Apply for infant, junior or primary school
Apply for school place at an infant, junior or primary school in East Sussex from 12 September 2024. Before you start, read our guidance.
Find the right school
To help you decide where to apply, you should find out as much as you can about individual schools. For example, think about:
- how we allocate places
- how your child will get to and from school
- The school's community area. You can also email your full address to Admissions and Transport to see which community area you live in.
Find a primary school in East Sussex and see admission number for each primary school in 2025.
See Apply for a school place 2025 to 2026 for more guidance.
How school admissions work
You will need to apply for a place at the school you would like your child to attend. It doesn’t happen automatically.
You need to apply even if:
-
your child already attends the nursery class of the school
-
your older children go there
You may not get a place at the same school if other children have priority.
You can name a maximum of 3 different schools. Listing more than one:
- won’t affect your first preference – we always offer the highest we can
- will increase your chances of an offer at a school you prefer.
See how places are offered to find out what is and isn’t taken into account.
Admissions for children with special educational needs. (East Sussex Local Offer website)
Moving from infant to junior school
If your child is in Year 2 at an infant school, you’ll need to apply for a Year 3 place at a junior school.
See Moving from infant to junior school (7+)
Starting school - summer-born children
Parents of children born between 1 April and 31 August have the option to delay their entry until the following September. To find out if this is the best option for your child:
See Admissions for summer-born children
Applying during the school year
If you have moved house or want to switch schools, you can apply for a school place during the academic year. Find the school you're interested in and make an application.
See Applying during the school year
Applying from overseas
In most cases, foreign national children in the UK have the right to attend schools in England.
See Applications for overseas children before applying.
When to apply
- Apply from 12 September
- Closing date for applications: 15 January 2025
What happens if you apply late
If you apply after the closing date, the request will be dealt with after all on-time preferences have been processed. This may affect your chances of securing a preferred school.
If you move into the area after the closing date you should apply for a school place as soon as possible. If you send us evidence of your house move at the same time we may be able to consider this application as being on-time. We must receive your form and evidence by 14 March 2025.
If you apply after this date there is likely to be a delay in our response.
See Late applications.
When you'll find out
- National offer day: 16 April 2025
- Appeal hearings: June and July 2025
- Induction days: summer term 2025
Find out what happens after you have applied.
Getting help
For help to complete the form, ask:
- your local school
- your local library: find your nearest library
- email the Admissions and Transport team
- call 0300 3309472. Lines are open from 10am to 3pm Monday to Friday
How to apply
The easiest way to apply for an infant, junior or primary school place in East Sussex is online.
If you are new to the system, you will need to create an account to get started. You can save your progress and sign in to your school account at any time.
See How do I create an account?
When you submit your application we will email you to confirm receipt.
If you can’t apply online
Please contact the Admissions and Transport team for a paper application or download a copy below. Complete your form and send it to:
Admissions and Transport Team
County Hall
St Anne’s Crescent
Lewes BN7 1UE
Phone: 0300 33 09 472 between 10am to 3pm Monday to Friday
Email: admissions@eastsussex.gov.uk
If we receive more than one application for the same child before the closing date, we will use the latest application submitted.
East Sussex schools application form [88.9 KB] [docx]
