Secondary school places
Applications are open. Apply by Monday 2 November 2026.
You must apply for a secondary school place for your child to start year 7 at secondary school. You will need to do this when your child is in year 6 at primary school.
If your child is already at secondary school and you want to move them to a different school you must apply for an in year admission.
What to do
You can name up to 4 school preferences on your secondary school application.
To help you choose the schools to add to your application:
- read our advice about choosing a school
- find information about open days from the school's website or contact the school
- read our guide to secondary admissions for 2027 (PDF, 1.4 MB)
- view the Kent School’s app for a map of all mainstream schools in Kent with accessibility information.
Applications for 2027
For children starting year 7 in September 2027 applications opened on Monday 1 September and close on Monday 2 November 2026.
You can apply for up to 4 schools:
- Put the schools in your order of preference.
- It’s in your best interest to list 4 schools.
- Naming only one school does not guarantee your child a place at that school or give priority for a place over another child.
- You are not able to name the same school more than once.
To apply for a school outside of Kent, name the school in your application with your other preferences. Your application details will be passed on to the relevant local authority for processing.
If you have applied but your circumstances have changed and you need to amend your application, email kentonlineadmissions@kent.gov.uk so we can help you.
Applications are processed between 3 November 2026 and 28 February 2027.
Apply
To apply for a year 7 place, complete our online application form.
Before you apply for a school place, read our admissions privacy notice.
If you are unable to apply online email kentonlineadmissions@kent.gov.uk for assistance.
Additional information
Some schools may need you to complete an additional form called a Supplementary Information Form (SIF).
Contact the school(s) to obtain the form(s) and once completed return the form directly to them.
Cranbrook School
Cranbrook School is the only school in Kent with year 9 entry. Applications close on Monday 2 November 2026.
University Technical Colleges (UTCs)
University Technical Colleges cater for children from year 10 onwards.
Special educational needs and disabilities children
Most children with special educational needs and disabilities can attend mainstream schools, whether or not they have an education health and care (EHC) plan.
If your child has an EHC plan their school placement will be arranged by the SEN Team.
Find out more about applying for a school place for your SEND child.
Free schools
There are no new free schools opening in 2027.
If you provide an email address on your application, we will email you on Monday 1 March 2027 to tell you which school you have been offered.
Offer emails will be sent to the email address you provided on your application.
We cannot guarantee the exact time you will receive your email, as this will depend on your email service provider.
Due to data protection restrictions, we cannot send the offer to another email address without approval from the original email account. If you have changed email address, make sure you can still access the original one to receive your offer.
If you need to reset your password you must use the email address you registered with.
Email kentonlineadmissions@kent.gov.uk if you have any questions.