School admissions

Who do I apply to for a school place for my child?

State-maintained schools

The School Admissions team deals with applications for places at state-maintained, mainstream schools. Read more about how to apply.

Applications for places at other schools have to be made in the following ways:

Nursery schools or nursery places

Contact the nursery or the school directly using the East Riding School and Nursery Finder. 

Places in a school's Sixth Form

Contact the school directly using the East Riding School and Nursery Finder.

Special Educational Needs

Read more about applications for Special Educational Needs.

How do I find out about schools in East Riding of Yorkshire?

You can find details of your local nurseries, primary and secondary schools via the East Riding School and Nursery Finder.

Alternatively, you can view school locations in the East Riding of Yorkshire using the downloadable map:

East Riding School Finder Map (pdf 3mb)

How do I find out which catchment area my child is in?

Most schools in the East Riding of Yorkshire have a defined catchment area. Children living in a school's catchment area have a high priority for a place at the school.

An interactive map showing school catchment areas in East Riding of Yorkshire can be found here:

East Riding of Yorkshire School Catchment Area Map (external website)

Some schools do not have catchment areas. These are the Roman Catholic primary schools in the area. For details of the admissions arrangements for these schools, see the Admissions Guidance available below:

In-Year School Admissions Application Form and Guidance Note (pdf 214kb)

Can I apply for a place at a school that is not my catchment area school?

There is no reason why your child cannot go to a school in another catchment area, but if you are naming it as your first choice school, you should think carefully about what your chances are of getting a place. 

How do I make an application for a school place?

If you want to apply for a place at a maintained mainstream school you will have to apply through the local authority responsible for the area where you live, even if you want a place for your child at a school in another local authority's area. You must only apply to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council's School Admissions Team if you live in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

If you want to make an application to East Riding of Yorkshire Council, there are two different ways to make your application, depending on your circumstances:

Normal school admissions

Normal school admissions are when a child is starting school for the first time, transferring from an infant school to a junior school at the end of year 2, or transferring from a primary school to secondary education at the end of year 6.

Read more about normal school admissions. 

In-year applications  

In-year applications are when a child is already attending a school and the parents want to move their child from one school to another, for example, if the family has moved to a different area.

Read more about in-year applications.

Who makes the decisions on my application?

East Riding of Yorkshire Council coordinates all admissions applications for maintained schools in East Riding of Yorkshire. School admission authorities will then make the decisions on who gets a place at the school. Most schools are community or voluntary -aided schools and the council is the admissions authority for these schools.

Academies, voluntary-aided and foundation schools are their own admission authorities and they make their own decisions on admissions.

For details on which type your school is please read more about using the East Riding School and Nursery Finder which will supply you with this information.

I am struggling to find a school. Can you give me any advice?

For most families, applying for a school is an easy and straight-forward matter, however, for some families, applying for a school place can be complicated because of various social, family or other reasons. 

The School Admissions Team is available to give advice and can answer most questions you might have.

How can I make an appeal against the refusal of a school place?

If you wish to make an appeal against a refusal of a school place you can do so by completing an appeal form and returning it to the School Admissions team.  You will need a form that is relevant to the type of appeal, which will depend on the reason for the refusal - there are 'Standard' and 'Infant Class Size' forms.

Please read the guidance on school admission appeals and if you wish to proceed with an appeal, contact the School Admissions team for the correct appeal form.

What are the council's determined 2020/2021 admission arrangements for schools in East Riding of Yorkshire?

At its meeting on 26 February 2019, East Riding of Yorkshire Council's cabinet determined the local authority's admission arrangements and co-ordinated schemes for 2020/2021:

Determined Admission Arrangements 2020-2021 (pdf 449kb)

What are the council's determined 2021/2022 admission arrangements for schools in East Riding of Yorkshire?

At its meeting on 4 February 2020, East Riding of Yorkshire Council's cabinet determined the local authority's admission arrangements and co-ordinated schemes for 2021/2022:

Determined Admission Arrangements 2021-2022 (pdf 600kb)

What are the council's determined 2022/2023 admission arrangements for schools in East Riding of Yorkshire?

At its meeting on 2 February 2021, East Riding of Yorkshire Council's cabinet determined the local authority's admission arrangements and coordinated schemes for 2022/2023.

School admission arrangements for 2022-23

Where can I see the council's annual admissions report?

Our 2021 report on school admissions in the East Riding, prepared for the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA), is available below. The report provides information and statistics for the Chief Adjudicator on many aspects of school admissions including local coordination and fair access. The information we send to the OSA is collated with the views of other local authorities before recommendations are made to the Department for Education by the Chief Adjudicator.  You can view the latest report here:

2021 Annual Admissions Report (pdf 300kb)

How do I contact the School Admissions Team?

You can contact the School Admissions Team by using the methods below:

School Admissions Team 
East Riding of Yorkshire Council  
County Hall
Cross Street
Beverley  
HU17 9BA.

Tel: (01482) 392100

Email: schooladmissions@eastriding.gov.uk