Admissions
What Schools Must Publish Online

School admissions can be one of the most complex and scrutinised areas of school administration. For parents, the process is often stressful, and they rely on clear, accessible, and accurate information. For schools, ensuring your website's admissions section is fully compliant with Department for Education (DfE) requirements isn't just good practice—it's essential for transparency, fairness, and avoiding potential challenges. Getting admissions arrangements right is crucial, but the rules can vary depending on your type of institution. To help you navigate this, Andrew Walls, Founder of Acuity AI Education, has created a clear video guide breaking down exactly what's required.

Let's break down the key takeaways from the video into a handy checklist.

For Maintained Schools

The rules for maintained schools depend on who your admission authority is.

1. Foundation and Voluntary-Aided Schools

As you are your own admission authority, you have direct responsibility for publishing your arrangements.

  • Deadline: You must publish your full admission arrangements on your website by 15th March each year for the following year's intake.

  • Duration: These arrangements must remain on your website for the entire academic year in which offers are made.

  • What to Include: Your arrangements must clearly explain:

    • How you consider applications for each age group you admit.

    • Your Published Admission Number (PAN)—the number of children you intend to admit.

    • What parents and carers need to do to apply for a place.

    • Your oversubscription criteria, explaining how you allocate places if you receive more applicants than you have places available.

    • If you are a selective school, the process for how children are selected.

    • For primary schools, the process for parents to request a deferral of their child’s entry to Reception.

    • If you have a sixth form, how many external applicants you intend to admit.

2. Community and Voluntary-Controlled Schools

For these schools, it's much simpler. Your Local Authority (LA) manages your admissions.

  • Your Responsibility: You simply need to publish a clear link to the Local Authority’s website where parents can find all the relevant admission and appeal information.

For Academies and Academy Trusts

The requirements for academies are largely identical to those for Foundation and Voluntary-Aided schools. As your own admission authority, your trust must publish clear and detailed arrangements.

  • Key Deadlines:

    • Normal Intake: Publish admission arrangements by 15th March.

    • In-Year Applications: Publish your in-year application process by 31st August.

    • Appeals: Publish your appeals timetable by 28th February.

  • What to Include: The information required (PAN, oversubscription criteria, application process) is the same as listed for Foundation schools above.

  • Important Note: The School Admissions and Appeal Codes do not apply to Special Academies or standalone 16-19 institutions.

For Further Education (FE) Colleges & 16-19 Institutions

While the strict DfE codes may not apply, there is clear guidance on best practices to ensure a fair and transparent process.

  • Deadline: You should publish your admission arrangements by the September of the academic year before students will be applying. This allows them to make an informed choice.

  • What to Include:

    • Details of any planned open days.

    • Clear, step-by-step instructions on how to apply for a place.

    • Whether you give any priority to applications from pupils at particular feeder schools.

Don't Forget In-Year Admissions and Appeals!

These two areas apply to all schools that act as their own admission authority (Foundation, Voluntary-Aided, and Academies).

  • In-Year Admissions: You must publish your process for managing applications made during the school year by 31st August each year.

  • Admission Appeals: You must publish a timetable for appeals by 28th February each year. This timetable must:

    • Give parents at least 20 school days to prepare and lodge a written appeal.

    • Include reasonable deadlines for submitting evidence.

    • Ensure parents get at least 10 school days’ notice of their appeal hearing.

    • Ensure decision letters are sent within 5 school days of the hearing, wherever possible.

Staying Compliant with Confidence

Keeping track of these details and deadlines can be a challenge. That's where automated tools can provide peace of mind. At Acuity AI Education, we offer an AI-powered service that audits your school website against every DfE requirement, flagging outdated policies and compliance risks instantly.

You can run a scan for free to see how your website measures up and ensure your admissions information is clear, correct, and completely compliant.