Applications for Secondary School Places

If your child was born between 1st September 2015 and 31st August 2016, they are due to start secondary school in September 2027.

You must apply for a secondary school place. There is no automatic transfer from primary to secondary school.

You can apply from 1st September 2026. The closing date to apply for a secondary school place for September 2027 is 31st October 2026.

Please read the following information, taken from https://www.blackburn.gov.uk/schools-and-education/school-admissions/apply-secondary-school

Or visit Synergy - Enquiry to apply.

Specific admissions criteria

If you think your child should get a school place because of specific admissions criteria, you might need to submit extra evidence when you apply.

These criteria include:

• children who were previously looked after
• religion and supplementary information
• exceptional educational needs that can only be met at one school
• children with Educational Health Care Plans (EHCPs)
• wanting to delay starting school
• wanting to start part-time

When you’ll find out

We offer secondary school places on 1st March 2027 (offer day). 

If you applied through our online application portal, you will receive the decision letter by email. You will be able to view which school your child has been offered by logging in to the online application portal. You will need your email address and password to log in.

If you applied in any other way, you'll receive an offer letter to your registered home address (a few days after offer day).

Late applications

Applications received after 31st October 2026 may be considered late. If they are received on or before 26th January 2027 they may be accepted and included in the main process in time for offers to be made on 1st March 2027, but only if they are late for a good reason. Evidence of the reason for lateness must be included in writing with the application. Each case is decided on its own merits.

Where the reason given for lateness is judged not to be a good reason, or the application is received after 26th January 2027 but before 1st March 2027, it will be processed only after the allocations procedure for all ‘on-time’ applications has been completed. If a place cannot be offered at one of the preferred schools, a place will be allocated at the nearest school, or one within a reasonable travelling distance to the child’s home with a vacancy.