Primary School Admissions
| Applications for Reception 2024 will open on November 1st 2023. You will not be able to make an application before this date. |
In Tameside, children start school in the September of the school year in which they become 5 years of age, which means most children are 4 years old when they start school. Children born between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020 are eligible to start school in September 2024.
The Starting Out book explains the admission process in detail. It provides advice on what you need to know before you make an application and how places are allocated including the admission policies for each school. For example, some voluntary aided schools ask for additional information to support your application, such as proof of church attendance or a baptismal certificate. Please send this directly to each school as required.
If you are applying for schools outside of Tameside, please check with the individual school or local authority if you are required to provide any additional evidence.
How to Apply for a Primary School Place
Tameside residents should use the Tameside Citizen Portal to apply for a Reception place. If you do not live within Tameside but wish to apply for a place at a Tameside school, you should apply via your own Local Authority.Independent/private school admissions are not processed by the Local Authority. For further information about places and admission processes please contact those schools directly.
If your child is starting school for the first time in September 2024 AND you are a Tameside Resident, please use the application portal below.
Please note that the closing date for submitting an application for a Reception place has now passed. Any applications submitted after 15th January 2024 will be processed as a late application.
When You Will be Informed of Your Allocated School
- On-time applications - if your application was submitted on or before 15th January 2024, you will be notified of your allocated school, by email, during National Offer Day – 16 April 2024. You will also be able to view your allocated school by logging into your Citizen Portal after midnight on National Offer Day.
- Late applications - if your application was submitted after 15th January 2024, you will receive notification of your allocated school at a later date, by letter. Late allocations are not viewable via the Citizen’s Portal.
Timetable for Applying for a Primary School Place
| 01 November 2023 | The online admissions system opens for primary school places (Reception 2024). |
| 15 January 2024 | Closing date for applications. |
| 30 January 2024 | The online admissions system opens for ‘late’ primary school applications (Reception 2024). |
| 02 February 2024 | Last date for any changes to the address in your application. |
| 16 April 2024 | National Offer Day. |
If You Are Not Offered a Place at Your Preferred School
If you have included other schools in your application and they have places available, we will offer your child a place at one of those schools. If it is not possible to allocate a place at any of your preferred schools, the Local Authority will allocate a place at the nearest school to your home address that has a place available.
If you are not offered a place at the school(s) of your choice you will have the right to appeal against the decision. For information on school appeals, please visit our school appeals page here
Please note: your child's name will be automatically placed on waiting lists for schools that you have ranked higher than your allocated school. You will retain the place you have been allocated until you secure a place at an alternative school.
Tameside Primary School Special Circumstances Form
The Starting Out
book also describes what happens after your application is submitted and what to do if you do not get your preferred school place offer on National Offer Day. Furthermore, The “Starting Out 2024 Admissions Arrangements” document details the admissions arrangements in place for all Tameside Primary Schools for 2024.The Children and Young People’s Partnership Forum have developed some useful advice for parents when their child is making the transition from their early years setting to primary school: moving into primary school from early years settings
| Apply for a reception 2024 school place here |