Admission to reception classes
Reception Class offers for September 2026 are now available.
- If you applied online, you will be able to see the offer from 8.30am on 16 April 2026 in your admissions account online. We also sent you the offer by email on 16 April 2026.
- If you completed a paper application form, we have sent your school offer by post. We sent offer letters by second-class post on 16 April 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, 3rd September and your child should attend on that day unless you are informed otherwise.
Please notify this office if you no longer require the place offered.
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 29th April 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 do not offer your child a place at one of your preferred schools.
Transport and free school meals
We will tell the transport team which school your child will be going to. The transport team will contact you if your child is entitled to home to school transport.
Find out more about school transport.
All children in reception, year 1 and year 2 automatically get free school meals.
Find out more about free school meals.
Late applications
If your child is due to start school in September 2026 and you haven't applied, you can make a late application online or by completing a paper application form. Please note, late applications will have a lower priority for a school place than those applications that were received on time.
If you cannot apply online, you can request a paper application form using our general enquiry form.
When children start school
Most children start school in the September after their fourth birthday.
You need to apply for admission to reception for September 2026 if your child was born between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022.
You must apply for a reception class place even if your child currently goes to a nursery class at a school. Going to a nursery attached to a school does not increase your chances of getting a reception class place at that school.
If you want your child to start later, you still need to apply for a reception class place at the same time as everyone else.
Find out more about when your child starts school.
Wraparound Childcare
To support more working families, wraparound childcare for primary school children may be available. This includes regular before and after school provision that runs during the term from 8am until 6pm or later, either on a school site or at another local setting.
Tax-free Childcare or Universal Credit Childcare can be used to help pay for wraparound childcare. Speak to your child's school or calling Norfolk County Council's Family Information Service on 0344 800 8020 or emailing [email protected] to find out more.
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
Reception class admissions timetable
Important dates for admissions to Reception for September 2026:
- Applications open - 23 September 2025
- Applications close - 15 January 2026
- National offer day (when you get your school offer) - 16 April 2026
- Appeals closing date - 26 May 2026
- Mini admission round starts (when we consider changes parents have made to their applications since the closing date) - 20 May 2026
- Appeals hearings take place - June/July 2026
We maintain waiting lists for oversubscribed schools until 31 December 2026
