Waiting lists

If your child has not been offered a place at your preferred school, we'll automatically place their name on the waiting list until the end of the academic year, unless an individual school’s admissions arrangements say otherwise.

If a place becomes available at that school during that period, you'll be contacted and given the opportunity to accept the place.

How waiting list positions work

Waiting list positions are based on the school’s oversubscription criteria, not the date of application. This means:

  • if a child higher on the waiting list is offered and accepts a place, others move up
  • if a child declines a place or moves away, others may move up
  • if a new application is received and the child meets a higher category (for example, having a sibling on roll at the school), they may be ranked above existing applicants
  • if a child already on the waiting list has a change of circumstances meaning they now fall into a higher category, others may move down

These changes can result in a child’s position moving both up and down over time. Due to the large number of applications that we process, waiting list positions can change frequently.

To find out about your child's place on the waiting list, you can: