How to apply (after 31 October 2022) 

Children born between 1 September 2011 and 31 August 2012 – or currently educated in Year Six – should start secondary school in September 2023. 

If you live within the borough of Reading, you must apply to Reading for any state secondary school, even if your preferred school is in another council area. 

If you live outside the borough of Reading, you should apply to your local council, even if you want a place at a Reading school. Contact information for neighbouring councils is listed at the bottom of this page. 

The deadline for on-time secondary school applications was 31 October 2022. 

Applications received after this date are marked ‘late’ and not considered until all on-time applications have been processed (i.e. after 16 March 2023). 

Late applications 

If your child lives in Reading and you have not yet applied for their secondary school, Click the button below to access the parent portal and look for ‘Apply for a School Place’.  

Please note, you can only use this link if you have not previously submitted an on time application. If you wish to change your preferences, please email the team.

Paper copies of the late application form are available from your child’s primary school (if your child attends a state primary school within Reading Borough) or via the school admissions team on 0118 937 3777 or admissions@brighterfuturesforchildren.org. You may post your completed form to the school admissions team or return it to your child’s current school (if in Reading). 

Where there is good reason for a late application, it may be considered as on-time up to 31 December 2022. Examples of a good reason might include: illness preventing a single parent/carer from returning the form, or a family moving into Reading after the closing date. Such cases must be supported with appropriate evidence. Where no evidence is provided, an application will be considered ‘late’ and not processed until after 16 March 2023. 

Applications received after 1 January 2023 are considered ‘late’, regardless of whether supporting evidence is provided. 

Where a late application is made to change a child’s preferred schools, it will replace any previous on-time application (i.e. the new application will be marked ‘late’). Please carefully consider the use of this option before National Offer Day. 

Before applying, please make sure you have read our Secondary School Admissions Guide. If you would like a paper copy of this document, please contact the school admissions team on 0118 937 3777. 

Please note that some schools use a supplementary form as part of their admissions process. These should be completed in addition to your Reading application form. Please see below for more information on these schools. 

The Admissions team aims to acknowledge all late applications within 15 school days of receipt, however, in busy periods this may not be possible. Please contact the team if your application has not been acknowledged after 20 school days. 

We recommend that you visit schools prior to submitting your application. Details of school open days can be obtained from each school.

Some schools have their own form which you may wish to complete in addition to the local authority secondary school application form. Please refer to the school admissions policies for more information. These supplementary forms are not essential but will assist the school in ranking your child accordingly. You should post these forms directly to the schools.

Introduced in 2011, the pupil premium is a sum of money given to schools each year, by the Government, to improve the attainment of disadvantaged children. It is awarded to schools for children who:

If you are unsure whether your child is eligible for priority admission to a school based on these criteria, please ask your child’s current school. For more information please see our pupil premium page.

Schools in other authorities may also have a supplementary form, for example Piggott School in Wokingham. If you are considering applying for one of these schools, please go to the website of the school’s local authority for relevant information.

Reading has two selective state grammar schools which use entrance tests as a basis for selecting pupils:

Registration for the tests was required before September 2022.

Please see the appropriate school website for more details before submitting your application.

Your catchment area school or schools (also known as designated area schools) are the schools for which your address has priority. You should always consider including your catchment area school(s) on your application, however, doing so will not guarantee your child a place there. The Secondary School Admissions Guide 2023-24 gives more details.

The MyReading website includes a school search which shows your catchment area school based on your address. However, it does not include schools in neighbouring council areas for which you may be in catchment. For more details, see the Secondary School Admissions Guide 2023-24.

Please note that not all addresses have a catchment area school.

If your child has special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) but does not have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or statement, they will be considered for a place at your preferred school in the same way as any other child.

If your child has an EHCP to support their needs, you must apply through the SEND team. In addition, we would advise you to discuss your child’s secondary school transfer with their case officer as the application will be considered differently.

If your child is due to start Year 10 in September 2023, you may wish to apply for a place at a University Technical College (UTC) or Studio School. A list of the UTC’s and Studio Schools in Reading or bordering authorities can be found in the Secondary School Admissions Guide.

Applications for places at UTC Reading should be made directly to the school.

Information on applications to other year groups that are not part of the routine admissions round can be found on our in-year admissions page.

For a place in a school sixth form, please apply directly to the school. Our Secondary School Admissions Guide 2023-24 contains a list of schools with sixth forms.