Apply for a secondary school admission
Year 7 applications for entry in September 2026
Children born between 1 September 2014 and 31 August 2015 should start secondary school in September 2026.
Applications for a secondary school place in Year 7 in September 2026 are open to Slough residents between 1 September 2025 and 31 October 2025.
Please note parents have to apply to the local authority where they and their child live (as in, where they pay council tax for the property they and their child lives in), even if they wish to be considered for schools in another local authority. You can check if your home address falls within our area on GOV.UK's Find your local council page.
Key secondary school admission dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 September 2025 | Online applications open |
| 31 October 2025 | National deadline to submit your child’s application |
| 2 March 2026 | National offer day for timely applicants |
Before making your application, you should:
- read the Secondary school admissions booklet 2026/27
- attend school open days/evenings at schools you are interested in. Please refer to each school’s website for details
- read the admission criteria for the schools you choose (so you understand how your child’s application will be considered). Please refer to each school’s website for details
- check whether you need to provide a supplementary form (SIF) to meet certain admission criteria for a preferred school. Some schools (such as faith schools) require you to complete their supplementary form as well as Slough Borough Council’s Common Application Form (online application). You should return completed SIFs directly to the relevant school(s)
- for a child to be considered for a place at a grammar school, they must sit the 11+ entrance examination and reach the required minimum mark to be considered eligible. Slough’s 11+ process is overseen by the Slough Consortium of Grammar Schools and is entirely independent from Slough Borough Council. Please visit the Slough Consortium Grammar schools’ websites for further information, such as guidance and key dates relating to the 11+ process
- Consider how your child will get to school each day.