If your child is in Year 6, there’s one date to circle this month: Saturday 31 October 2026. That’s the deadline to apply for a Year 7 place starting in September 2027. It falls in half-term week, when routines go out of the window, so it’s easy to leave it until the last minute. This checklist helps you get it done calmly, and done well.

Step 1: Know your deadline and how to apply

You apply through the council where you live, even if the schools you want are in a different borough.

• Manchester: apply online by 31 October 2026.
• Oldham: apply online by 5pm on 31 October 2026.
• Trafford: apply by 31 October.

If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), there’s a separate process run with your SEND team, so check your council’s EHCP admissions page rather than using the standard form.

Aim to submit a few days early. Portals get busy close to deadlines, and you’ll want time to fix anything that goes wrong.

Step 2: Choose your schools – and use every preference

You’ll be asked to list schools in order of preference. Two things parents often get wrong:

• Listing only one school doesn’t improve your chances. GOV.UK is clear on this. If you can’t get your one choice, you may be offered a school you haven’t chosen at all.
• Order matters. Put the schools in the order you genuinely want them. Schools look at applications against their own admission criteria, and you’re then offered the highest preference you qualify for.

Use all the preferences your council allows (Trafford, for example, lets you name up to five), and include at least one school where your child has a realistic chance of a place.

Step 3: Check each school’s admission criteria

Every school publishes how it decides who gets a place when it’s oversubscribed. Look for:

• Distance or catchment. How is distance measured, and how far away did the last child offered a place live last year?
• Siblings. Is priority given to brothers or sisters already at the school?
• Faith schools. Many ask for a separate supplementary form sent directly to the school. Missing it can mean your child is ranked lower.
• Selective schools. Grammar schools usually require a test taken well before this deadline. If your child sat one, the school still needs to appear on your council application.

Step 4: Get your paperwork ready

Before you sit down to apply, have these to hand:

• your child’s full legal name and date of birth
• your permanent home address, and proof of address if your council asks for it
• the names of your chosen schools, in order
• any supplementary forms for faith or other schools
• an email address you check regularly – this is usually where your offer will arrive

If you’re moving house, tell your council straight away. Applications are based on where your child actually lives.

Step 5: Submit, save and diary the next dates

Once you’ve submitted:

• Save or screenshot your confirmation. It’s your proof you applied on time.
• Check the email address you gave, including the junk folder.
• Put offer day in your diary. Offers usually arrive in early March 2027. Manchester refers to 1 March, and Oldham says it will email offers on 2 March.

If you miss 31 October, apply anyway – but late applications are considered after on-time ones, so popular schools may already be full.

While you wait: help your child feel ready

The months between applying and offer day can feel long, especially for children who are anxious about change. A few things help:

• Talk about secondary school as a positive step, not a big scary unknown.
• Build independence gradually: packing their own bag, managing a simple timetable, walking short distances with a friend where it’s safe.
• Keep reading and maths ticking over, especially with SATs coming in May.

At Redbrick, our after-school and tuition sessions help Year 6 children build confidence in English and maths, and the everyday habits that make the move to Year 7 smoother.

Quick takeaways

• The deadline is Saturday 31 October 2026 (5pm in Oldham). Aim to submit early.
• Apply through the council where you live, even for schools in another borough.
• Use all your preferences, in genuine order. Naming one school doesn’t help.
• Check each school’s admission criteria, and send any supplementary forms.
• Save your confirmation, and diary offer day in early March 2027.

Want support for Year 6?

If you’d like help preparing your child for SATs and the move to secondary school, get in touch with Redbrick to find out more about our after-school tuition in Longsight, Old Trafford and Oldham.