Parents applying for a secondary-school place in Sussex for September 2027 have until Saturday 31 October 2026 to submit their application. The deadline applies across Brighton & Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex, but the number of schools families can list and the application instructions differ.
For most children now in Year 6, this is the application for their move into Year 7 next September. Apply through the council where your child lives, including when a preferred school is across a council boundary. Moving school during the current school year follows a different process.
The dates that matter
Apply by 31 October for September 2027 entry
National offer day is Monday 1 March 2027. Complete and submit the form before the October deadline, then keep the confirmation. A saved application is not necessarily a submitted application.
Which council should you apply through?
Use your home local authority’s admissions service. Brighton & Hove City Council runs its own process, separate from the two county councils. The links below lead to the relevant official guidance and application route.
| Home council | School preferences | Application deadline | Official application information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton & Hove | Up to four | 31 October 2026 | Starting secondary school in Brighton & Hove |
| East Sussex | Up to three | 31 October 2026 | East Sussex secondary applications |
| West Sussex | Up to three | 11.59pm, 31 October 2026 | West Sussex secondary applications |
How should you order your school preferences?
List schools in the order you actually want them. The equal-preference system means naming a second or third choice does not reduce your child’s priority for the first. Each school considers the application against its admission criteria; if more than one school could offer a place, the council offers the highest-ranked available preference.
For example, if your child qualifies for both your first and second choices, the offer is for the first. If the first cannot offer a place but the second can, the second preference gives the council another option you have chosen. Listing just one school does not strengthen the application to that school.
West Sussex advises families to use all three preferences and include their catchment school. Across Sussex, read each school’s 2027 admission arrangements, particularly where it sets its own rules. Living in a catchment or community area, or having a sibling at a school, should not be treated as an unconditional guarantee.
Check whether a school needs an extra form
Some schools require supplementary information, for example to assess a particular admission criterion. Check the school’s own instructions for the form, supporting evidence and deadline. Sending that information to a school does not replace the main council application.
Take time to check the child’s address and any information used to assess priority. If your family is moving, ask the admissions team how the move and its evidence affect the application rather than assuming a proposed address can be used immediately.
What if your child has SEND or an EHCP?
A child with an existing Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) follows a separate placement process. Contact the council team responsible for the plan about the secondary transfer. West Sussex directs these families to its Special Educational Needs Assessment Team, known as SENAT.
Having special educational needs or disabilities without an EHCP is not the same situation. West Sussex expressly says that families whose child is still undergoing an EHC needs assessment should make the ordinary school application as well. If you are unsure which process applies, seek advice from your home council before the deadline.
How to check that your application has gone through
Brighton & Hove’s guidance on changing an application says to submit it again after making changes before the deadline. West Sussex also warns that amended applications must be resubmitted. Retain the latest confirmation, rather than relying on an earlier email for a version you have since changed.
East Sussex asks families who need to change their preferences before the deadline to contact admissions as directed on its application page, giving the child’s name and date of birth. Follow your own council’s instructions: the three systems are not interchangeable.
Before you finish
A final submission check
- Confirm you are applying for September 2027 through your home council.
- Check the school names and put them in your genuine preference order.
- Send any required supplementary form or evidence to the correct recipient.
- Submit the application and keep its confirmation.
- If you edit it, follow the council’s instructions to make sure the amended version is submitted.
What happens after the deadline?
Offers for the normal secondary transfer round are due on 1 March 2027. Read the offer carefully and follow your council’s acceptance instructions. Brighton & Hove’s published 2027–28 timetable gives 14 March 2027 as its acceptance deadline and 12 April as the deadline for appeals to be heard in the main appeal round. Do not assume those later dates apply to another authority.
If you miss 31 October, contact your council immediately. Authorities have rules for late applications and may ask for evidence of exceptional circumstances. A later date for considering certain evidence is not a general extension of the application deadline.
Does a school offer include free transport?
Admission and eligibility for school transport are separate decisions. Before choosing a school, check the journey and your home council’s transport policy. Do not assume a place at a preferred school includes a free bus pass or other travel support.
Where can parents get help?
For East Sussex admissions help, call 0300 330 9472, Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm. West Sussex gives 03330 142903 for admissions support, including help with paper applications. Brighton & Hove families can use the council’s school admissions service to find the correct application and guidance.
Checked against council guidance on 20 October 2026. This guide covers the normal Year 7 transfer for September 2027; individual schools’ admission criteria and EHCP placements need their own guidance.
You May Also Be Interested In
