The school application deadline will draw to a close at the end of October.

Here is everything you need to know about applying for a Southampton school.

If you pay your council tax to Southampton City Council, then you must apply for schools through the council website.

Children who are set to start infant or primary school in Year R, or junior school in Year 3, will need to send their applications by January 15, 2025.

Those starting Year 7 will need to get their application in by October 31 for school places for September 2025.

Applications will need to be made to the local council for primary and secondary schools.

For private schools and sixth form institutions, these will need to be made directly.

Children currently in Year 6 at a primary or junior school, or born between September 1, 2013, and August 31, 2014, are able to start secondary school in September 2025.

How do you apply for a school?

Firstly, parents will need to find and decide the order of their preferred schools.

Here it is advised parents look carefully at the admissions policies for each school, noting how applications are considered and how the distance from home to school will be measured.

Parents will then need to register and apply through the Citizen Portal on the SCC website - this is a separate login to any other accounts that may have been registered with the council.

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What do most schools have on their admission criteria?

To find the admissions criteria of a particular school, take a look on its website but here is a list of some of the most common criteria:

  • Siblings who will be at the school when their younger sibling starts
  • Living close to the school
  • Child has a disability
  • Child is of the religion served by the school
  • Your child attends a linked primary or junior school

Is there anything I should be wary of?

The council has also warned that places are withdrawn every year because parents give a false address on their application.

This includes cases where parents buy or rent a property solely to use the address in the application, without any intention of taking up permanent residence there.

A spokesperson for the council said: “We will investigate all allegations of false addresses and may monitor residency details if use of a temporary address causes concern.”

Can I appeal my child's school offer?

Everyone has a legal right to appeal to any school named on their original school preference form.