Apply for a new reception primary school place.

If your child was born between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2021 you need to apply for a new reception school place to your home local authority. You need to apply by 15 January 2025.

Some schools have changed their name. If you cannot find the name of your preferred school when making an online application try selecting E-Act before the school's name. For some E-Act academies, search on the school name with E-Act appearing in the middle of the school's name.

Online

Apply online from Thursday 12 September 2024 for September 2025 admissions.

Apply online for a new reception place for Sept 2025 Go to https://parent.bristol.gov.uk/web/portal/pages/parents/admissions (opens new window)

You'll need to register for an account on our Parent Portal admissions system.

Before you apply:

For other year groups school place applications including applications for September 2024 admissions make an In year application

Applications from outside the UK

If you're applying for a school place outside the UK and have problems applying online then fill in and return the pdf primary application form (646 KB)

 You can:

  • fill in and submit the form online using your computer.  
  • fill in and email the form as an attachment  to school.admissions@bristol.gov.uk. to avoid postal delays
  • or print and return the form by post

Other ways to apply

 You can either:

Application deadlines

Apply by 15 January 2025.

Offers of school places for on time applications will be sent on 16 April 2025.

Applications after 15 January 2025 will be processed after the initial round of allocations is complete on 16 April 2025.

The final date and time for making limited changes to an existing application for the first round of allocations is midnight on 20 January 2025. See change your reception place application.

The second round of allocations will be in May 2025.

Supplementary information forms

You may need to complete a supplementary information form (SIF) as well as the Bristol City Council application form for some schools.  

School preference

You can express a preference for up to three schools in your order of preference from one to three.  All your preferences are considered equally against the schools admission criteria regardless of whether you have put them as preference one, two or three. 

If your child qualifies for a place at more than one of your three preferred schools your highest ranked preference school will be offered to you and lower ranked preferences withdrawn.

 Your school offer and acceptance

See reception primary place offer for how and when we'll offer your child a school place. You'll need to respond to this offer by 30 April 2025.

Elsewhere on the web

Contact information

School admissions

To contact us, fill in our school admissions contact form.

Bristol City Council
PO Box 3399
Bristol BS1 9NE
Phone: 0117 903 7694

Opening Hours

Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm
Friday, 9am to 4.30pm