Transfer to secondary school

The transfer to secondary school application process is now closed.

If your child is in their last year at a primary or junior school, you must apply for a place in Year 7 at a secondary school if you haven’t already done so.

As the round has closed, you can no longer apply online.

You can request an application form by completing the general enquiry form.

Your application will be treated as late and will therefore have a lower priority than applications received on time.

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 2024 if:

  • Your child currently goes to a primary or junior school, and
  • They were born between 1 September 2012 and 31 August 2013.

When you get your school offer

If you apply for transfer to secondary school for September 2024, we will offer you a school place on 1 March 2024.

  • If you applied online, you will be able to see the offer in your admissions account online from 8.30am on 1 March 2024. We will also send you the offer by email.
  • If you complete a paper application form, we will send your school offer by post. We send offer letters by second-class post on 1 March 2024.

We will tell the headteacher of the school that your child has a place. The school will contact you with further information.

Some schools need you to complete an acceptance form. They will send you this form with their welcome pack.

The first day of autumn term 2024 is Wednesday 4 September. Your child should go to school on that day unless the school tells you otherwise.

If you are not offered a place at one of your preferred schools

If we are unable to offer your child a place at one of your preferred schools, we will offer a place at an alternative school. This will be at the nearest school to your home address with an available place.

Waiting lists

If we don’t offer your child a place at one of your preferred schools, we will add their name to waiting list for that school in case a place becomes available. We will keep their name on the waiting list until 31 December 2024.

Appealing the decision

You have the right to appeal the decision if we do not offer your child a place at one of your preferred schools.

Not all appeals are successful. 116 of the 319 appeals heard in Norfolk for the September 2023 secondary transfer round were successful.

How to appeal the decision

Transport and free school meals

We will tell the transport team which school we have offered your child a place at. The transport team will contact you if your child is entitled to home to school transport.

Find out more about school transport.

If your child gets free school meals at their current school, this entitlement will automatically transfer to their new school from September.

Find out more about free school meals.

The admissions process in Norfolk

You can find full information and answers to frequently asked question in the parent’s guide to admissions in Norfolk.

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 2024:

  • Applications open – 11 September 2023
  • Applications close – 31 October 2023
  • National offer day (when you get your school offer) – 1 March 2024
  • Appeals closing date – 16 April 2024
  • Mini admission round starts (when we consider changes parents have made to their applications since the closing date) – 3 April 2024
  • Appeals hearings take place – June or July 2024
  • We maintain waiting lists for oversubscribed schools until 31 December 2024