What is the earliest date you can apply for state secondary?

[LucasNorthCanSpookMeAnytime]

I know the closing date is around end of October when they are at the start of Y6 but what's the earliest you can apply? Can you apply whilst they are still in Y5?

I believe that the sysems open in the September, your LEA site should have the information.
Why would you want to apply in Year 5?

'systems'

Our LEA has a start date some time in Sept. You wouldn't be able to apply in year 5 anyway and there wouldn't be any point anyway, as they don't consider any applications till after the deadline. There is no advantage in getting in early.

Applications are taken in the Sept and Oct when the child is in year 6 to start the following sept.

It is similar to infant school applications in that there is no advantage to applying early and places are allocated following a set of rules.

It starts on 1st september and up to 31st october.

Here it's 1st September to 31st October. My friend though lives in the next county and theirs opens on 1st July every year. She put on facebook yesterday that she had applied for her current Y5 child.

Applying early has no effect everyone is treated equally.

September here as well, though schools with selective entry have a separate process for applying to sit the exams and these take place in year 5, with exams sat either July or beginning of September.

Thanks, all. Campervan, I am just wondering because DS would get into DD's secondary on the sibling rule only if we applied when he was in Y5 - if we waited until Y6 (as I now realise we'll have to) then the sibling rule won't apply :(

Tiggy, the sibling criteria at our school is "... with a sibling in the school in Years 7-10 on the date of application". So DS definitely would get in on the sibling rule if we applied when he was in Y5 (when DD would be at the end of Y10) but he won't in Y6 as she'll be Y11 then. It's such a shame - there would still be a whole year where they were at the school together, so I really don't think it's fair that they don't count Y11s as still being at the school.

But they won't be together if one if year 6 when then other is year 11? When the younger is year 7 the older will have left, or be in 6th form. That's exactly why the criteria is written like that - so that siblings can be at the same school at the same time.

Admittedly it's an odd way to word it, mostly this criteria states at the date the younger child would start, but I guess as the younger has to be year 6 when you apply using the application date along with older sibling in years 7-10 is the same practically.

titchy is right here. Your eldest will have left in the summer before your younger child starts yr 7.

Ah. Ahem. I have been a tiny bit thick here. As you were :o

(I think I was muddling up what year he was in with what year he'd be starting)

Thanks for being sweet and saying it's confusing, tiggy, and not saying "you stupid woman - you simply can't count!" :o