Apply for a primary school place

Children born between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023 will start primary school in September 2027.

Apply online from 1 November 2026 for September 2027 admissions. You must apply by 15 January 2027. If you apply after 15 January your application will be considered as late and may be at a disadvantage.

Before you apply

It is best to take some time to think about which school would be best for your child. You should find out as much as you can about your preferred schools by:

• reading TIPS 8 - Primary and Secondary School Admissions
• reading the guidance on using the citizens portal
• contacting the schools to see their prospectus and looking at their websites
• reading the schools’ admissions policies
• talking to staff in your child’s current setting
• visiting the schools (phone first to make an appointment) or go to school open days or evenings

There are several Devon schools not far from Torbay. You can find out more about these schools by:

• contacting the Devon Education helpline on 0345 155 1019
• emailing admissions@devon.gov.uk
• visiting www.devon.gov.uk/admissions

Applying for a place

You will need to register for an online account to apply for a place.

• complete this form if your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan and you would like to apply for a mainstream school place. For a Specialist Educational Provision, please contact the SENDCO at your child’s current school and submit the SEP form.
• complete our form if you live in Torbay, even if you are applying for schools outside Torbay
• children who live outside Torbay need to apply to the council where they live, for example Devon County Council

Application deadlines

Apply by 15 January 2027. If you apply by this date you'll get your offer on 16 April 2027.

We won't look at late applications until the first round of allocations has finished.

School preference

You can choose up to three schools in your order of preference from one to three. They can include schools outside Torbay.

We will offer your child one primary school place. If a place was available at more than one of your preferences, the offer will be for the school that can offer a place which was your highest preference.

Supplementary forms

You may need to complete a supplementary information form for your preferred school (s), check directly with the school(s) to obtain the form(s) and once completed return the form directly to them.

Your preferred school may prioritise the children of staff in their admission criteria. If you work at the school, then you will need to fill in a form to tell the school about your child's application.

You must complete these forms as well as the main (common) application form.