You usually find out secondary school places on 1 March each year in England (often called “National Offer Day”).

Quick Scoop: Key Dates

  • Applications for secondary school places typically close on 31 October of Year 6.
  • Local councils then process all applications over winter.
  • Offer letters/emails are sent on or around 1 March ; if that falls on a weekend or bank holiday, they go out the next working day.
  • In many areas, emails arrive during the day or early evening, with letters following by post if you applied on paper.

In short: if you’re asking “when do we find out secondary school places?” , for England it’s almost always 1 March of Year 6.

Does it vary by country?

  • England & Wales: Year 6 pupils get secondary offers on or around 1 March.
  • Scotland: There isn’t a single national “offer day”; placements are arranged by local councils and procedures differ.
  • Northern Ireland: Post‑primary offers are usually sent later, around May.

Always check your local council’s admissions page for this year’s exact date, because they publish a timetable for your area and year group.

What happens after offer day?

  • You’ll be given a deadline to accept the place; if you don’t respond in time, the offer can be withdrawn.
  • If you don’t get the school you wanted, you can usually join waiting lists and/or appeal using the process and dates set by your council.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.