Apply for secondary school

The process

Children born between 1 September 2005 and 31 August 2006 are due to start secondary school, in September 2017.

Apply for a school place before 31 October 2016

Process

The process has several stages

Plan and prepare -> Apply -> Respond to your offer.

 If you do not live in Brent and you want a place in a Brent school, you will need to apply to the council that you live in.

Key dates

September / October School open evenings / open mornings
1 September 2016 - Applications open
31 October 2016 Applications deadline
2 December 2016 Deadline to provide evidence of your new address
2 December 2016 Deadline to explain why your application was late
1 March 2017 - National offer day
15 March 2017 Response deadline
Second round of offers
15 March 2017 Deadline for applications and changes for the second round
31 March 2017 Second round of offers
7 April 2017 Second round response deadline
Third round of offers
9 May 2017 Deadline for applications and changes for the third round
26 May 2017 Third round offers
2 June 2017 Third round response deadline
September 2017 Children start school

    Plan and prepare

    It is important to plan and prepare before you start your application. Read our top tips to help you decide which schools to apply for.

    Find schools in Brent

    Search all schools in Brent using our school finder.

    Read the admissions guide

    Read our secondary school guide (.pdf, 3.24MB), which has all the information you need including step by step instructions about how to apply online and the admission criteria for each Brent secondary school.

    Get an email address

    You need an email address to apply. If you do not have one go to www.googlemail.com and ‘Create an account’

    Visit schools

    All secondary schools hold open events (.pdf, 73.4kB) so that parents/carers and children can see the school up close and learn more about what it will be like to attend there.

    Don’t judge a school based on what others say – visit the school and see for yourself.

    Are your preferences realistic?

    Applicants should think about how likely it is that their child will be offered a place at their preferred schools. Read the admissions criteria for 2017/18 for each school and determine which criteria apply to your child.

    Applicants can view how places were offered last year (.pdf, 195.1kB) to determine whether their child is likely to be offered a place.

    Do you live close enough to qualify for a place?

    Find the distance to your preferred schools using the Direct gov schools finder. You can view the distance of the last child offered a place (.pdf, 195.1kB) in 2016 to figure out if they are likely to qualify for a place in 2017.

    Remember that although this information can be used to give an idea of how likely it is that your child will be offered a place, the ‘last distance’ will change every year. We can never guarantee any child will be offered a place at any school.

    How will your child travel to school?

    The cost of home to school travel is covered by free transport provided by Transport for London (TfL). A long journey to school on public transport my not be the best choice for your child.

    Does your child have special needs?

    Children who have a Statement of special educational needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) apply by a different process.

    Children with special needs who do not have a Statement or EHCP apply in the normal way. Applicants can read about the support available for their child.

    Further research

    Applicants can read the school's Ofsted reports and check the school league tables. It can be helpful to talk to other parents but remember that the right school for your friend’s child may not be the right school for your child.

    Apply

    Apply for children born between 1 September 2005 and 31 August 2006 who will start secondary school in September 2017.

    Apply for a school place before 31 October 2016

     

    Need help with applying?

    Download our step by step instructions (.pdf, 3.24MB) to help you when you are applying. 

    Read the guide to applying for a secondary school for September 2017 (.pdf, 3.24MB)

    You will be sent an email with your application reference number once you have submitted your application. If you do not receive the confirmation email then your application has not been submitted correctly.

    Important information about how to apply 

    Your address

    • Use your child’s permanent home address on 31 October 2016
    • Do not use the address of a relative or someone who provides temporary care for your child, a business address, a childminders address or any address other than the child’s permanent home address
    • We will check internal databases to confirm your address and will write to you if you need to submit further evidence of your address
    • If you change address evidence must be received on or before 2 December 2016 in order for your new address to be used when processing your application and calculating home to school distances.

    Your preferred schools

    • List 6 preferences. List the school you want the most as your first preference
    • Include your local schools amongst your preferences
    • You can include schools outside Brent
    • Listing only one school does not increase your chances of being offered a place.

     

    Additional information and evidence

    • Attach additional information to your application online or post it to School Admissions, PO Box 1057, Wembley, HA9 1HJ.
    • A supplementary information form (SIF) is required for some schools. The online application form will advise you if a SIF is required. You should send SIFs direct to the school
    • Evidence is required for looked after and previously looked after children. The social worker involved must provide a letter confirming that the child is in care. If the child was adopted immediately after being in care please provide a copy of the child arrangements order, special guardianship order or proof of adoption from your child’s home authority.
    • Evidence of social/medical reasons must be provided directly to school.

     

    Respond to offers

    Offers

    • National offer day is Wednesday 1 March 2017
    • offer emails are sent in the evening on 1 March 2017
    • the online application system is updated with offers and applicants can respond from the evening of 1 March 2017.

     

    Responding to offers (accepting/rejecting)

    • respond to offers by 15 March 2017
    • online applicants must respond to the offer online by logging into the e-admissions website using their email address or username and their password
    • we strongly advise applicants to accept the place offered. Accepting the offer secures the school for your child, so you have a back up, in case you’re unsuccessful in the second or third rounds or your appeal is not upheld
    • accepting the place does not effect your waiting list position or appeals
    • if you do not accept the offer the place may be offered to another applicant, and subsequent offers may be further away from your home.

     

    Further Offers

    • after National offer day we continue to process applications and make offers on behalf of schools until the end of August. Schools do not offer places directly.
    • two additional rounds of offers will be sent out according to the timetable below
    • all late applicants will be offered a place in the second and third round.

     

     Second RoundThird round

    Deadline
    Last date for changes to be included in the round
    (e.g. changed address /  preferences)

    		 15 March 2017 9 May 2017

    Offer
    Offers will be sent by first class post to successful
    applicant only

    		 Week ending
    31 March 2017    		 Week ending
    26 May 2017

    Response
    Successful applicants must respond by this date

    		 7 April 2017 2 June 2017