Proposed coordinated admission scheme for schools in Leeds 2026 to 2027 for normal round applications

Last consultation on this scheme: 23 October 2023 to 4 December 2023

1. Introduction

A normal round application is an application for a September 2026 place in

• reception at a primary or infant school
• in year 3 at a junior school
• in year 7 at a secondary school

The scheme does not apply to places in a school nursery, sixth form or at a special school (SILC) or in-year applications.

This scheme requires inter-authority co-ordination by the local authorities for Leeds, North Yorkshire, Kirklees, Bradford and City of Wakefield.

The scheme also requires all admission authorities in Leeds to work together closely and to share information as required in line with the agreed timescales.

Where any admission authority wishes to exceed its published admission number (PAN) for the September intake they must notify the Leeds City Council Admissions Team by the date specified in the timetable to allow time for effective coordination and the necessary system changes to be made.

1.1 Leeds Admission Authorities

In Leeds there are a number of different admission authorities, as follows:

A list of all primary, infant and junior and secondary schools in the Leeds City Council relevant area is provided in section 5. This also confirms who the admission authority for each school is at 31 December 2024 when this scheme was determined. Should any schools adopt foundation status, become academies or free schools their Governing Bodies or Academy Trust will take up responsibility as admission authorities.

Coordination schemes do not affect the rights and duties of admission authorities of academies, free schools, foundation or voluntary aided schools to set and apply their own admission arrangements, but schools must ensure that their own arrangements are compatible with this coordination scheme.

This coordination scheme is in place to ensure a fair and transparent route for the consideration of parental preferences when allocating school places in the normal round.

1.2 Right to apply for a school place

As a Local Authority, we must enable parents and carers to say where they would prefer their child go to school. The law does not give parents a right to ‘choose’ which school their child will attend.

Admission Authorities must comply with any preference expressed by a parent or carer about which school they would prefer their child to be educated in, subject to certain exceptions.

Exceptions

The law recognises that it might not be possible to always offer the school place that is requested, for a number of reasons:

• because admitting the child would prejudice the provision of efficient education or the efficient use of resources (the prejudice limit is indicated by the published admission number for the entry year group);
• because the child has been permanently excluded from two or more schools and the most recent of the exclusions took place within the last two years;
• because the school’s statutory infant class size limit of 30 has been reached.

1.3 Synergy

Our admissions team use the Synergy Admissions application as the information system to manage applications and allocations. This provides a portal for applicants (Parent Portal) and a portal for schools (SAM).

The distance measurements provided by the admissions team use LLPG coordinates on each school and residential property. Straight line distance is then measured between the two sets of coordinates using GIS mapping.

Synergy Admissions is populated with any catchment or “nearest priority school” areas determined in each school’s admissions arrangements. Applications are matched to addresses and oversubscription criteria, allowing all schools to identify which priority of their admissions arrangements the application meets when ranking their applications in SAM. 

1.4 Home address, shared care and moving house

Where a child lives can be an important factor in whether they will get into a particular school. We do address checks on behalf of schools to prevent fraudulent applications.

Living in a school's catchment or priority area does not guarantee a child a place at that school, it simply places a child higher up the list of applicants.

We can only use one address for a school place application. Applications must be made using the child’s permanent address. This is the home address of a parent or carer who holds parental responsibility for the child. A child’s permanent address cannot be the address of a relative, friend or childminder as they do not have parental responsibility. For situations where a child lives in shared care between two separated parents - see section 1.4.3 below

We can’t use future addresses that families don’t yet have the legal right to live in (such as where an offer has been accepted on a house purchase, where contracts have been exchanged or where a tenancy has been secured before a family arrives in the city).

We can make changes to submitted applications because of a subsequent address move for a set period after the national closing date - see section 1.4.4 and 2.7 below.

1.4.1 Evidence of address change - 

We need to see documentary evidence of an address change. This is a minimum of 2 documents one from each list below.

To show the family has left the previous property we need one of the following:

• an exit utility bill (gas, electricity, water, landline phone)
• a completion of sale document
• a landlord notice to leave

 To show the family has moved into new property we need one of the following:

• tenancy agreement for a rented property
• house purchase completion (not exchange)

1.4.2 False addresses: 

It is fraudulent to use a false address on a school place application. Examples of a false address include: 

• pretending to live with a relative or friend, whilst retaining another address
• renting a property close to a popular school but continuing to live somewhere else
• renting a property close to a popular school at the time of applying, but moving back home after school starts in September

We may ask families to provide proof of address at any time or to provide additional documents to those listed above. As part of our application checks, we may ask for proof:

• a child lives permanently at the address they applied from and
• any previous home address is permanently unavailable for that child to live in

If an application is found to be fraudulent or misleading, we will withdraw the offer of a place, and this can happen even if a child has started at a school.

1.4.3 Shared care - 

If there is a shared care arrangement for a child, the family must apply using the address of the parent where the child lives at most of the time. If there is 50/50 shared care, the parents can agree, in writing, which of their 2 addresses to use for the application. It won’t be possible to change the address to be that of the other parent later in the application process.

For applications made in the normal round, both parents must agree on the full school application before it is submitted. Neither a school nor the Local Authority can resolve disputes between parents - only a family court can do this.

If we get more than one application for a child, all applications will be put on hold until we have either:

• written evidence that both parents agree
• a Court Order telling us which application to use

If we don’t have either of the above by the deadline date, we will make a placement offer at the closest school to home with a space remaining after all other applications have been considered – see section 2.4. To make this placement offer, we will use the address where the child spends the majority of the school week or if the child spends equal time with each parent, where the child is registered with their doctor at the closing date.

1.4.4 Changes of circumstances after applying, such as moving home

The most common changes that occur after applying are:

• a completed house move
• a sibling starting at or leaving a school

Parents/carers must tell us about any changes that take place before a child starts at the school as it could affect the school place offer for the child. Failure to tell us may mean the application is fraudulent or intentionally misleading or the place has been offered based on an error.

Any changes should be notified no later than one month after the change takes place. We may need to see documentary evidence of the change. For applications made in the normal round, requests to make changes must be received by the missed deadline date to be included for national offer day allocations – see sections 2.7 and 4 below.

2. Applications in the Normal Round to start Reception, Year 3 in Junior school or Year 7 in September 2026

Parents of children who are resident in Leeds, must apply to us for a school place in Reception, Year 3 in junior schools, or Year 7 in a Leeds school or a school in any other local authority area.

An online application facility will be available during each application period as described in the timetable and there will also be a paper Common Preference Form (CPF) available on request for use for anyone without access to the online system.

Parents will be able to include up to 5 preferences in their order of preference. 

Where other local authorities provide for additional preferences those parents will need to include the preference for a Leeds school as one of their first five preferences to ensure Leeds parents are treated equitably.

All preferences will be considered equally and where more than one offer is possible, the listed order on the application will then be used to decide which single offer is made.

Parents may give their reasons for each preference on application, however only the published oversubscription criteria can be used to rank applications.

We will make appropriate arrangements to ensure:

• that parents can apply via the online application system up to the deadline for applications
• that the paper CPF is available on request
• that the online application system and CPF are accompanied by our website which provides written advice and support for parents and is our online composite prospectus

We will take all reasonable steps to ensure every parent resident in Leeds who has a child due to start reception, transfer from infant school into junior school, or start secondary school can apply online, or access a copy of the CPF.

After the closing date for applications the school admissions team will forward details of the applications to each admission authority within the Leeds area, and to other local authorities if a preference has been made for a school in another area. 

This scheme preserves the powers and responsibilities of individual admission authorities (Governing Bodies or Academy Trusts), who must determine and apply their admissions arrangements to all applications.

Admission authorities are required to inform the Leeds City Council admission team of the ranked order of all applications when they have applied their admissions arrangements by the agreed deadlines via the SAM portal.

2.1 Supplementary Information Form (SIF)

All preferences expressed online or on the CPF are valid applications. Where any admission authority requires that additional information is needed for them to rank the application, applicants will be informed of this by the admission authority. These forms can only be used where additional information is required for the admission authority to apply their oversubscription criteria to the application.

A SIF is not an application form in its own right. The applicant is required to submit a preference through the online system or CPF. Where a school chases any applicants for a SIF, they should contact all applicants and not just selected applicants.

2.2 Testing

There are no maintained primary, infant, junior or secondary schools in Leeds that require an applicant child to pass a test in order to gain admission.

Aptitude priority – 

four Leeds secondary Academies (Cockburn School, Leeds West Academy, Rodillian Academy and Trinity Academy Leeds) who offer a priority based on aptitude in sports or performing arts. This priority is limited to 10% of the school’s places (published admission number). Each admission authority publishes their own information about the testing/assessment arrangements. Where an applicant attends the assessment and is granted aptitude priority, this will mean the application will be prioritised for a place, but the school cannot guarantee a child will be made an offer of a place. There may be more applicants who pass the assessment than places available under the priority. Applicants would also be considered under all other admission criteria for that School. 

2.3 The application process

Our online parent portal is the main route for all Leeds residents applying for new Reception, Junior school or Year 7 place. Our website works as an online composite prospectus. Paper copies of the prospectus and the application form are available on request.

If a school receives a paper application form directly, the school should:

• Gather in the completed forms and issue the parent a receipt
• Check them for factual detail
• Offer advice to the parent if the parent has misunderstood some aspect of the procedure
• Send the forms by email to the LA, keeping a record of all forms sent before the deadline
• Advise the parent of a child from another local authority to contact that local authority to apply

If a child lives in another local authority area but would like to apply for a Leeds school place, they should apply to their home local authority and include their preference for the Leeds school(s). The home local authority will send the preference(s) to us and we will ensure the application is ranked by the appropriate admission authority and then notify the home local authority whether an offer can be made. The home local authority will undertake its allocation process and communicate the offer to the applicant.

After the closing date, we will undertake a range of verification processes including:

• address checks
• child looked after claims checks
• Education Health and Care Plan checks
• make decisions on exceptional social need requests for Leeds community and voluntary controlled schools
• handling admissions requests for summer born children to be admitted out of age (deferments). We follow any published guidance from the DfE issued to local authorities and school admission authorities

Applicants may be contacted and asked to provide further information to support their application. Information must be provided by the final date for verification evidence (see timetable) to be considered for allocations made on offer day

Verified claims will be visible in SAM but school admission authorities retain the duty for checking that any applicant claims have been verified prior to ranking.

2.4 Allocation of places

This scheme ensures that each child only receives one single offer and that each preference is considered equally.

Where multiple offers are possible for any child, we will refer to the preference list on the child’s application and allocate the highest ranked school possible. 

We will only make a decision about the offer or refusal of a place where:

1. we are acting in our separate capacity as an admission authority, or
2. a child is eligible for a place at more than one Leeds school, or
3. a child is not eligible for a place at any school that the parent has listed and the child lives in Leeds – we will make a placement offer (see below).

We will notify all admission authority schools of all applications they have received, via the SAM module. Each application will be recorded with a straight line distance measurement from the school using the defined LLPG coordinates. Schools are required to review and rank each application in line with their published oversubscription criteria by the published deadlines (see timetable).

If we cannot offer parents or carers a place for their child at any of the schools they preferenced, a place will be allocated at the closest Leeds school that has places available at the time of making the offers and this will be as accessible to the child’s address as reasonably possible. This is called a placement offer. A placement offer can be made at any school with a vacancy available, including Voluntary Aided, Foundation schools or Academies.

Where the child does not live in Leeds, the home local authority is responsible for their education and allocating an alternative offer.

We will notify all admission authorities in the relevant area (Leeds) of the offers to be made at their school by the deadline in this scheme.

We will endeavour to work with other local authorities so that only a single offer is made and we will notify the home local authority if a place is to be offered or not by the deadline in this scheme. The home local authority will make offers on behalf of Leeds to applicants living outside of Leeds.

2.5 The offer of a place

Parents will be notified by us that they are being offered a place at an allocated school on national offer day - see the timetable for confirmation of dates.

The offer will give the following information:

• The name of the school at which a place is offered;
• Where applicable, the reasons why the child is not being offered a place at each of their higher preference schools asked for;
• Information about their statutory right of appeal against any decisions to refuse places at the other nominated schools;

Parents offered a Community or Voluntary Controlled school will be required to accept the offer of a school place by the date specified in the timetable. All other schools within Leeds and schools in other LAs may also require parents to accept the offered school by a specified date. 

Failure to accept the place by the deadline may result in the place being withdrawn and offered to another applicant.

Until the start of term in September, we have a legal obligation to coordinate normal round admissions. This means that only the Leeds City Council Admissions team can allocate September places in reception, year 3 at a junior school and year 7.

2.6 Waiting lists

A waiting list for all schools will be maintained until at least 31 December 2026. For community and voluntary controlled schools, the waiting list will remain open until July 2027.

A new in-year application will be needed if the parent seeks a school place in the next school year. New applications will have a new right of appeal if the application is refused.

Between offer day and the first day of term in September 2026, only the Leeds City Council Admissions Team can allocate and offer places in the normal round.

Waiting lists must be held in line with the published oversubscription criteria. Waiting lists must be ranked whenever a child is added to the list, and places cannot be offered on a first come first served basis.

Voluntary Aided, Foundation School and Academies will describe in their admissions arrangements when their waiting lists will close.

2.7 Applications received or amended after the closing dateand the LA role in coordination

The national closing date for applications to be received in school, directly to the local authority or online in the normal admission round is:

• 31 October 2025 for Year 7 (Secondary School)
• 15 January 2026for Reception (Infant and Primary) and Year 3 (Junior School)

After these national dates, the following dates apply to applications made to Leeds Local Authority. Other Local Authorities may use different dates and may have different restrictions on changing a submitted application. 

Cut-off date: 

Applications received or changed within 4 weeks of the national closing date will be considered as on-time applications, unless a school’s individual admission policy expressly prohibits this.

After cut-off date: 

Any applications received or changed after the 4 week cut-off date until missed deadline date will only be considered after on-time applications, unless there are significant or exceptional reasons for the application missing the deadline, submitted in writing, which have been agreed by us. Cases are considered individually.

After missed deadline date: 

any applications received or changed after this date will only be considered after national offer day. These are called late applications. Offers will be made at the first reallocation from waiting list requests.

After national offer day, changes can be made to applications for Leeds schools, including adding new preferences and changing the preference order. All applications will be ranked in the same way as on-time applications after offer day.

Missed deadline/Verification date:

If after applying,

• families move house and need to update their application or provide new preferences, or
• if we, as local authority, contact families asking for additional information to allow us to verify the applicant qualifies for a specific priority,

Parents must provide the requested evidence to us by the verification date (see timetable). 

Any late supplementary information forms (SIF) must be sent to the school directly as without the SIF it will not be possible for the application to be ranked under the requested criteria.

Between offer day and the start of term in September when applications become in-year (see section 3 below), the Local Authority has a legal obligation to coordinate normal round admissions. This means that only the Leeds City Council Admissions team can allocate and make offers of places for Leeds schools in reception, year 3 at Junior school and year 7 for child who start in September.

3. School transfer (In year) applications

Outside the normal admissions round, applications for a school place are known as in-year transfers. This includes applications for

• places in year 1-6 and 8-11 and
• a place in reception, year 3 at Junior schools or year 7 after the start of term in September.

Any in-year applications for a school outside Leeds would need to be made to the Local Authority the school is based in.

There is a separate coordination scheme for in-year applications. Leeds City Council will publish information on its website www.leeds.gov.uk/moveschools by 31 August 2026 to explain how in-year applications for 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027 can be made. This includes how to apply for Leeds schools, which schools opt out of the in-year coordinated process, how decisions are made and details about schools with current vacancies.

4. Normal Round Admissions Timetable 2026/2027 for all Leeds schools

Some schools may start their school year in August - check their website for details

5. List of all schools in Leeds area as at 31 December 2024