Transfer to secondary school
Secondary school offers for September 2026 are now available
- If you applied online, you can log back into your admissions account online on 2 March 2026 to view your Secondary School allocation. Additionally, we will send you the offer by email during the day on 2 March 2026.
- If you completed a paper application form, we will send your school offer by post. Offer letters will be sent by second-class post on 2 March 2026.
When you get your school offer
The Headteacher of the school will be informed that your child has a place. You will then be contacted directly by the school with further information.
Some schools will require you to complete an acceptance form, and this will be sent with the welcome pack from the Headteacher. For other schools there is no need to confirm acceptance of the place offered.
The first day of the autumn term 2026 is Thursday 3 September and your child should attend on that day unless you are informed otherwise.
If you have not been offered a place at one of your preferred schools
If we have been unable to accommodate any of your preferences an alternative school has been offered. This represents the nearest school with a place available to your home address.
Waiting lists
If we haven't offered your child a place at one of your preferred schools, we will add their name to the waiting list for that school in case a place becomes available. We will keep their name on the waiting list until 31 December 2026.
From 10 March 2026, your online admissions account will display your child's position on the waiting list for any school which had a higher ranked preference than the school offered. Please be aware that waiting list positions are subject to change. This information will be updated weekly each Wednesday.
Appealing the decision
You have the right to appeal the decision if we have not offered your child a place at one of your preferred schools.
Not all appeals are successful. Of the 105 appeals heard in Norfolk, for the September 2025 secondary transfer round, 26 were successful.
Late applications
If your child is due to transfer to secondary school in September 2026 and you haven't applied, you can make a late application online. Please note, late applications will have a lower priority for a school place than those applications received on time.
Apply for a school place online
If you cannot apply online, you can request a paper application form using our general enquiry form.
When children transfer to secondary school
Secondary schools are for 11 to 16 year olds (years 7 to 11). Some secondary schools also have sixth forms for 16 to 18 year olds (years 12 and 13).
Your child is due to transfer to secondary school when they are in their last year (year 6) at primary or junior school.
You need to apply for a secondary school place for September 2026 if:
- Your child currently goes to a primary or junior school
and - They were born between 1 September 2014 and 31 August 2015
If your child attends a Norfolk Primary or Junior school, you should have received a letter through their school with key information about what to expect and what to do next.
More information
Transport and free school meals
For information regarding transport and free school meals, please use the below links.
The admissions process in Norfolk
You can find full information and answers to frequently asked questions in the parent's guide to admissions in Norfolk (PDF, 427 KB).
Contact the admissions team
If you need to contact us, you can use the general enquiry form.
Secondary school admissions timetable
Important dates for secondary school admissions for September 2026:
- Applications open - 11 September 2025
- Applications close - 31 October 2025
- National offer day (when you get your school offer) - 2 March 2026
- Appeals closing date - 27 March 2026
- Mini admission round starts (when we consider changes parents have made to their applications since the closing date) - 1 April 2026
- Appeals hearings take place - May/June 2026
We maintain waiting lists for oversubscribed schools until 31 December 2026.
