North Yorkshire Council has opened the online application portal for parents and carers applying for secondary school places for the September 2027 intake.
Applications officially opened on Saturday 12th September 2026 for children currently in Year 6 born between 1st September 2015 and 31st August 2016. Families transferring a child from primary to secondary school must submit their application by the national closing date of Saturday 31 October 2026.
On the common application form, North Yorkshire parents can rank up to five schools in order of preference. Offers will be sent on National Offer Day, 1st March 2027.
Admissions figures for the previous year show that 90% of North Yorkshire families secured their top preference, while 97% received an offer for one of their top three chosen schools.
“Starting secondary school is a major milestone in a child’s education, and we always want the admissions process to be as easy and smooth as possible for families,” said Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, executive member for education, learning, and skills at North Yorkshire Council.
“There is always a high demand for school places, and we do our utmost to ensure that children are offered a place at their preferred secondary school,” Wilkinson added. “Parents of Year 6 children can state their preference for up to five schools on their common application form, and it is a tight window so I would urge parents and carers to submit their application as early as they can.”
The council advises parents to review the local authority’s home-to-school travel policy when listing preferences. Transport eligibility relies primarily on whether the child attends their nearest suitable school with available places over statutory walking distances, which may differ from designated school catchment zones.
