Secondary school place offers

Parents can add their child's name to a waiting list for any school at which they have been refused a place. The must have been listed as a preference on their original application.

Parents can either:

• email [email protected]
• write to: School Admissions, West Northamptonshire Council, The Guildhall, St Giles Square, Northampton, NN1 1DE

Parents should not call us – they will be asked to put their request in writing.

The child's name and date of birth must be included on all correspondence. Failure to do so will cause a delay in the request being processed.

If a school holds their own waiting list, requests will be forwarded to the school.

What happens if a place becomes available at my preferred school?

Any places that become available after National Offer Day (1 March 2024), or places still remaining on National Offer Day, will be reallocated on a monthly basis within the additional rounds of reallocation taking place between April and July 2024.

• See key dates and deadlines

All those on the waiting list, those who have submitted late applications and those who have submitted an appeal will be considered for available places against the oversubscription criteria for the school.

Parents of children who are successful in gaining a place during these rounds of reallocation will be notified in writing at the end of each round. Parents do not need to contact us.

How long will my child's name stay on the waiting list?

Waiting lists will be held until 31 December 2024. If parents want their child to remain on a waiting list after this date, they will need to renew their interest during the Christmas and Easter breaks. The LA holds waiting lists for some schools but not all of them. Parents should check with the school directly for their waiting list policy.

To find out which schools have places available see Breakdown of School Places above.

How do I apply?

Parents of children who wish to be considered for a place at a school which still has places available or be added to the waiting list for a school for which they have not yet applied, will need to make a new application.

Making changes to an application

Parents who have already received a school offer and choose to submit an additional application, will not be contacted before the application is processed. Any new school place will automatically be allocated and any original school place offer will be reallocated to another child.

Parents wishing to withdraw an unprocessed application prior to a reallocation round should email [email protected] to advise of this, providing their child's full name, date of birth and details of the application they wish to withdraw.

How will places be allocated?

Any available places will be reallocated on a monthly basis within the additional rounds of reallocation taking place between April and July 2024.

•    See key dates and deadlines

Places are not allocated on a first come, first served basis.

If there are more requests than there are places available, places will be allocated using the school’s oversubscription admission criteria. There is no guarantee that a place will be allocated just because there were places available on National Offer Day (1 March). Parents should not decline their existing offer of a place on the basis that they have submitted a new application.

When will I hear?

Each round of reallocation can take several weeks depending on how many applications are received.

Parents do not need to contact us after completing a new application. We will contact parents at the end of the reallocation round in which their application was considered. 

Parents have the right to appeal against the decision not to offer their child a place at any of the schools where they have been refused a place. Parents choosing to appeal will need to complete an online appeal form or request a paper appeal form in writing from the Admission Authority of the relevant school (see below). Appeals may be submitted for more than one school but parents must have applied for and been refused a place for their child at the school in the first instance.

Academies, Foundation and Free schools where WNC co-ordinates the appeals

WNC co-ordinates appeals for the following schools:

• Abbeyfield School
• Campion School
• Chenderit School
• Duston School, The
• Elizabeth Woodville School
• Guilsborough Academy
• Kingsthorpe College
• Magdalen College School
• Malcolm Arnold Academy
• Moulton School and Science College
• Northampton Academy
• Northampton School for Girls
• Parker E-ACT Academy
• Sponne School
• Thomas Becket Catholic School
• Wootton Park School

Parents should visit the appeals website for more information and either complete the online appeal form or request a paper appeal form by either emailing [email protected] or writing to School Admissions, West Northamptonshire Council, 1 Angel Square, Angel Street, Northampton, NN1 1ED. Parents should ensure they include their child’s name, date of birth, address and the name of the school for which they want to appeal. An appeal form will be sent within seven working days of receipt of the request

Please note: completed appeals forms, both online and paper forms, must be submitted to the Appeals Team by 5pm on 15 April 2024.

Academies, Free and Foundation schools where WNC does not co-ordinate appeals

The following schools co-ordinate their own appeals:

• Caroline Chisholm School
• Danetre and Southbrook Learning Village
• Northampton International Academy
• Northampton School
• Northampton School for Boys
• Weston Favell Academy

Parents should write directly to the school to request an appeal form. Write to The Clerk to the Governors, c/o the school for which they would like to make their appeal. School addresses can be found on the online Schools Directory.

Parents can also visit the schools’ own websites for more information.

Schools outside West Northamptonshire

If parents wish to appeal against the decision not to offer their child a place at a school which is in another local authority (LA), they should contact the LA concerned to find out how they can appeal and/or request an appeal form.