Deadlines, catchment distances, oversubscription criteria, appeals — everything London parents need to know about primary school applications.
London's primary school admissions process is one of the most competitive in England. Places at popular schools are allocated based on a strict set of criteria, and the difference between getting your first-choice school and your fifth-choice can come down to a matter of metres.
September 2025 — Applications open. Most London councils open their online application portal in September for September 2026 entry.
15 January 2026 — National application deadline. This is a hard deadline. Applications submitted after this date are treated as late applications and will only be considered after all on-time applicants have been allocated places. Missing this deadline is one of the most common and costly mistakes London parents make.
16 April 2026 (National Offer Day) — Places are offered. You will receive an email and a letter telling you which school your child has been allocated.
30 April 2026 — Deadline to accept your offer. If you do not accept by this date, your offer may be withdrawn.
When a school receives more applications than it has places, it applies its oversubscription criteria in order. The most common order for London community schools is:
1. Looked-after children and previously looked-after children (children in care or who were recently in care) — always first 2. Children with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan that names the school 3. Siblings (a brother or sister currently attending the school who will still be there in September) 4. Medical or social need (requires supporting evidence from a professional — a letter from a GP or social worker) 5. Distance from the school gate (straight-line distance, measured from your home address to the school)
Community schools don't technically have catchment areas — they have distance-based admissions. Every year, the council publishes the last-admitted distance: the distance from the school of the furthest child offered a place.
In popular areas of London, last-admitted distances can be extremely small. Schools in Wandsworth, Richmond, and parts of Islington and Hackney have historically admitted children from as close as 150-400 metres from the school gate.
These distances change every year. A school with a 600-metre last-admitted distance one year might drop to 350 metres the next if more families in the immediate vicinity apply. Always check the published data from your council for the previous two or three years to get a range.
You can list up to six schools on your application in most London boroughs. Apply for your genuine preferences in genuine priority order.
A common mistake is listing "safe" schools — schools you're almost certain to get into — alongside your actual preferences, but putting them too high up the list. The algorithm that allocates places (the Equal Preference Scheme, used across all English councils) considers all your preferences simultaneously. If you qualify for a place at multiple schools on your list, you will be offered the one ranked highest by you. So rank schools in the genuine order you would prefer them.
Faith schools — particularly Roman Catholic and Church of England schools — often have additional admissions criteria related to religious practice. Requirements vary significantly:
For oversubscribed faith schools, failing to meet the faith criteria means you will almost certainly not be offered a place regardless of how close you live.
First: accept the place offered, even if it isn't your preference. Leaving your child without a school while you appeal is a significant risk.
Second: go on the waiting list for your preferred schools. Contact the school directly to confirm your position on the list. Waiting list positions are calculated using the same oversubscription criteria as the initial allocation — being close to the school and meeting sibling criteria will put you higher up.
Third: consider an appeal if you have grounds. Successful appeals typically involve demonstrating that the admissions authority made an error, that the school's decision to refuse your child was unreasonable, or that your child has specific circumstances (medical or social need) that make this school uniquely appropriate.
Every London council publishes its primary school allocation data shortly after National Offer Day in April. This shows, for each school, the last-admitted distance under each oversubscription criterion. Use this to assess your realistic chances for September 2027 entry if you are planning ahead.
The schools listed on ofsted.london include links to the DfE school performance tables and the Ofsted inspection reports for each school. Use these alongside the local council's published admissions data to make your decisions.
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