We have a new and improved online system to manage the application process for your child's school place. This page is designed to guide you through the new online application process. Please read it carefully, even if you have applied for a school place before.
If you have not used this system before, you will need to set up a NEW account. Do NOT try to enter old account details from any school place applications you may have made before 2020, as they will no longer work. See how to register a new account under 'step by step support', below.
We recommend doing a few preliminary checks and getting together everything you'll need before you start your application.
Please complete your application form as normal.
As well as completing this form, for pupils starting Year 7 in September 2026, if your young person has an Education, Health and Care Plan, and you need any further advice, please contact the SEN Team on 01225 394306.
The online form offers you the chance to save your application and complete it later. But if you collect everything you'll need before you start, you should find it easier to do the task in one go.
For primary applications only
For secondary applications only
Apply online for a school place
Applying online is the quickest and most secure way to send us your application for your child's school place. If you would prefer to complete your application another way, you have the following options:
Download the correct form from the list below, complete it on-screen and email us the finished document. Or print the form and complete it manually, then email us a scanned copy.
Download the correct form from the list below, complete it manually, and send us a copy to:
Or if you don't have access to the internet or a printer, write to us or call us on 01225 39 43 12 and we can post you a paper copy of the form you need, for you to complete and return to us.
We recommend that you make and keep your own copy of your application, for future reference.
Download the form you need. The links have both Word and PDF versions of the forms.
If you're not sure which form you need, please contact us, and we will be back in touch to advise you.
We have organised the guidance below to follow the sequence of stages in the application process. We recommend keeping this page open as you go through the form, so you can easily find help if you need it. You will also find extra guidance on the form itself. Hover over any question mark ?, and you'll see explanatory information.
All users will need to set up with an email address and a password before you can complete your application. As this is a new system, this even applies if you've applied for school places for other children in the past (before September 2020). Your old account details will not work on the new system.
Your password must contain the following :
To ensure that your account details are safe and secure, we'll email you a new access code to get onto the portal, when you first register, every time you login, and if you are inactive for over an hour during the application process. If you need to take a break while you're completing the form, just select Save for later, at the bottom right of every page.
Once you have registered, we'll ask you how you'd like to hear from us about the progress of your application. You can choose to get messages via email, by post or through the applications portal (the portal is the quickest way, but you'll need to log in to your account each time). We'll also ask for your postal address. Enter your postcode, then click on Select, to choose the correct address from our records.
First, we'll ask you to enter your reference number (UID), if you've already received a letter from us about applying for a school place. Don't panic if you haven't been given this number yet. Just leave this first section blank, and the system will generate it when you submit your application.
Only parents, carers and other adults with parental responsibility for the child can complete the application. We'll need to know your child's full name, date of birth, gender (as assigned at birth), and full address, if this is different from yours.
If you have several children from a multiple birth (such as twins or triplets), the form will ask about this, but you'll need to make a separate application for each child. You'll have an option to auto-complete many of your details on a new application, so that you don't have to input the same text more than once.
This section asks you to confirm the phase and type of application you are making (for example, Primary or Secondary 'bulk application', or applying to start a school at the normal time). Depending on your child's age, there may only be one option available for the Admissions Round. Please note the following:
If you are applying for a Primary school place for a child born after 1 April (known as 'summer born'), you may want to request a delayed entry to the school (starting in Reception a year later, rather than the year relevant to the child's date of birth). Until you know if this request is accepted, you should continue with this application as normal.
For children who are moving from infant school to junior school at Year 3, the following rules apply:
On this page, you can choose three different schools for Primary applications, and five different options for Secondary.
Click into the Search box and use the scroll tool to see the drop-down menu of schools in the BANES area, listed in alphabetical order. When you have selected a school, click Add+ to select a school and put it into your preference list. Extra information will appear below the school name in your preference list, but don't worry about this yet. For schools outside of the B&NES area, click Search for schools outside Local Authority. Select an LA and type part of the school name in the search box, and once found, click + to put this into your preference list.Extra information will appear below the school name in your preference list, but don't worry about this yet. For schools outside of the B&NES area, click Search for schools outside Local Authority. Select an LA and type part of the school name in the search box, and once found, click + to put this into your preference list.
Repeat this process until you have the correct number of school preferences in your list.
To delete an item
Each item on your list will appear on a blue panel, with a cross X at the right hand side. If you want to delete a school from your list of preferences, just click on the cross.
To change the sequence of items
When there are several items in your preference list, you will see an arrow on the right hand side of the blue panel for each school name (next to the cross). You can use this arrow to move an item up your list.
Troubleshooting with selecting preferences
If you select an item in the drop-down list, you have to click Add+ before you can go back to the full list of schools. If you have clicked on a school name accidentally, you can just add it to your list of preferences, and then delete it using the X box on the right hand side.
Some schools ask applicants to complete supplementary information forms (SIFs). If there are any requirements like this, you can see these by clicking on the link directly under the school's name on your preference list.
For all of your preferences, you will have an opportunity to indicate the reasons that you would like your child to attend this school. Please note there may be items in this standard list which don't apply to your preference.
If you choose some of the reasons, we may ask for further information. You can use the Supporting information comments box and the Document upload button to provide this. For example, if you prefer a school for religious reasons, we will ask you to provide further information, and a copy of your child's certificate of baptism or confirmation in faith.
Please note that the information you provide in the Reasons section of your application will only form a part of that school's admissions process, if the particular reasons stated are included in that school's admissions policy.
This section of the form asks about special circumstances which may affect your child's priority for a school place. These include children who are, or have been, Looked After (in care), have a specially drawn up Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP), or who are living in the area because of a military posting. If you answer Yes to any of these questions, we may ask you to upload evidence.
If you are moving house, this will affect the admissions process for your child. Please tell us about the move in this section of the form. You will need to provide evidence of your new address and planned move date, such as a contract of sale or solicitor's letter.
This section shows a summary of all of your answers on the application form, and most importantly, your ranking for the school preferences you have made. Please check the information carefully before moving on to the declaration and application submission screen.
Finally, you will need to read and agree to legal notices about the details you have provided, and how we will use your data, before submitting your application.
You can view, edit or amend your online application at any time before the final deadline. However, remember if you choose to change any details that you will need to save and resubmit your application.
Once you have submitted your application, you will receive a notification onscreen and a confirmation email, together with a reference number. Please make a note of this, in case you need to edit the application later, or contact us about it.
If you would like to know more about the admissions process, view our guide on How school admissions work.