Reception or year 7 places for UK service families

Advice for UK service personnel and Crown Servants relocating to Lancashire. 

We recognise the support required by UK service personnel as a result of being subject to frequent movement within the UK and from abroad, often at relatively short notice.

Lancashire County Council has agreed to give priority access to schools for UK service families where the county council sets the admissions policy for the school.

When to apply

Applications open each year on 1 September in Lancashire.

Local authorities elsewhere in England may open applications on different dates in September.

Application deadlines

You must apply for a:

  • Reception place by 15 January
  • Year 7 place by 31 October

How to apply

Where are you currently living?

Apply online where possible.

Paper forms can be provided on request, contact the area education office.

If you live in Lancashire, you should apply through Lancashire County Council (as the local authority) even if any of the schools you apply for are outside of the county.

If you live overseas, apply online where possible.

Paper forms can be provided on request, contact the area education office.

Include a copy of the official MOD, FCO or GCHQ letter declaring your relocation date and future home address, unit address or quartering area address with your application.

Complete the school admissions application for the local authority where you currently live. They will co-ordinate the application with Lancashire.

Provide a copy of the official MOD, FCO or GCHQ letter declaring your relocation date and future home address, unit postal address or quartering area address.

Send this to your home local authority admissions team by the relevant deadline (check their website or contact them for further information).

School place offers

School place offers should be made by your local authority or Lancashire County Council if you are currently overseas.

They will send offers for:

  • Year 7 on 1 March 
  • Reception on 16 April

These are the national offer dates, if either date falls on a weekend or a bank holiday, offers are sent the next working day.

Waiting lists

Waiting lists are established soon after the offer date.

Appeals

If your child is refused a place, you can appeal against the decision. Find out about the appeals process.

More information

For more information about choosing schools, admission criteria and applying for a place see

The School Admissions Code

Our admission arrangements for service children are set in accordance with paragraph 2.21 of the School Admissions Code (September 2021), below:

2.21 For families of service personnel with a confirmed posting, or crown servants returning from overseas, admission authorities must:

a) allocate a place in advance of the family arriving in the area (as long as one is available), provided the application is accompanied by an official letter that declares a relocation date. Admission authorities must not refuse to process an application and must not refuse a place solely because the family do not yet have an intended address, or do not yet live in the area.

b) use the address at which the child will live when applying their oversubscription criteria, as long as the parents provide some evidence of their intended address. Admission authorities must use a Unit or quartering address as the child’s home address when considering the application against their oversubscription criteria, where a parent requests this.

c) not reserve blocks of places for these children.

d) ensure that arrangements in their area support the Government’s commitment to removing disadvantage for service children.