Apply for a reception or junior transfer place at primary school

If your child lives in Derby city and is due to start reception in September 2019 or; they are currently in year 2 at an infant school and will be transferring to junior school in September 2019, you will need to apply for a school place.

Find out more about the process for the school admissions arrangements for Derby:

• Primary Admissions Handbook - our handbook includes information on the number of places available at each school and a breakdown of the categories of children offered a place in previous years.
• You can also read our Applying for a Primary School Place Leaflet which provides information regarding the application process for your child.
• Ofsted report - you may want to read a school or academy's report.
• We recommend that you learn more about about the schools you are interested in. You might find it useful to contact the school to arrange a visit and speak to the staff.

How to apply

You can make an application from 6 November 2018. The closing date for online applications is 15 January 2019. If the closing date has passed, you can still apply however any applications made after the deadline date will be classed as late and will be considered after all on-time applications have been processed.

When applying for a place, remember:

• Most schools in Derby city have catchment area criteria. Children living in the catchment area are given a higher priority when places are offered. We recommend that one of the schools on your application is your catchment school.
• Please name up to three infant or primary schools (if applying for a reception place) or up to three junior or primary schools, with a year 3 intake (if you are applying for a year 3 place). This can include schools outside of Derby city.
• For junior transfers, only three schools take in extra pupils - Dale Community Primary School, Hardwick Primary School and St. John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy. If any other schools are named as a preference they will be disregarded.
• If you are applying for a place in a Roman Catholic school, you will also need to fill out a supplementary application form.
• For Hackwood Primary School, the school is due to open in September 2019. We are currently awaiting a decision from the Department for Education about who will run it. We expect that once an academy trust has been appointed, parents will apply directly to the school for September 2019 entry and councils will process applications from September 2020.
• The admissions process for children with a Statement of Special Needs or Education, Health and Care Plan is different. More information can be found on our Special education needs assessment page.

The quickest and easiest way to apply is online. You can also apply by telephone on 01332 642730. Alternatively, you can request a paper application using the same telephone number.

Apply for a reception or junior transfer place

Summer born children

School admission authorities are required to provide admission for all children in the September following their fourth birthday. However, a child is not required to start school until they have reached compulsory school age following their fifth birthday.

For summer born children, parents can request that their child attends part-time until they reach compulsory school age or that the date their child is admitted to school is deferred until after in the same academic year. Where parents consider sending their summer born children to school in the September after their fifth birthday and request that they enter the reception class in September 2019 instead of the year 1 class, the admission authority is required to make the decision based on the individual circumstances of each case.

Please note, you will still need to make an application for delayed entry at the normal time and before the closing date of 15 January 2019, as well as submitting an application for a place in the current round.

Moving before the closing date

If you move before the closing date and can provide proof that you were resident at that address before the closing date, your application will be assessed from that address.

Moving after the closing date but before National Offer Day

If you move after the closing date but before the offers have been made, we will assess your application from where you were living at the closing date. Once the decisions have been made on National Offer Day, we will update your address for waiting list purposes if we haven’t been able to offer you your preferred school.

Moving to a new address after National Offer Day

If you change address after the National Offer Day and want to keep the place at the school we have offered you, we will reassess your application from your new address to see if you would still have been offered the place and let you know the decision. Please note, we measure distances from home to school by straight line using national Ordnance Survey Set Points, if you move further away than the last person offered, we may have to withdraw the school place.

Owning more than one property

If you also own a property within 20 miles of the schools stated in your application, the property closer to the school may not be accepted even if the other property is rented out to somebody else. If the information is insufficient or inconclusive, we can request further information.

New to the city

If you move into the city and cannot show proof as above, the residency will be calculated using the furthest point to the city boundary from the school applied for.

Living outside of Derby city

If you live outside of Derby city you should apply through your your local council even if you want to apply for a place at a Derby city school.

How we process your application

If you apply for a place after 15 January 2019, you will receive a decision on National Offer Day, 16 April 2019.

The admission authority for the school will consider your application after all on-time applications. If there are still places available, the admission authority will look at your application, along with any other applications that were made late.

If you have applied to any academy, foundation or voluntary-aided school places, the governing body will decide whether your child can be offered a place. The application is sent to the school for consideration.

Proof of residence

If you change your address, you may be required to provide proof of residence. If this is necessary, we will let you know once you have submitted your application.

National Offer Day - 16 April 2019 

The National Offer Day for infant and junior applications is 16 April 2019.

• If you apply online, we send emails on 16 April notifying you of the outcome of your application.
• If you apply by post or over the telephone, we send decision letters by second class post on 16 April.
• If you are happy with the offer, you do not need to do anything else - the school will contact you.
• If you are unhappy with the place offered to you, please contact us and we will advise you what you can do next.
• You are strongly advised not to decline the place offered to your child unless they have been offered a place in an alternative school. If you do not accept the place offered, your child may not have a school place for September 2019, leaving you liable for prosecution by the Education Welfare Service (EWS). You can accept or decline the place at a later date if your child is offered a place at an alternative school from the waiting list or as a result of any successful appeal or late application you may make.

Waiting lists

If you have not been offered a place at one of your preferred schools, your child will automatically be put on the waiting list. All oversubscribed schools have to maintain a waiting list until December 2019. We maintain waiting lists for most schools for one academic year. If you wish for your child to remain on the waiting list, you must contact us by 31 July 2020.

How to appeal

If you have been refused a place, you can appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel. The panel is completely independent of the schools and the Council. Details on how to apply can be found on our School admissions appeals page.

Downloads

• Primary Admissions Handbook (pdf, 1,208kb)

Useful links

• Directgov - Find your local council
• School performance tables
• Derbyshire County Council - Apply for a school place
• Nottingham City Council - School admissions
• Nottinghamshire County Council - School admissions
• Ofsted inspection reports