the sibling rule).
  5. children who live outside the school's PAA.

Community and voluntary controlled schools will admit a child with Special Educational Needs where the school is named on the Education Health and Care Plan.

7. Linked Infant and Junior schools

There are several combinations of infant and junior schools in Kirklees. These are shown in the list below. The majority of children transfer from the infant school to the linked school. It is included to strengthen the admissions criteria for linked infant and junior schools to increase the continuity for children to a level comparable to that in an all-through primary school.

* admissions to Netherton I & School only

If there are fewer applicants than there are places available, everyone who applies will be offered a place. When there are more applicants than there are places available there has to be a way of deciding which children are offered places. This is done by having admission criteria, also known as oversubscription criteria, which are considered in order.

In Kirklees the admission criteria for community and voluntary controlled schools are:

Community and voluntary controlled schools will admit a child with Special Educational Needs where the school is named on the Education Health and Care Plan.

8. Supplementary information forms (SIFs)

If you name any of the following academies, free schools, voluntary aided Catholic or voluntary aided Church of England schools amongst your preferences, you should ensure that you complete the school's Supplementary Information Form (SIF).

You must return your completed SIF to the school and also complete an online Kirklees application

Primary school SIFs

Previously looked after child (PLAC) SIF

If you are requesting admission to school under the previously looked after child (PLAC) criteria you need to complete this online form:

Provide supplementary information for a previously looked after child

Fill in our simple online form

Clock Completing this form takes around 5 minutes

After you've applied

Your completed form will be sent to Pupil Admissions.

9. Changing your application

Up to the closing date of 15 January 2025, you may change your preferences in the parent portal if you have not received an email to say Kirklees local authority has downloaded your application.

If you have received an email to say the local authority has downloaded your application you can only change your school preferences by sending your changes in an email to pupiladmissions@kirklees.gov.uk.

After the closing date you cannot change your preferences without a genuine reason for doing so, such as a significant change of address, in which we will require proof of.

10. Timetable for admission to primary school in September 2025

Date Information
Sunday 1 September 2024 Applications can be made from this date. All applications must be made online.
Wednesday 15 January 2025 This is the closing date for your applications. Remember that a late application can severely reduce your chances of obtaining a place at your preferred school.
Wednesday 16 April 2025 Parents/carers can log on to the Kirklees parent portal from 08:30am to see their offer of a school place and an email offer will be sent during the day to the email address the parent/carer used when submitting their application.
Tuesday 20 May 2025 The last day for requesting an appeal for starting community and voluntary controlled schools in September 2025. Academies, free school, trust schools and voluntary schools may have different closing dates for appeals. You must contact them directly.
June 2025 onwards Appeal hearings take place.
Wednesday 31 December 2025 Waiting lists close for community and voluntary controlled schools. Academies, free school, trust schools and voluntary aided schools may have different closing dates for waiting lists. Please contact them directly.

11. Right to be educated in the UK at a state funded school

In most cases, foreign national children in the UK have the right to attend schools in England. School admission authorities must not refuse to admit a child on the basis of their nationality or immigration status nor remove them from roll on this basis. It is the responsibility of parents to check that their children have a right, under their visa entry conditions, to study at a school.

To help parents, we recommend that local authorities advise foreign nationals, who wish to apply for a state-funded school place, to check that they have a right of abode or that the conditions of their immigration status otherwise permit them to access a state-funded school. Further information can be found at: School admissions: applications for overseas children

How to apply

You can apply online for a school place in September 2025, between 1 September 2024 and 15 January 2025. If you apply after this date it can severely reduce your chances of obtaining a place at your preferred school.

Clock Completing this form takes around 20 minutes

To complete this form you will need;

Contact Pupil Admissions

Apply for a primary school place