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Schools and education

Secondary School Allocation Day

The National Offer Day for Secondary Schools is 1 March 2025 (or the next working day).


How to find your allocated school

In order to find your child’s allocated school, parents/carers who applied online must log into their Parent Portal account using their email address as their username and their password. Your allocated school will be shown by 10.00am on your account. The allocated school will be shown on the Parent Portal account on 1 March 2025 (or the next working day). Parents/carers who did not apply online will receive a letter.

Find your allocated school

If you need to reset your password, you can do this through Parent Portal which will send you an email (referred to as a token). Please only request 1 token and allow time to receive the password reset email (referred to as a token) and also check your junk folder.

Remember your username is the email address you applied from.

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Your allocated school

If you are happy with your allocated school, the school will contact you in due course to complete an application pack. Please note that if the place your child has been allocated is at a school for which you are not in the catchment area for, or if you move out of the catchment area, then you may have less chance of being successful when applying for any younger siblings.

If you have not been allocated your first preference or if you have been allocated a lower preference, the reason is that there were more requests for your preference schools than places available, therefore, the school is oversubscribed. Where a school is oversubscribed, places are allocated in accordance with the oversubscription criteria which is set out in a school’s admissions policy.

Refusal of school preference

For any preferences that have been refused, and where that school is in York, your child will be placed on the waiting list. These lists are ranked in accordance with the set oversubscription criteria for the school. Should a place become available and your child is the most entitled pupil, we will contact you.

If you have been allocated a school that was not a listed preference school, the reason is that there were more requests for your preference schools than places available, therefore, the school is oversubscribed. Where a school is oversubscribed, places are allocated in accordance with the oversubscription criteria which is set out in a school’s admissions policy. Therefore you have been allocated the closest school to you with places available.

If you are unhappy with your allocated school, you have the right to appeal.

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How to appeal

If you are unhappy with your allocation, you have the right to appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel (set up in accordance with the Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998 Section 94). If you wish to appeal, you can request the appeal papers by completing the online form.

Secondary Schools Appeal Timeline Date
National Offer Day 1 March 2025 or next working day
Deadline for return of forms, if appealing 31 March 2025
Appeals planned to start  29 April 2025*
Appeals planned to finish 18 June 2025*

*Subject to panel members availability.

The appeal papers need to be completed and returned to appealsclerksadmin@york.gov.uk. The Appeal Clerks will then coordinate an independent appeal hearing and keep you updated on the process.

Request appeal papers

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Home to school transport

If you have been allocated the following catchment school, and you live in the following areas, we'll contact you by email with a link to York Pullman Bus Company’s Online application form to apply for a place on the school bus.

School Catchment area
Fulford School Acaster Malbis
Bishopthorpe
Crockey Hill
Deighton
Dunnington
Elvington
Escrick
Naburn
Wheldrake
Huntington School Earswick
Strensall
Stockton-on-the-Forest
Tadcaster Grammar School Acaster Malbis
Askham Richard
Askham Bryan
Bishopthorpe
Copmanthorpe

If you have been allocated the following catchment schools, and you live in the following areas we'll contact you by email requesting that you go to our website to apply for a bus pass.

If you haven’t received the email, please complete the transport to school or college form to be issued with a bus pass to be used on a public service bus.

School Catchment area
Millthorpe School Copmanthorpe
York High School Rufforth
Poppleton
Askham Bryan
Askham Richard

For information about eligibility for home to school transport read our transport policy. If you have any questions about this process please contact the transport team by email: cyp.transport@york.gov.uk or telephone: 01904 551554 (option 1).

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Free school meals

If you are on a low income you can apply for free school meals at york.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals

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Also see

Education Support Services

West Offices, Station Rise, York, YO1 6GA

Telephone: 01904 551554