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England

Admission arrangements

Official wording, responsibilities and review duties.

Evidence link

Back to School Policy Checker

Requirement and scope

Choose the governance type; academy and maintained duties differ. Choose a phase; confirm age and provision conditions. Confirm locally: Is the admission authority.

Recheck the official sources before relying on this requirement.

Maintained school

Required document [1]

Must publish. Website publication within the stated scope. [1]

Source-established phases
Primary, Secondary, All-through
Source-established school types
Mainstream school
EYFS condition
No separate EYFS condition stated
Accountable
Admission authority: LA or governing body according to school category/delegation [2]
Approval
not stated in the source
Operational owner
not stated in the source
Review cycle
Determine annually by 28 February; publish by 15 March [1]

Conditions: Is the admission authority.

Source-established phase exclusions: Nursery, Special.

Maintained special schools, nursery admissions and pupil referral units are outside this admissions-code row. Community/voluntary-controlled schools normally use the LA as admission authority.

Source-established school-type exclusions: Special school, Maintained nursery school.

Academy or free school

Required document [1]

Must publish. Website publication within the stated scope. [1]

Source-established phases
Primary, Secondary, All-through
Source-established school types
Mainstream school
EYFS condition
No separate EYFS condition stated
Accountable
not stated in the source
Approval
not stated in the source
Operational owner
not stated in the source
Review cycle
Determine annually by 28 February; publish by 15 March [1]

Source-established phase exclusions: Nursery, Special, 16–19.

Special academies, alternative provision, nursery admissions and stand-alone 16–19 institutions are outside this admissions-code row.

Source-established school-type exclusions: Special school, Maintained nursery school, Pupil referral unit, 16–19 academy.

Determination and publication have different deadlines. Stand-alone 16–19 arrangements are a separate recommendation below.

The admissions chapter’s maintained-school definition is community, foundation or voluntary schools. Nursery-school admissions are outside this admissions-code row; absence of a phase from other rows does not establish an exclusion.

Official wording

Introduction, paragraph 12

12. The pu rpose of the Code is to ensure that all school places for maintained schools and Academies (excluding maintained special schools and special academies6) are allocated and offered in an open and fair way. The Code has the force of law, and where the words ‘must’ or ‘must not’ are used,

School admissions code · Reviewed 2026-10-26

Paragraph 1.49, determination

1.49 All admission authorities must determine42 their admission arrangements, including their PAN, every year, even if they have not changed from previous years and a consultation has not been required by 28 February in the determination year 43.

School admissions code · Reviewed 2026-10-26

Paragraph 1.50, publication

arrangements, they must notify the appropriate bodies44 and must publish a copy of the determined arrangements on the school’s website or their own website (in the case of a local authority) by 15 March in the determination year45 and continue displaying them for the whole offer year (the school year in which offers for places are made). Admission authorities must also send a copy of

School admissions code · Reviewed 2026-10-26

7.10.1 The school admissions code

The local authority is usually the admission authority for: community schools voluntary controlled schools However, the governing body may be the admission authority if the local authority, with the governing body’s agreement, has delegated responsibility to it for determining admission arrangements. The governing body is the admission authority for: foundation schools voluntary-aided schools The admission authority is legally responsible for admission decisions such as determining the admission arrangements and making the decision on the allocation of school places where the school is oversubscribed. Governors will need to be aware of their responsibilities under the school admissions code. 7.10.2 Admissions appeals

Maintained schools: governance guide · Reviewed 2026-10-26

Admission arrangements

The school admissions and appeals codes do not apply to special academies, alternative provision settings or stand-alone 16 to 19 institutions.

What academies and further education colleges must or should publish online · Reviewed 2026-10-26

Section 84(6): maintained-school definition for the school-admissions chapter

“maintained school” means a community, foundation or voluntary school;

School Standards and Framework Act 1998, section 84: Code for school admissions · Reviewed 2026-10-26

Sources and updates

Official evidence reviewed 2026-10-26. Check the source edition and conditions before acting.

  1. School admissions code

    Reviewed edition matches. GOV.UK metadata checked; captured PDF matches the reviewed edition. Live file bytes are unverified.

    Reviewed on
    2026-10-26
    Reviewed version
    2022-03-11T11:27:25+00:00
    Last checked
    2026-10-27T11:00:36.203Z
    Reviewed text digest (SHA-256)
    99ad9dff35b646b764fa28aaa81414cf76e201b9cacde7007e6db92c2ac91a62
    Official content identity
    68c118cf-89b3-4c9e-b6cc-6e413e9b14c4
    Official content digest (SHA-256)
    7f0cc89f071e4ed8d0b4c17e714c8a702a01e014ab00de96b536480aeb310899
    Reviewed PDF digest (SHA-256)
    e66537435d55331d9e357537578e8f807926b5cbba314c5e5b8fb592529058a4

    https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60ebfeb08fa8f50c76838685/School_admissions_code_2021.pdf

    Official attachment · https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60ebfeb08fa8f50c76838685/School_admissions_code_2021.pdf

    Track updates in the Roundup

  2. Maintained schools: governance guide

    Reviewed edition matches. Source text matches the reviewed edition.

    Reviewed on
    2026-10-26
    Reviewed version
    2026-07-15T15:01:39+01:00
    Last checked
    2026-10-27T11:00:36.203Z
    Reviewed text digest (SHA-256)
    e52a8a3de45c63b134d0ebf973be1ac134e940f50648449b0251fde69c0d7046
    Official content identity
    5e3468ca-6e6f-4b22-926e-9f851ba2d630
    Official content digest (SHA-256)
    1d3f2f6c58228e0a50a9591032bcf659d1f5c1c9da375fc1053abb88fdb64829

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/maintained-schools-governance-guide/maintained-schools-governance-guide

    Track updates in the Roundup

  3. What academies and further education colleges must or should publish online

    Reviewed edition matches. Source text matches the reviewed edition.

    Reviewed on
    2026-10-26
    Reviewed version
    2024-10-24T13:22:46+01:00
    Last checked
    2026-10-27T11:00:36.203Z
    Reviewed text digest (SHA-256)
    c97340181ef278fa159ebd90b83d1f974cfc65dd3107bfb3379793aec044b7df
    Official content identity
    805a09d7-7542-41b7-aefe-1b0935777e49
    Official content digest (SHA-256)
    48649d639b13916fb1950e252294ddcfb0016986359c01fe4842291a81faba96

    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-academies-free-schools-and-colleges-should-publish-online

    Track updates in the Roundup

  4. School Standards and Framework Act 1998, section 84: Code for school admissions

    Recheck this source. Manual source review required.

    Reviewed on
    2026-10-26
    Reviewed version
    not stated in the source
    Last checked
    not available
    Reviewed text digest (SHA-256)
    4481b631e0f0bc98a73ee3a2399adefca82a72f6bc2eb9beede43878c7cca01d
    Official content identity
    not stated in the source
    Official content digest (SHA-256)
    not stated in the source

    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/31/section/84

Guidance, not legal advice. Local checks are not a compliance judgement; other duties may apply.