Apply for a place during the school year
How in-year applications are decided
Own-admissions schools are responsible for offering and refusing applications directly to applicants.
For schools, we are the admissions authority we will often need confirmation from the school before we can offer or refuse a place.
Even if you’ve been told your preferred school is full you should name them in your application. Not doing so may affect your child’s transport eligibility. In some circumstances, we can ask schools to admit over numbers. This is usually when there are no other schools within a reasonable distance.
If a place is available for your child, the admission authority for the school will write to you to offer the place and explain how to accept it.
If the school does not have a place you have a right to appeal or join a waiting list. The admission authority for the school will write to you and explain how to do this.
Children with an Education, Health, and Care Plan
We cannot place children with an EHCP through the usual admissions process.
See the East Sussex Local Offer website for admissions for children with special educational needs.
Children from outside East Sussex
Parents or carers of children moving to the county should make applications for their child when they arrive in East Sussex. We aim to provide a decision within 10 school days.
We cannot guarantee that a place will be available at the preferred school. If your preferred schools have no places, we will offer a place at the closest school with available space.
If you have moved from overseas, please see School applications for foreign national children and children resident outside England (GOV.UK) for further information.
Parents/carers who are UK service personnel with a confirmed posting, or crown servants returning from overseas should supply an official letter declaring a relocation date if you would like your application to be processed in advance of your relocation.
Switching schools
You may be thinking of changing schools because your child is experiencing problems at their current school.
Before you apply, we strongly recommend that you discuss the matter with the headteacher and staff to try and improve things. Changing schools can have a negative impact on learning and friendship groups.
You can ask to change schools at any time. However changing schools in Years 9, 10, and 11 should be a last resort and we advise against it if you can avoid it. The new school may not be able to match your child’s subject options.
Moving house
We will only use a new address for the purpose of allocating a school place when either:
- contracts have been exchanged
- when a tenancy agreement has been signed.
Without this evidence, we will process your application based on your existing address. We may also ask for additional evidence to confirm a move has taken place, for example:
- a copy of a council tax or utility bill for your new address
- evidence that you will not be returning to your previous address.
Apply for a school place
The easiest way to apply for a school 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.
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.
Phone: 0300 33 09 472 between 10 am to 3 pm, 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.