Apply for a secondary place

Apply for your child to start in year 7 at secondary school.

You can also apply here for your child to start in year 9 or 10 at a studio school or university technical college (UTC) or at a middle or high school elsewhere in the country and for transfer into a new sixth form at year 12.

Before you apply

Before you apply we encourage you to do the following:

  • read the Step by Step guide to normal round admissions for the type of school you are applying to, including:
    • year 7 secondary school applications
    • year 9 or 10 studio school or university technical college (UTC) applications
    • middle or high school applications elsewhere in the country
    • transfer to a sixth form at a new school
  • view information about schools on the Schools Information pages
  • find out what different schools have to offer your child and, if possible, visit the schools you are interested in
  • know which school is designated for your child’s address
  • understand what equally ranked preferences mean – it enables you to apply for the schools you most want without affecting your chances of a place at other schools
  • be aware of the school transport policy – it is important that you understand who will be responsible for transport before applying to a school and before accepting a place.

You must apply to the local authority where your child lives. Residents of Plymouth, Torbay, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset should apply to their local authority.

We will not assume that you want a place at a particular school – even if you have an older child who already attends or you live nearby.

The Admissions Team can be contacted at secondaryschooladmissions@devon.gov.uk

Apply now

The application system to apply for year 7 in September 2018 closed on 31 October 2017. You can still apply but applications made after this date will be considered late and may be at a disadvantage. Please see the ‘Late applications’ tab for more information.

How to apply

You can make an application by downloading and completing a D-CAF 3 application form. Please return the form to the School Admissions Service, Room L102, County Hall, Exeter, EX2 4QU or to the school you name as your first preference.

If you cannot apply online, please contact the Education helpline on 0345 155 1019 and ask for a paper copy of the form to be sent to you. Please note that it is not possible to make an application by email.

Other applications forms available are:

  • Middle or High School – (there are no middle or high schools in Devon but you can apply here for them elsewhere if your child lives in Devon)
  • Key Stage 4 Admissions – Apply for your child to start in Year 9 or 10 at a Studio School or UTC
  • Sixth form -(if your child wishes to transfer to a new school for Year 12, you can use the application form provided here by the local authority but are encouraged to contact the school itself for advice.
Late applications

Applications close on 31 October each year. If you apply after this date, the application will be considered late unless you can demonstrate that you were unable to apply on time, for example, because of illness or a house move. For illness to be taken into account, it must have prevented an application being made.

If the reason you give is accepted and you are able to apply by the date when applications are processed by us, your application will be considered to have been made on time.

Remember:

  • you cannot apply online after the closing date. To apply after this time please contact us on 0345 155 1019 or complete the D-CAF 3 application form
  • if your application is late, places at the schools you prefer may already have been filled – no places are held in reserve
  • if your application is late you may be responsible for transport to and from a school further away from your home.
Offer day

If you applied online we will email your child’s offer of a school place on Thursday 1 March 2018. Please make sure your email address is kept up to date.

You can also log into your online account from 1 March to find out which school has been offered.

If you applied by post we will send a letter by second class post on 1 March.

We will offer your child ONE secondary school place. If a place was available at more than one of your preferences, the offer will be for the school that can offer a place which was your highest preference. If none of your preferred schools could offer a place, we will make an offer at another school. This may be the school designated for your address if it has a vacancy remaining or the closest school to your child’s home with a vacancy.

If you apply for a new school due to open in September 2018, any offer will be conditional on confirmation that it will open. This will be, for instance, once the Department for Education agrees a funding agreement for the school. Where there is a conditional offer, we will also make an offer for another established school as a back up for you. That offer will be withdrawn on confirmation that the new school will open.

What happens next

If you are happy with the school place offered  to your child you do not need to do anything else, other than confirm you want the place to the school itself.

If you are not happy with the offer find out how to appeal for a school place.