From the 2027 to 2028 school year, all Welsh local authorities, in-line with Welsh Goverment guidelines must operate a coordinated school admissions scheme for Reception and Year 7 applications. The new process is designed to make applying for school places simpler for parents and carers and to help ensure every child receives a single school offer. Parents can apply online using one application form and list up to three preferred schools, including participating community and voluntary-aided schools.
- The scheme does not apply to nursery, sixth form, special school, or in-year transfer applications.
- Parents who apply by the published deadline will be notified of the outcome in writing.
Co-ordinated schemes are intended to simplify the admissions process for parents/carers whilst reducing the likelihood of any child being left without a school place. Co-ordination establishes a mechanism that ensures that, as far as is reasonably practicable, every parent/carer of a child living in a local authority area, who submits an application within the normal admissions round, is sent one, and only one, offer of a school place by their local authority.
The local authority will co-ordinate admission arrangements for applications in the normal admission rounds, that is, Reception and Year 7. The coordinated admissions arrangements do not apply to applications for nursery places, sixth form places, or places at maintained special schools.
The co-ordinated school admission arrangements do not apply to in-year admissions/transfer applications.
The co-ordinated school admission arrangements for Reception and Year 7 include all community schools and the following voluntary-aided schools:
- Aberdare Town Church in Wales Primary School;
- Cwmbach Church in Wales Primary School;
- St Gabriel & St Raphael Catholic Primary School
- St Michael’s Catholic Primary School;
- St Margaret’s Catholic Primary School;
- Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School;
- Cardinal Newman Catholic School; and
- St John Baptist Church in Wales High School.
Parents will need to complete an online ‘Common Application Form’ and can express up to three preferences for community and/or voluntary-aided schools. Parents/carers are able to complete the relevant application online at https://oneonline.rctcbc.gov.uk
Parents applying for a voluntary-aided school may also need to complete a supplementary application form for the individual school and provide a baptism certificate, if the school wishes to implement this form they will contact the parent direct regarding this.
Parents/carers who submit an application by the published closing time and date of an admission round will be notified by the local authority, in writing of the outcome of their application.
Late applications can be obtained from the School admissions team.
Timetable for Reception admissions for September 2027
| Action | Date |
|---|
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Opening date for submission of applications.
|
1st September 2026
|
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Closing date for receipt of applications.
|
6th November 2026
|
|
Notification to be sent by the local authority to applicants of offer or refusal of places (that is, the ‘offer date’).
|
16th April 2027
|
Timetable for Year 7 secondary school admissions for September 2027
| Action | Date |
|---|
|
Opening date for submission of applications.
|
1st September 2026
|
|
Closing date for receipt of applications.
|
9th October 2026
|
|
Notification to be sent by the local authority to applicants of offer or refusal of places (that is, the ‘offer date’).
|
1st March 2027
|