When do you apply for grammar school places? The 2027 exam cycle

For a state grammar-school place in England, there are two separate jobs: register for the entrance test by its own deadline, then apply for the school place through your home local authority. Completing the first does not complete the second.

For children taking the usual Year 7 entrance tests in 2027, the intended school start is generally September 2028. Under the current England secondary-admissions timetable, the school-place application deadline is 31 October 2027. Test registration can close many months earlier.

Which application are you completing?

The forms may have different deadlines. A school might use “application” to mean entry to its test, while a council uses the same word for a place in Year 7. Read what the form actually does and keep separate confirmations.

When does the school-place application open?

GOV.UK’s guidance says secondary applications usually open on 1 September and close on 31 October. Check the opening date, submission time and instructions in your home council’s scheme for the correct intake. Do not use 15 January, the primary-school deadline, for a secondary application.

For September 2028 entry, Wirral’s published timetable lists its application system opening on 1 September 2027 and closing on 31 October 2027. This is a specific council example; your own council is the place to verify the process you must follow.

How early must you register for the test?

Earlier than the council preference deadline. Some registration windows occur in spring, others later; neither “wait until Year 6” nor “all registration is in May” is safe advice. Begin checking during Year 5 and record the actual dates for every accepted test.

The Gloucestershire 2028-entry page already lists registration during February–March 2027. Its test is planned for July. This illustrates why an autumn school-place deadline must not be treated as the deadline to start the whole process. See how to register for a practical submission checklist.

Should you wait for the result before applying?

Read the organiser’s results timetable, but do not miss the council deadline while waiting for a result or a later test stage. Prepare your shortlist and supporting information in advance. Ask your council and the school how to complete the application if a result or further assessment is outstanding.

A qualifying result means the child has met a particular academic requirement; it does not necessarily mean a place is available. Check each school’s admission rules alongside the result. A previous year’s lowest offered score cannot guarantee the next year’s outcome.

How should you order preferences?

Use your genuine preference order and include other schools you would be willing for your child to attend. Avoid the old advice to put a “safe” school first regardless of preference. Listing a single school does not strengthen that application. Read your home council’s explanation of how its coordinated offer process works and how many preferences it allows.

For each choice, check the school’s published entry requirements, catchment or priority rules and any supporting form. A sibling, postcode or high score does not have an identical effect at every grammar school. School-specific policy matters more than a generic list of admissions priorities.

Your final-week application check

• Correct child and entry year selected.
• Schools entered with the correct names; similarly named schools checked.
• Preference order reflects your actual choices.
• Required school forms and test-result sharing completed separately.
• Address and supporting evidence meet the published requirements.
• Application submitted, not left as a draft.
• Confirmation saved and any remaining actions recorded.

What happens if you miss a deadline?

Contact the body responsible for the missed step immediately. A missed test-registration deadline and a late school-place application are different problems. Explain the circumstances and ask for the applicable published procedure. Do not rely on a supposed standard extension, late-registration fee or guaranteed appeal route to an examination.

If you move home, ask the council how it treats the new address and any application changes. Do not assume that a new tenancy immediately changes your priority for every school. Keep evidence of the move and the correspondence about it.

When will you hear about a place?

Secondary offers normally arrive on 1 March, or the next working day if necessary, and the offer letter specifies when to respond. For the usual September 2028 intake, the expected national offer day under that rule is 1 March 2028. Check your council’s published timetable when available.

For the complete journey from registration to transition, use our grammar-school admissions timeline. If your child needs to join during an academic year, use the council’s in-year admissions route instead of assuming this normal-round calendar applies.