Schools: prepare before moving

Applying for a state school in the UK is free. In England you apply through the council for the area where you will live, even if you are still abroad. If you arrive part-way through the school year, you make an “in-year application” and the council tells you which schools have places. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each run their own system, so decide which nation you will live in first.

Who this schools guide is for

It is for families moving to the UK on a work or study visa, or with settled status, who have school-age children. In England, children of compulsory school age, broadly 5 to 16, must by law receive a suitable full-time education, and that includes foreign national children living in England.

One exception matters: a child on the visitor route (up to 6 months) or the 11-month Short-term Study (English language) visa cannot enrol as a pupil. Unaccompanied children on a Child Student or Student visa must study at an independent school or college that is a licensed sponsor. GOV.UK says parents are responsible for checking their child’s visa allows state school study.

Choosing schools in England

Start with your council’s website, which lists state-funded schools and their admission criteria. Visit on open days, read the latest Ofsted reports and check performance tables. For most schools your address matters most, so link your housing search to your school search with our housing checklist and transport guide.

How priority and catchment areas work

When a school has more applicants than places, it uses its admission criteria. These vary, but priority may go to children who:

live close to the school or in its catchment area
have a brother or sister at the school
are of a particular religion, at faith schools
pass an entrance test, at selective schools such as grammar schools
attend a linked “feeder” primary school
are eligible for the pupil premium
have a parent who has worked at the school for 2 years or more

All state-funded schools must give top priority to children who are, or were, in care. A school named in a child’s education, health and care (EHC) plan must give them a place.

How to apply in England, step by step

Find the right council for the area you will live in, using our council finder.
Read each school’s criteria before you rank your choices.
List several schools in order of preference. GOV.UK says listing only one will not increase your chances there.
Prepare evidence of your address. Councils can ask for a mortgage or rental agreement, property deeds, an employer’s letter showing a transfer date, or registration with a local GP.
Apply before the deadline rather than relying on late application processes.
Accept the offer in time. Otherwise it may be withdrawn and given to someone else.

Applying from outside the UK

GOV.UK guidance says a council should not refuse an application from overseas because you do not yet live in its area. Councils should not require proof of immigration status before you apply, and state schools must not ask to see passports or immigration information as a condition of admission.

Key admission dates in England

Stage	Applications open	Deadline	Offers sent
Primary (reception)	September each year	15 January	16 April
Secondary	Usually 1 September	31 October	1 March
In-year (mid-year arrival)	Any time, through your council	No single deadline	As places allow

If an offer date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, offers go out the next working day. Most children start reception full-time in the September after their fourth birthday, and must be in full-time education from compulsory school age: 31 December, 31 March or 31 August following their fifth birthday, whichever comes first.

Arriving mid-year: in-year applications

Most families from abroad arrive after the normal deadlines, so an in-year application is the usual route. Guidance says admission authorities must consider all in-year applications and should not refuse one simply because the family currently lives in another country.

If your child is not offered any school you applied for, the council must provide a place elsewhere, usually the nearest school with places. You can join the waiting list for a preferred school even after accepting another place; the list must stay open for at least the first term of each school year.

Appealing a refusal

You must be given at least 20 school days to appeal and at least 10 school days’ notice of the hearing. Appeals are heard within 40 school days of the appeal deadline, and decisions usually follow within 5 school days. Reception, year 1 and year 2 classes are limited to 30 pupils, and an application can be turned down if every class is full.

Free school meals

In England every child at a state-funded school gets free meals in reception, year 1 and year 2, whatever the family income. After that it depends on benefits. GOV.UK says that from the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, children qualify if the family gets Universal Credit, regardless of household income. If your visa says “no recourse to public funds”, your child may still be eligible, so ask the school or council.

Nation	Free for all	After that
England	Reception, year 1 and year 2	Based on benefits, through the council
Scotland	Lunches in primary 1 to 5 at council-run or Scottish Government-funded schools	Based on benefits, including Universal Credit with monthly earned income of no more than £995
Wales	All primary school children	Check with your council
Northern Ireland	No universal scheme in our sources	For 2026–27, Universal Credit households with earnings up to £15,900 a year after tax

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Scotland

Every child has a right to a free school place. The council allocates a local school, usually the catchment school. You can request another school; it depends on free places, and you can appeal a refusal. You can ask about a place at any time of year. See our Edinburgh guide.

Wales

Apply through your council. GOV.WALES says admission authorities must not refuse a child because of nationality or immigration status, and the six-month Standard Visitor visa cannot be used to enrol a child. See our Cardiff guide.

Northern Ireland

Every child aged 4 to 16 is entitled to a school place, but not at a particular school. Apply online through the Education Authority; first-year primary applications open in January and you must list at least four primary schools. Transfer to post-primary starts in Year 6. See our Belfast guide.

Common mistakes

Signing a tenancy before checking local schools. Distance and catchment decide your chances.
Applying for just one school. It does not improve your odds.
Only contacting schools directly. In England the main route is the council; follow what your council says about in-year applications.
Not replying to an offer. The place may be withdrawn.
Assuming a visiting child can attend a state school. The visitor route does not allow it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for a school before we arrive in the UK?

Yes, in England. Contact the council for the area you are moving to. It should not refuse because you live abroad, and it may ask for evidence of the move, such as a rental agreement.

Will a state school ask for my child’s passport or visa?

GOV.UK guidance says state schools in England must not ask to see passports or immigration information as a condition of admission. It is still your job to check your child’s status allows them to study.

We arrived in November. Have we missed the deadline?

No. Make an in-year application through your council at any time; it will tell you which schools have places.

Are state schools free?

Yes. Independent schools set their own fees and you apply to them directly.

What if my child is refused the school I want?

Ask to join the waiting list and appeal within the time in the refusal letter. You can accept another school meanwhile.

Sources

Your next step

Draft an English enquiry to a school or council with our message templates. For Arabic lessons or extra tuition, browse Arabic schools and tutoring in the directory.

Reviewed 17 October 2026.