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Primary school admissions

Find a primary school

Reception Class applications opening 1st November.

If you live in Bury and your child was born between 1st September 2019 and 31st August 2020 you can apply for your child to start Reception class at Primary School. The parent portal will allow you to state your preferred schools and you can also apply for schools that are outside of the Bury area.

Primary school applications will open on the 1st November 2023. The closing date for applying, is the 15th January 2024.

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. 

Log in to Parent Portal

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.

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 2024, the admissions schedule of important dates are:

  • 1st November 2023: applications open
  • October to December 2023: primary school open days
  • 15th January 2024: applications deadline
  • 16th April 2024:
    • allocation emails are sent from 9am to parents/carers who applied online
    • allocation letters are posted to parents/carers who applied by paper form
  • 16th May 2024: appeal deadline
  • May to July 2024: appeal hearings are held.

Applications submitted after 15th January 2024 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: