School Admissions - Top Tips

Apply on time

Don’t be late applying for a school place!

It is extremely important that you apply on time to ensure that your child’s application is considered for the first round of applications.

Apply online

Please apply online for your school place (with the exception of In Year Transfers where you need to request a form to complete).

Applying online is easy and efficient.

By applying online you receive notification when your application is received and are informed of the outcome of your application via e-mail.  You can then accept or decline the place via the online system.

Know which schools are in your area

Check which schools are in your area. 

You can also visit school websites, school prospectus and read school Estyn reports before deciding which school to apply for.

View the school catchment areas

You can also request to visit a school, by contacting the school direct to make an appointment to visit.

Select more than one school preference on your application

We try to provide all children with a place at their first preference school, however, in some cases this may not be possible if more applications are received than places available.  We will then apply our oversubscribed criteria. 

As a result of this we strongly advise that you select a second and third preference on your application.  Please be assured that by doing this, it will not go against your child being offered their first preference.  It just provides assurance that if we are in a position where we cannot offer a place at your first preference school, we can then look at your second preference school or third preference school.

Please Accept or decline any places offered

When you receive your offer of a school place within RCT, it is vital that you inform us as soon as possible if you wish to accept the place.

It is just as important that you inform us if you wish to refuse the place offered and we can then allocate this place out to another child.