Nottinghamshire parents have just one week left to apply for primary school places

Nottinghamshire County Council is urging all parents to make sure the application is submitted by the deadline as this way, you are more likely to be offered a place at a school you are happy for your child to attend.

While schools continue to operate differently at the moment due to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s still imperative that parents apply for their child’s school place for the 2021-22 school year.

If your child attends a school’s foundation unit, nursery class or early years’ group, it does not guarantee a place at the main school at reception age, and you must still complete an application for a full-time place.

All the information you need to make an informed decision and give you the best chance of getting your child into a preferred school, is on Nottinghamshire County Council’s website here, including information to help with the application process and the Admissions to Schools: Guide for Parents 2021-2022.

For children living in Nottinghamshire their parents will need to apply through Nottinghamshire County Council, even if they wish to apply for schools in other local authority areas such as Nottingham City or Derbyshire.

The easiest way to apply for a place is online here, but parents who do not have internet access can telephone 0300 5008080.

If you apply online, you will be able to log in to your account on April 16 to view your outcome.

All other applicants will have to wait a few days for a letter sent by second class post.

Last year more than 98 per cent of families who applied for a primary school place on time were offered one of their preferred schools, so it is important that you get your application in on time with all four school preferences listed.

Parents must remember to check the admission oversubscription criteria – parents are urged to include at least one school within the four preferences where their child will have high priority within the school’s admission oversubscription criteria and are therefore highly likely to get a place.

Information about the criteria can also be found on the council’s website here.Parents should use all four preferences – there is never a guarantee that a preference can be met, but parents should make sure that they use all four of their preferences rather than just making one preference and limiting their options.

This way they are more likely to be offered a place at a school they are happy for their child to attend.

Other relevant information – when applying, parents also need to make sure that they mention any information that is relevant to their application, and which may affect how the admission oversubscription criteria are applied.

They should also tell the council if they are moving house as this may affect how their application is considered.

It is important to read the relevant sections in Admissions to schools: Guide for parents 2021-2022.

For any enquiries about how to apply for a school place, click here.