The rules schools use to choose
They are published. Almost nobody reads them.
What this is
When more children want a school than it has places, it works down a published list of rules. The order is usually: children in care or previously in care, then brothers and sisters already at the school, then how close you live, with medical or social need and church rules where they apply.
What to do
- Find the admission rules for each school on your list. They are on the school or council website.
- Work out which rule your child falls under at each one.
- If your child falls under distance, that is the rule that will decide it.
- Write down which rule applies at each school. It changes which ones are realistic.
How you know it worked
For each school you can say which rule your child comes under.
Easy to get wrong
- Assuming every school uses the same rules. They do not.
- Assuming a sibling counts everywhere. At some schools it does not, or only within a catchment.
If that does not work
If the rules are unclear, ring the school office and ask. They answer this every day.
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.