Use every slot you are given
An empty slot is a free chance thrown away
What this is
Councils let you name between three and six schools. Yours will say which. Every slot you leave empty is one less chance of a place, and it buys you nothing at all.
What to do
- Find out how many your council allows. It is on their application page.
- Fill all of them. Every single one.
- Never write the same school twice. The repeat is thrown away and the slot is wasted.
- If you cannot think of enough, look at the schools nearest your home.
How you know it worked
Every slot on the form has a different school in it.
Easy to get wrong
- Naming one school to show you are serious. Nobody sees it and nothing is gained.
- Leaving slots empty because the schools are ones you do not love. A school you do not love beats a school forty minutes away.
If that does not work
If you truly cannot fill every slot, fill as many as you can and make sure the last one is a school you are very likely to get.
Last updated 7 October 2026. Written against the School Admissions Code 2021. Your council sets its own rules and dates, and its page is always the final word. This is information, not legal advice.