Parents and carers in Cornwall can now apply for school places if their children are starting primary school or moving up to secondary school in September 2024.
If your child was born between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020 you need to apply for a reception place and for parents and carers of children currently in Year 6 you need to apply for your preferred secondary school.
The applications system opened on Tuesday, September 5. The deadlines for applications are:
- Secondary school – October 31, 2023.
- Reception classes – January 15, 2024.
Cllr Barbara Ellenbroek, cabinet member for children and families, said:
“Finding the best school place for your child is an important decision for all parents and carers so it is important to get the right information now and submit your application before the deadline. It’s also important to consider more than one option, whether that is for your child’s first school place or for the move from primary to secondary.
“There is plenty of support and guidance available through the School Admissions Team and if you are unsure which school to apply for then many are holding open days where you can find out first-hand what they have to offer.”
Parents and carers are urged to apply before the deadline to ensure they have the best chance of being allocated a preferred school.
Missing the application deadline can increase the risk of not being allocated a preferred school as late applications will be processed following those that have been submitted on time.
Parents or carers are responsible for getting their child to and from school but some children may be entitled to support. Find out more on the Council’s home-to-school and post-16 travel pages.
If parents or carers are not sure whether their child would be eligible for home to school travel assistance they can contact the Transport Coordination Service (TCS) before naming their preferred schools via studenttravel@cornwall.gov.uk
The TCS is currently reviewing whether travel assistance should continue to be provided on 16 routes that have been deemed suitable to walk or cycle.
If the routes are still considered suitable then new applications for travel assistance on them will not be approved from September 2024.
The council is keen to understand the impact this could have on families, schools and traffic so parents and carers are being urged to have their say on the Let’s Talk Cornwall website where a full list of the affected routes can also be found.
The period of public engagement began on August 10, 2023, and is due to end on September 30, 2023.
More information on school admissions is available in the Council’s website.
Press release issued on September 5, 2023.
