Primary school places 2020: When is the application deadline and how many schools do I choose?

Parents of children born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016 must apply for a place

Reception pupils will have individual assessments with teachers under the new system (PA)

Parents of children who will be four years old in September have to apply for a primary school place this week.

Families based in England will need to list their preferred primary schools in an application.

Here's everything you need to know.

When is the deadline?

Families must apply for a place for their child at a primary school by Wednesday, 15 January.

Parents or carers of children born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016 must apply for a school place for their child through their local council.

Whether you’re applying for a school in your local council area or further afield, you should apply through your local council.

To apply, parents must fill in a form, either online or on paper, and list the primary schools they want to send their child to in order of preference. Some schools may require a supplementary information form.

How many schools should I apply to?

Parents must apply for at least three schools. In some local authorities, parents are required to list six schools in order of preference.

Families should list all the schools that they would be happy with, not just their number one choice, to ensure their child is not allocated a school they do not want which could be miles away from their home.

What should I look for before choosing?

It is important for parents to look at the local council’s admissions guide for their primary schools to find out how places are allocated – especially if the school is normally oversubscribed.

For oversubscribed schools, families will want to look at the individual school’s criteria for admissions to see what they prioritise, such as distance, siblings or faith. It is important to assess whether your child has a realistic chance of getting a place there.

When will I find out?

Councils will send out out confirmed primary school offers on Thursday, 16 April.

Parents who applied online will receive an email confirming the primary school that has been offered, while others will have their offers sent to them by post the same day.