Primary school admissions

Applying for a primary school place

You must apply between 1 November 2024 and 15 January 2025 for admissions in September 2025.

From 1 November 2024, if your child was born between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2021, you must apply for their reception school place for September 2025. If your child is in the last year at an infant school, you must apply for a junior school place for September 2025.

Applications received after the closing date are treated as late applications. This means there will be far less chance of your child being offered a place at the school you want.

Our admissions timetable shows you when to apply, and when you can find out your offer. More information on the application process is given in our school admissions brochure. Our page of download documents and forms also includes supplemental forms for religious schools.

Primary school admissions 2025, brochure (PDF 327.67KB)

Apply online or return to your application

By applying online you will:

  • get an email acknowledgement of your application
  • be able to check which school place has been offered from 16 April 2025

To create a login account for school admissions, use the link below and select 'create an account'. Your login accounts for other Thurrock Council services are not affected.

School admissions applications

Online briefing sessions

We're hosting 3 online briefing sessions to explain the admissions process, answer your questions and help you apply for a school place. These sessions do not promote any particular school but give an overview of the whole process. Session times are:

Home address

We normally process applications on the basis of the child's home address at the time of application and offer.

The home address is the address where the child is a permanent resident, or where the child is ordinarily resident. This is usually the address of the parent, or carer with parental responsibility. The adult with whom the child is ordinarily resident would receive Child Benefit for the child.

You can find your street in our list of school catchment areas – go to download documents and forms.

Late applications

Any application received after the closing date will be treated as a late application. We process late applications only after we have processed all the on-time applications. This means there will be far less chance of your child being offered a place at the school you want.

If you have already applied online you will not be able to make another application. Contact us if you feel you need to make another application, or to send evidence that your application was late due to exceptional circumstances.

Admissions appeals

If your child's school admission application is unsuccessful, you may wish to appeal against the decision. For advice on admission appeals, go to GOV.UK: Advice for parents and guardians on school admission appeals.

We do not provide an admissions appeals service.

You should check the website of the school for which you applied to find out who provides its admissions appeals service. If the appeals service is provided by Essex County Council, you can appeal online at Essex County Council: After your school offer. Otherwise, follow the guidance on the school’s website.