Cornwall school admissions 2027: the dates parents can’t miss

If your child is due to start reception, move up to junior school or head off to secondary next September, the clock has already started. Cornwall Council has opened applications for September 2027 school places, and the first of two deadlines lands next month.

Who needs to apply

Parents and carers need to apply if their child is starting school for the first time or moving up to secondary school in September 2027. That covers children starting reception, children moving from an infant school into a junior school, and children transferring from primary to secondary.

If your child already attends a school’s nursery or pre-school class, an application still has to be made separately. Attending the nursery does not carry a guarantee of a place in reception.

The two deadlines

There are two different cut-off dates depending on which stage your child is moving into.

Applications to transfer to secondary school close on 31 October. This covers children born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016.

Applications for a reception place, or to transfer from infant to junior school, close on 15 January 2027. This covers children starting reception (born between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023) and those moving into junior school (born between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020).

Cornwall Council says applying before the relevant deadline gives families the best chance of being offered a preferred school. Applications that miss the deadline are not dealt with alongside those that come in on time. They go into a later round, processed after the on-time applications have already been allocated.

What happens after you apply

Families can list up to three schools in order of preference. Naming more than one does not reduce the chance of getting the top choice, and Cornwall Council recommends including at least one nearby school among the preferences, since a single-preference application that cannot be met may end up allocated somewhere far from home.

Each school sets its own oversubscription criteria, used if there are more applications than places. Every application is ranked against those criteria regardless of whether the school was listed first, second or third.

Secondary applicants who apply by the deadline will hear the outcome on National Offer Day, 1 March 2027. Reception and junior transfer applicants hear on 16 April 2027.

How to apply

Applications are made online. Families living in Cornwall apply to Cornwall Council even if one of their preferred schools sits outside the county. Anyone planning to move into Cornwall before next September, or already living overseas, can also apply directly.

Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan do not need to complete the standard form and should instead contact the Statutory SEN Service.

Full details, including how to check a school’s designated area and the online application form itself, are on the Cornwall Council website.