Normal admission round
The normal admissions round is the term used for school transition points:
- starting primary school in reception class
- moving your child from year 2 from a linked infant school to year 3 at the linked junior school
- transferring to a secondary school from a primary school
- starting your child at University Technical College (for children aged 14 to 19 years) in year 10 from their current secondary school
Parents / carers express a minimum of 3 preferences for a place at a school, in their preferred rank order on the common application form (CAF) via the local authority they live in.
This differs between LAs so may need to be changed. For example, in Birmingham, they encourage parents and carers to put forward 6 preferences.
Linked nurseries, infant and junior schools
You must also apply for a place:
- in reception class, even if your child attends the linked nursery.
For more information, see applying for reception class or primary school - in year 3 if your child is in year 2 at an infant school that has a linked junior school
How to apply
To apply for a school place in Birmingham, see our school admissions section.
We have information on applying for:
- reception places at primary schools
- transfer from infant to junior school
- secondary schools (Year 7)
- Grammar schools
If you are applying online for the first time, you will need to register for online school admissions
Page last updated: 2 February 2026
