Choosing a school
Choosing a school, step by step
Deadlines, how hard each school is to get into, results, Ofsted, SEN provision and fees, for every school in England.
The key dates in England
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| September to October | Secondary open evenings, and 11+ tests in grammar school areas |
| 31 October | Secondary school applications close (Year 7) |
| 15 January | Primary school applications close (Reception and junior school) |
| 1 March | Secondary offer day |
| 16 April | Primary offer day |
| After offer day | Waiting lists and appeals: the council's offer letter gives the appeal deadline |
When a date falls at a weekend, councils use the next working day. Apply through your home council, even for a school in another area. Work out your own child's dates.
Compare schools
Find and compare
Search by postcode or name, filter by stage, type, admissions and more, then tick up to four schools to compare.
Hardest schools to get into
How many families put each school first, against the places offered on offer day.
How far away children get in
The last distance offered at oversubscribed schools in 29 council areas, 2024 to 2026, and how councils measure it.
Exam results and Ofsted
Every school page shows Ofsted results, and 19,156 show their latest exam results beside the England average.
Map of every school
See every state and independent school in England on one map.
Getting in
Admissions timeline
Every application deadline and offer day for your child, with a calendar file of reminders.
Open days
Open events published by independent schools.
11+ tests
Every shared grammar school test and the schools that use it.
Exam timetable 2027
KS2 SATs week, GCSE and A level exam dates and results days for summer 2027.
Moving house
Schools, term dates and the 11+ test at your new address, and how to apply mid-year.
Special educational needs
SEN units and resourced provision
2,697 mainstream schools have a specialist base recorded by the DfE. Filter by type of need.
Special schools
Search special schools near you. Places are usually arranged through an EHC plan.