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Applications and offers

Late applications, late tests and in-year places

The short answer

If you miss an 11+ registration deadline or the secondary application deadline, or you move into an area part-way through, it isn't always too late, but your options change. Late applications are usually considered after all on-time ones. Some areas run a late test for children who registered late or moved in, and you can apply for a school place at any time of year. Contact the council or school straight away.

What to do next

  1. Step 1: Contact the council or school straight away

    Late applications are usually looked at after all the on-time ones.

  2. Step 2: Ask whether there is a late test

    Some areas test children who registered late or moved into the area.

  3. Step 3: Join waiting lists

    Places can come up after .

    Waiting lists explained

What counts as a late application?

The School Admissions Code defines a late application as an application made after the deadline, too late for National Offer DayWhat counts as a late applicationChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: “Late applications” are applications for entry in a relevant age group which are submitted before the first day of the first term in the admission year but have not been made in time to enable the local authority to offer a place on National Offer Day.View the official source. In practice, councils usually look at late applications only after allocating places to on-time applicants, unless there is a good reason, such as a recent move, that the council's own rules accept.

If you have missed the deadline, apply anyway and as soon as you can. Ask your council how it treats late applications and what evidence it needs.

Can my child still sit the 11+ if we missed registration?

Sometimes. It depends on the area:

  • Some areas offer a late test for children who registered late or moved in. For example, in Bournemouth and Poole, children who registered or applied late can sit the tests the following February, and are considered after the first round of offersBournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: late testsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bournemouth School.The source says: For children whose registration or application form (or both) were submitted after the closing dates, there will be an opportunity to sit the school entrance tests in the following February for consideration after the first round of allocations.View the official source.
  • Some areas allow testing for children who move into the area after the main test, on set dates.
  • Some schools and areas accept no late registrations at all.

Your area page explains what is available for your child's entry year. Even where a late test exists, children tested late are usually considered only after the first round of offers, so places may be limited.

What about waiting lists?

Waiting lists can bring places after National Offer Day, as other families accept or decline offers. Schools must keep a waiting list until at least 31 December of the year of admissionWaiting lists are kept until at leastChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: Each admission authority must maintain a clear, fair, and objective waiting list until at least 31 December of each school year of admission,View the official source, ranked by their admission rules, not by date added. And you can join a waiting list even after accepting a place elsewhereWaiting lists while you hold another offerChecked 9 Oct 2026 against GOV.UK.The source says: You can add your child’s name to a waiting list even if they have been offered a place at another school.View the official source. See grammar school waiting lists explained.

Can you apply after Year 7 has started?

Yes. you can apply for a place at any school at any timeApplying for a place during the school yearChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: A parent can apply for a place for their child at any school, at any time.View the official source. This is called an in-year application. For a grammar school, your child will normally need to show they meet the academic standard, often through the school's own assessment. If you are refused, you can appeal; where no assessment took place, an appeal panel would need to be satisfied that there is evidence that your child is of the required academic standard (and, where relevant, that your case outweighs the school’s case that admitting more children would cause prejudice)What a grammar school appeal panel must be satisfied ofChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: where a local review process has not been applied, the panel must only uphold the appeal if it is satisfied:View the official source. See in-year admission and late transfer to grammar schools.

What should you do now?

  1. Contact your home council's admissions team and the school, today if a deadline has just passed.
  2. Ask about late testing for your child's entry year, and the evidence needed.
  3. Apply for a school place anyway, and name your realistic choices too.
  4. Keep copies of everything you send and receive.

Sources

Facts on this page come from the School Admissions Code 2021, the School Admission Appeals Code 2022, GOV.UK school admissions guidance and Bournemouth School's admissions page, archived on 9 October 2026.

ExamKind is independent and is not connected with any school or council. This page is general information, not legal advice. How we make our content.

Facts used in this guidesources in each row
FactDetailSource
What counts as a late applicationan application made after the deadline, too late for National Offer DaySource: Department for Education (GOV.UK), checked
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: late testschildren who registered or applied late can sit the tests the following February, and are considered after the first round of offersSource: Bournemouth School, checked
Waiting lists are kept until at least31 December of the year of admissionSource: Department for Education (GOV.UK), checked
Waiting lists while you hold another offeryou can join a waiting list even after accepting a place elsewhereSource: GOV.UK, checked
Applying for a place during the school yearyou can apply for a place at any school at any timeSource: Department for Education (GOV.UK), checked
What a grammar school appeal panel must be satisfied ofthere is evidence that your child is of the required academic standard (and, where relevant, that your case outweighs the school’s case that admitting more children would cause prejudice)Source: Department for Education (GOV.UK), checked

Written and checked by the ExamKind Editorial Team. Every fact on this page links to its official source. ExamKind is independent: no test provider, school or council owns us, and we have no ads. Spotted a mistake? Report an error on this page, or see every correction we have made.