Applications for children who were born between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020 opened on Monday (November 6) and will close at midnight on Monday 15 January 2024.
Parents can also apply during the same period for junior school places for children born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 who are currently in Year 2 at an infant school and will transfer on to other schools in September 2024.
Apply for an infant, junior or primary school place.
Our Cabinet Member for Education Councillor Alex Dale said:
“We’re now inviting parents to apply for their child’s infant, junior or primary school place for September 2024.
“We’re urging parents to consider their options and get their application in ahead of the festive period and in good time for the deadline in January to give them the best chance at getting one of their preferred options.
“Choosing the right school is a very important decision in a child’s life and parents who miss the deadline are less likely to get a place for their child at their preferred school which could mean having to travel further or their child not getting into the same school as their friends.
“I’d also like to encourage parents to include all 3 of their preferences on the application as just including one doesn’t increase the chance of your child being placed at that school and can instead result in you having less influence over the final placement offered.”
Applying online is quick and easy and allows parents to make changes to their application at any point up to the closing date. Anyone who applies online will receive an email to confirm their application has been received.
When completing the application form parents will be asked to list, in order of preference, the 3 schools they would most like their child to go to. Applying for only one school will not improve the chances of getting a place at that school, so parents are advised to list 3 preferences in order to have the most influence on the final outcome.
Parents unable to access the online application service should email the admissions and transport team at admissions.transport@derbyshire.gov.uk or tel: 01629 537479.
Primary school place offers will be made on 16 April 2024 and anyone unhappy with the decision can submit an appeal.
Although parents have a legal right to express preferences they have no automatic right to a place at any particular school.
Applications submitted to us after the deadline will not be considered until places have been allocated to those children whose parents did return their form on time.
Any parents who are a refused a place for their child have a right of appeal to an independent panel.