Ian Richardson
Built hundreds of website and helped countless schools realise their potential online. Ian should be called upon for straight-talking advice and to make a difference to the way you present your school through every outlet.
HomeSchool Website BlogSchool Website RequirementsSchool Admissions Code and What to Publish on Your School Website
Getting your school admissions regulations right on your website is paramount for two key reasons. Firstly, school admissions constitute a significant section of school website requirements. Secondly, admissions information is often the first reason a prospective parent or carer visits your site, seeking details on your admissions procedures.
Therefore, your admissions page must be more than just compliant; it needs to provide a welcoming and informative experience. The regulations can vary based on your school setting. Also, requirements are more complex for schools that determine their own admissions.
Also, always consider your visitors, understand their needs, and aim to provide the best possible experience.
Admissions serve as the entry point to your school, and prospective parents will almost certainly review them as they navigate your website. Therefore, a clear and detailed admissions page can set an excellent first impression, making it essential to align with the latest school admissions code.
The school admissions code outlines the regulations all admission authorities must follow. This includes maintained schools with governor-determined admissions, academies, and free schools. The code ensures that all schools adhere to a consistent and fair admissions process. Here, we detail what your school needs to publish online regarding admissions to comply with the latest requirements.
By 15 March each year, your school or trust must publish the admission arrangements for children starting school on its website at the normal point of entry in September of the following year. These arrangements must remain on the website for the entire academic year in which offers for places are made.
The admission arrangements must clearly explain:
Additionally, where applicable, the school or trust must explain:
By 31 August each year, the school or trust must publish how it will manage in-year applications for places, which are applications for places in the middle of a school year or to start in a non-normal entry year in September.
If the trust manages these applications, it must provide:
If the local authority manages these applications, the school or trust must publish a link to the local authority’s in-year application coordination scheme.
By 28 February each year, the school or trust must publish a timetable outlining how it will organise and hear admission appeals. This timetable must:
Further guidance on organising admission appeals can be found in the school admission appeals code.
For community and voluntary-controlled schools, where the local authority manages the admissions process, it is essential to publish a link to the local authority’s website. Since the local authority handles both processes, so that all necessary information is readily accessible.
The school admissions and appeals codes do not apply to special academies, alternative provision settings, or stand-alone 16 to 19 institutions. However, these institutions should still publish their admission arrangements by the September of the academic year before applications are made. This allows parents, carers, and young people to make informed choices, with the arrangements remaining unchanged during that year.
The admission arrangements should include details of:
Admissions are becoming increasingly competitive, particularly for schools with an Ofsted rating of 'good' or 'outstanding'. Oversubscription criteria must be clearly published. Detail the process for when more students apply than there are places available. Also, this includes accounting for different groups of students and the criteria used in tie-break situations.
Additionally, any changes to the admissions and oversubscription criteria must be made in advance of the admissions process and include an admissions consultation. The consultation information must be published on the admission authority’s website for the duration of the consultation period. For schools that determine their own admissions, this means the school website.
To ensure your school remains compliant with the latest school admissions code, it is essential to adhere to the following key dates. These dates help streamline the admissions process and ensure timely publication of necessary information on your school website.
Adhere to these key dates to ensure timely publication of all required information. Furthermore, by following these dates and best practices, your school can maintain compliance with the school admissions code and provide a seamless experience for prospective parents and students.
The Department for Education (DfE) updated its requirements for school admissions regulations recently.
To ensure compliance with the latest updates, the following information must be published on your school website:
Download the School Website Requirements Guide for full details all new requirements.
At Schudio, we pride ourselves on providing the most accurate and helpful information in the UK, thanks to our direct contacts at the Department for Education (DfE). Here is a vital clarification statement regarding the school admissions code:
Clarification: “Paragraph 1.50 of the School Admissions Code (the Code) requires admission authorities to publish a copy of their determined admission arrangements on the school’s website (or their own website, in the case of a local authority). Academies are bound to comply with the Code by their Funding Agreements.
Admission arrangements must be published by 15th March in the year they are determined (i.e., the year before they are to apply). They must remain on the school’s website for the entire offer year.
For example, the arrangements for children starting school in September 2026 must be:
Additionally, by 31st August 2026, the website must display information about how in-year admissions will be managed for the 2026/27 school year.
Therefore, currently, schools should be displaying the admission arrangements for both 2024 and 2025. Also, there is no requirement to publish admission arrangements for three years simultaneously, but information about in-year admissions for the current school year must be displayed.”
So, this clarification ensures that your school complies with the latest regulations and keeps parents and carers well-informed about the admissions process.
Managing admissions across multiple schools within a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) can be a complex task. However, there are opportunities to streamline and centralise this process using innovative tools. One such tool is Schudio's 'Shared Document Groups' function, which provides MATs with a unique capability to centrally manage all policies and embed them across all their schools' websites.
Implement Schudio's 'Shared Document Groups' function. MATs need to manage their admissions content efficiently, and this problem can be solved with the help of the Schudio tool. So, here is how it can be implemented:
So, by leveraging the 'Shared Document Groups' function, Multi Academy Trusts can achieve a high level of operational efficiency. Furthermore, you can ensure that all your schools are aligned with the latest school admissions code. This enhances compliance and provides a streamlined and consistent experience for parents and carers navigating the admissions process.
So, get in touch with our team to find out more about how we can help your trust.
Staying aware of the requirements and ensuring your school website is compliant with the school admissions code is crucial. This is especially true during times when parents are considering options for their children. Also, your admissions page should not only be a list of documents but also an opportunity to engage with your next group of parents at an early stage.
Finally, keep up to date with your school website requirements with our definitive School Website Requirements Guide. Add this resource to your bank of resources today.
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Built hundreds of website and helped countless schools realise their potential online. Ian should be called upon for straight-talking advice and to make a difference to the way you present your school through every outlet.