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Primary school admissions

National offer day is the 16 April. If you applied online you will receive an email on the morning of the 16 April. If you applied via paper form or over the telephone, a letter will be posted to you.

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Appeal

You can appeal against your primary school allocation by completing the Reception Class appeal form.

Please complete and return the form to schoolappeals@bury.gov.uk along with any supplementary information by 16 May 2026.

Please complete one appeal form per school and one per child.

For more information about school appeals visit: School admission appeals - Bury Council

Primary schools in Bury

Apply for a primary school place

You must still apply for a school place for your child who is due to start school, even if you already have an older child who attends a nursery or school already.

Before applying online, we recommend you read the primary school admissions guide.

When you're ready to apply for a primary school place for your child, you can do this online. You'll be able to create an account, so that you can track the progress of your application. 

Alternatively, you can print and return a paper application to admissions@bury.gov.uk or post it to: Admissions Team, Children and Young People, 3 Knowsley Place, Duke Street, Bury, BL9 0EJ.

You might also be interested in school clubs for your child to attend before or after school, which you can find on The Bury Directory.

Please click here for useful information on helping your child to get ready to start Primary School. 

School supplementary information forms

Some schools may require additional information as part of their admissions criteria, which may mean you need to complete a supplementary information form available on this page or from the school's website.

Primary school admissions process

For children starting school in September 2026, the admissions schedule of important dates are:

  • 1 November 2025: applications open
  • October to December 2025: primary school open days
  • 15 January 2026: applications deadline
  • 16 April 2026:
    • allocation emails are sent from 9am to parents/carers who applied online
    • allocation letters are posted to parents/carers who applied by paper form
  • 16 May 2026: appeal deadline
  • May to July 2026: appeal hearings are held.

Applications submitted after 15 January 2026 will not be considered until on-time applications have been offered places first.

School admissions policies and procedures

As the local authority for school admissions, the following information offers a guide to the policies and procedures we abide by: