When to apply for a secondary school place

Timetable for secondary school admissions in September 2025

StageDate
Applications period opens1 September 2024
Application period closes31 October 2024
Application results are published3 March 2025
Acceptance period closes17 March 2025
Appeal period closes31 March 2025
Appeal hearings take placeMay and June 2025
Induction day at secondary schools2 July 2025

Late applications

If you miss the closing date for applications, you must still apply.

You’re less likely to get a place at one of your preferred schools if you apply late.

Late applications received by 12 December 2024

If we receive your late application by 12 December 2024, we’ll assess whether there’s good cause for the delay. If there is, we’ll treat it in the same way as applications received by the closing date. If we assess that there’s no good cause for the delay, we’ll process it from May 2025.

In your application, state the reasons why it’s late and provide evidence where possible. You’ll need to demonstrate that family or other circumstances made it impossible for you to apply by the closing date.

Examples of good cause include when a:

  • single parent or carer has been ill for some time
  • single parent or carer has been dealing with the death of a close relative
  • family has just moved into the area or is returning from abroad

Late applications received after 12 December 2024

We’ll consider all late applications received after 12 December 2024 from May 2025 onwards.

If you’re moving into Royal Greenwich after the application closing date

If you move into Royal Greenwich from another area before 12 December 2024, your previous local authority will send us your application. We’ll take over responsibility for processing it.

If you move into Royal Greenwich from another area after 12 December 2024, your previous local authority will remain responsible for processing your application. We’ll take over responsibility after the offers are made on 16 April 2025.