Starting school (children aged 3 and 4)

School Admissions are currently reviewing our processes and documents for out of chronological year group and deferred entry policies and applications. You can still make an application using the form on this page.

From 1 November 2025 - You can now apply for school places for parents whose children were born between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022. If your child was born between these dates, you can apply now for them to start school full-time in September 2026 via e-admissions.

Please use green button to make a Reception application for September 2026. Please ensure that you submit your application and keep a note of the Application Reference Number (ARN). If you have not made an application with e-admissions previously you will need to create an account.

The reception school application process is open on e-admissions between

1 November to 15 January 2026. However, after the closing date of 15 January 2026 you can still apply for a school placement via e-admissions, but it will be considered as ‘Late’. Please read the full explanation concerning ‘Late Applications in our e-booklet.

Apply online for a reception school by the closing date of midnight on 15 January 2026. You can still make a reception application after this date on eadmissions.org.uk but if you are applying after 15 January 2026, your application will be considered as ‘Late’ and you will not be informed of the schools offered on National Offer Day as on time applications. These ‘late’ applications are dealt with after National Offer Day offers.

When you make an application on eadmissions.org.uk and you have submitted your application successfully, you will be provided with an Application Reference Number it will begin 301-2026-09-E-XXXXXX. Please keep a note of this reference number once you have submitted your six preferences, as you will need to quote this number throughout your reception application process. This is your receipt that you have successfully submitted your application; you will get an email confirmation and be given an application reference number like the above example.

You can make as many amendments to your application before the closing date of midnight 15 January 2026. Please ensure that you submit your application each time and you will receive a receipt with an updated version number. You will need to log into your e-admissions account to do this. Please read all the e-booklets and quick guides which explains the process in greater details.

Applications received after 15 January 2026 are classed as ‘late’.

These ‘late’ applications are processed after applications that are on time. Late applicants are less likely to get a place at their preferred school. If we cannot offer your child a place at one of your preferences or you do not fill in and return your application form, and you live in this borough, we will give your child a place in any school in the borough with a space.

If you wish to make any changes to your application after the closing date of

Midnight 15 January 2026, you will need to wait until after you receive your offers on National Offer Day is the evening of 16 April 2026 - e.g. change the school that you have been offered from your original application or the order of your school preference choice) after submitting your application.

From 17 April 2026, the Change my school preference form will be available on our school admission webpage. Once the applications have closed, you will need to wait until after the evening of National Offer Day to make any changes.

Please do not telephone the admission line before 17 April 2026 as we will not be able to discuss any school preferences until after National Offer Day.

Please take the time to refresh yourself with the next stages of the school admission process, which can be found in our Starting School Full time in 2026 e-booklet of the school admission e-booklet.

Starting school in 2026

If your child was born between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022, they may start school full time in September 2026. This move is not an automatic process and you will need to apply for a place at the schools you would like your child to go to. You must apply for a place even if your child is already at the school's nursery or has a brother or sister at that school.

The admissions process will start on 1 November 2025. Do not apply for a school place until this date.

School places are not offered based on who applies first. If you apply now, you put your chance of getting a place at your preferred school at risk if you do not follow the process in the 2026 e-booklet which will be published on 1 November 2025.

Please wait until November to apply for a school place, when full information about making your application will be available.

The closing date for reception applications will be midnight on 15 January 2026. You must have your application submitted by this date. Please remember you need to submit six preferences, if you only submit one or two school preferences, if places at your preferred schools are not offered to you because they are an oversubscribed school, then you will be offered a school nearest to the home address with a vacancy as in line with our admission criteria.

National Offer Day is on the evening of 16 April 2026. You will be notified of your preference offered school(s) via email that you registered with e-admissions on. Please check your spam or junk email if you have not received your offers.

Please do not contact us concerning your preferences before 17 April 2026 as we will not be able to discuss any of your preferences before this date.

You must remember to accept the offer by 30 April 2026.

If you do not accept the offer by the deadline then the offer will be removed and your child can risk being without a school place at your preference school.

If you have difficulties accepting the offer online, please email infos@lbbd.gov.uk and we can accept the offer on your behalf. Remember to include your child’s name, date of birth and your application number (e.g. 301-2026-09-E-0043572) within your email.

Interest List Positions

If you wish to know what position your child is on the interest list for a school you have requested, you will need to telephone our admission telephone line on 020 8215 3004, we will not respond to any emails asking what position your child is on the interest list. You will need to contact the admission number from 17 April 2026 concerning school preferences and interest list positions and not before.

Apply for a school place