What happens if I miss the 31 October secondary school deadline?
A late application is still an application. How London councils treat it, the 7 December cut-off for good reasons, waiting lists, and the in-year route if you arrive later still.
Apply anyway, as soon as you can. Your child will be offered a school, but a late application is normally considered only after all on-time ones, so the schools you want may be full. London councils treat some late applications as on time when there is a good reason, such as a recent move, and the form reaches your council by Monday 7 December 2026.
Is it really too late on 1 November?
No, but the position changes. Islington says an application received after 31 October 2026 will be marked as late and will not be considered until places have been allocated to everyone who applied on time. Lambeth's page on applying after the deadline says the same.
Southwark's late applications page adds that late applications are not considered until after the first offers on 1 March 2027. In practice that means you hear later than other families, and only schools that still have places after the main round can offer one.
When does a late application count as on time?
When there is a good reason and it arrives in time. The Pan-London co-ordinated scheme for 2027/28, published by Westminster City Council for the London councils, sets Monday 7 December 2026 as the deadline for late applications that may be treated as on time. Its examples of a good reason include a family that has just moved into the area or is returning from abroad, with proof of the new address.
Each council decides whether your reason qualifies. Southwark, for example, says only late applications made between 1 November and 7 December 2026 can be considered under its exceptional-circumstances category. Explain the reason in writing and attach evidence. Forgetting, or not knowing the date, is unlikely to count.
Can I change my list after 31 October?
Usually only as a late application. The City of London's 2027 booklet, for example, says changing your preferences after the closing date counts as a late application, considered after those received on time. That is the trap to avoid if you are tempted to add a school "just in case" in November: the new line will normally sit behind every family who named that school on time.
What if no school I named can offer a place?
Your council offers a place at another school with room. You can then ask to go on the waiting list for any school you prefer. The School Admissions Code 2021 requires every admission authority to keep a waiting list until at least 31 December of the year of entry, ranked by its published criteria. It must not give priority by the date an application arrived or a name was added (paragraph 2.15). So a late applicant who lives close to a school can rise above an on-time applicant who lives further away.
You can also appeal against a refusal. GOV.UK says the admission authority must allow you at least 20 school days to appeal from when it sends the decision letter.
We are arriving after offer day. What then?
Then you make an in-year application. The Code says a parent "can apply for a place for their child at any school, at any time" (paragraph 2.23), and each council must publish how in-year applications work in its area. A school with a place must offer it, and cannot refuse simply because you applied later than others (paragraph 2.28). You must be told the outcome in writing within 15 school days (paragraph 2.30). If a child cannot find a place, each council has a Fair Access Protocol to place them quickly (paragraph 3.14). Our guide for families moving to London from abroad covers the in-year route in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
Will a late application hurt my child's chances at every school?
It matters most at popular schools that fill in the main round. Schools that still have places after 1 March can offer them to late applicants, ranked by their usual criteria.
Does the order of my late preferences still matter?
Yes, in the same way as on time: if more than one school can offer, you get the one you ranked highest. Rank in your true order.
Is the 7 December date the same for primary applications?
No. This guide covers Year 7 for September 2027. Reception applications close on 15 January 2027 and have their own late-application dates; see our Reception guide.
This guide sets out the rules. Whether a particular school will still have places after the main round depends on that year's applications, which no one can predict in advance. Your council's admissions team can tell you how it will treat your reason for applying late, and the London school directory shows each school's published admissions figures.
If you are applying late, the schools that rank applicants by distance from your home are the realistic ones to name. Start with the state secondaries near you and their published 2027 dates.
See the 2027 dates for schools near your home →Evidence level
Rules are from the School Admissions Code 2021, GOV.UK and the Pan-London co-ordinated scheme for 2027/28 as published by Westminster City Council, with London councils' own pages, checked on 13 October 2026.
References
- Westminster City Council for the London councils. (2026). Pan-London co-ordinated admissions scheme 2027/28 ↗ external. westminster.gov.uk
- Department for Education. (2021). School Admissions Code 2021 (paragraphs 2.15, 2.23, 2.28, 2.30, 3.14) ↗ external. Statutory guidance, gov.uk
- City of London Corporation. (2026). Secondary school admissions booklet, September 2027 ↗ external. cityoflondon.gov.uk
- GOV.UK. (2026). Appealing a school's decision ↗ external. gov.uk
- GOV.UK. (2026). School waiting lists ↗ external. gov.uk
- Islington Council. (2026). Secondary school place: dates and deadlines ↗ external. islington.gov.uk
- Lambeth Council. (2026). Applying after the deadline (secondary 2027-28) ↗ external. lambeth.gov.uk
- Southwark Council. (2026). Late applications for a secondary school ↗ external. southwark.gov.uk
Related research
How do I apply for a London secondary school place for September 2027?
Apply to the council where you live, not to the schools, by Saturday 31 October 2026. In London you can name up to six state schools, in any borough, in your true order of preference. Offers arrive on Monday 1 March 2027.
We're moving to London from abroad. How do we get a school place?
Contact the council for the area you are moving to. State schools cannot refuse to process your application because you still live abroad, and they cannot refuse a child because of nationality. Whether your child can attend a state school depends on their immigration status: Child Student visa holders study at independent schools. Sixth form places are applied for directly.
How does school-place allocation actually work?
Under the national equal-preference system, every school on your form assesses your application independently, not in order. The local authority then offers you a place at the highest-preference school that has offered you one. Order only decides which of your offers you receive — not whether any specific school offers you.