Apply for a year 7 place for September 2023
How to apply
If:
- your child is starting secondary school for the first time in September 2023 and
- you live in Derby.
Follow these steps to apply for a secondary school place:
- Find your nearest secondary schools
- Read the Secondary schools admissions handbook
- Apply online
If you live outside of Derby and need a place here, you should still apply to your current local council.
If you want a place in an independent school or private school, contact the school directly.
When applying for a place, remember that if you are applying for a place at:
- a Roman Catholic school - you will also need to fill out a Roman Catholic supplementary information form
- Derby Cathedral School - you will also need to fill out the Derby Cathedral School supplementary application form.
When to apply
You can make an application from 14 September 2022 until 31 October 2022.
Late applications
Applying late means you have less chance of getting your preferred school because we offer places to on-time applications first.
Places at your preferred school may have already been taken by on-time applicants.
Separated parents
If the child’s parents are separated or divorced, there are various things that need to be considered depending on the situation.
What if the child’s parents live at separate addresses?
If the residency of your child is split between both parents, we consider the home address to be the address where the child lives for the majority of the school week (Monday to Friday).
If the child spends equal amounts of time at both addresses, you will be asked to nominate which address you wish to use for the purpose of allocating a school place.
If you fail to do so, we have the right to nominate the address that we consider appropriate, which will normally be that at which Child Benefit is received.
We may ask for evidence of your child's place of permanent residence.
What happens if both parents cannot agree on the choice of schools?
You are advised to reach an agreement with any other person who may submit an application for your child, such as another parent.
If one parent has parental responsibility (as evidenced by documentation), that parent's application is the one that will be accepted.
If parents are separated and both have parental responsibility, then they must determine between them who will make the application. If they cannot agree, then either parent may seek to have that determined by a Court.
In the event of a dispute between parents who do not have this matter resolved by the Court by the closing date, we will accept the application by the parent with whom the child resides the majority of the school week. Where that is equal we will determine whose application is progressed with reference to the parent who is in receipt of Child Benefit.
If no one is in receipt of Child Benefit we will consider all of the circumstances and make a determination as to the application which will be accepted and provide our reasons for doing so. This will ensure the child has an active application for a school place.
Temporary variations in Published Admissions Number
To comply with the School Admissions Code 2021, the Council is required to display any temporary variations in Published Admissions Number (PAN) to schools within its administrative area.
Please note the following schools that have advised the Council that they will be increasing their PAN for the 2023-2024 intake into year 7 at secondary school.
| School | Number of additional places | Current published admission number | Temporary published admission number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bemrose School | 10 | 220 | 230 |
| City of Derby Academy | 10 | 210 | 220 |
| da Vinci Acadamy | 10 | 150 | 160 |
| Landau Forte College | 7 | 196 | 203 |
To view the full determined admission arrangements policy, please visit the individual school's website for further information.
Saint Benedicts Catholic Voluntary Academy - temporary expansion
Due to the expected increase in secondary school numbers across the city, based on current projections. The St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust (SRSCMAT), Saint Benedicts Catholic Voluntary Academy and Derby City Council are working together to provide sufficient school places across Derby.
St Benedict’s Catholic Voluntary Academy have confirmed that the temporary expansion has been approved by the DfE and will accommodate an extra 90 pupils for 23/24 and 24/25-year 6 transition to year 7.
Should you require any further information, please contact the Admissions Team, email admissions@derby.gov.uk, telephone 01332 956988