As primary schools across the UK reopen after the Easter break, parents of children entering primary school will soon find out which school their child has been offered

a place at for the 2023-24 academic year. Local councils will inform parents about the school offer via email or post. Primary school offer day is on Monday, 17 April 2023, but the exact time of offer release varies between councils. In 2022, 92.2% of families received an offer from their first-choice primary school, and 98.1% received an offer from one of their top three choices, according to the Government website.

Parents who are not offered a place by their first-choice school can appeal the decision. The appeal must be made to the school's admissions authority, which organizes the appeal panel. The appeal is judged by an independent panel, and the Government recommends accepting an offer from another school while waiting for the appeal decision. All schools have admission criteria to determine which children get places, and these criteria vary from school to school and local council to local council. Priority is typically given to children in care or with siblings at the school, and some schools may give priority to those who live closer to the school.

Parents who do not receive an offer of a place on 17 April 2023 should contact their local authority for advice. Schools are required to keep a waiting list for at least one term, and parents can apply to the waiting list of their first-choice school. To ensure their child has a primary school place in 2023-24, the Government advises parents to accept any place offered to them. The majority of children will begin the 2023-24 academic year on Monday, 4 September 2023, but term dates may vary by area, so parents should check their local council's website for details. Photo by Kleon3, Wikimedia commons.