Bristol school places 2023: The deadline to register for reception, primary and secondary - how to apply

Fresh off the Christmas and New Year celebrations, Bristolparents will be forgiven for forgetting to register their children’s school places ready for the 2023 academic year. Now is the time to get rid of those winter blues and get cracking as the deadline is fast approaching.

The South West city has a total of around 150 different schools and a number will still have openings. Though you best be quick as many are starting to fill up.

Secondary school applications in Bristol should already be in by now as the deadline has since passed. Applications were due by October 31, 2022.

However, Bristolian children not yet registered for primary or reception still have the opportunity to cement their places. The closing date for applicants is January 15.

Parents and children will then need to wait just a few more months before they find out which Bristol school has offered them a place. National Offer Day falls on March 1 for secondary achools and April 17 for primary and reception.

How to apply for a reception, primary and secondary school place in Bristol in 2023

The process to apply for reception, primary and secondary schools in Liverpool is all relatively straightforward. It has to be completed online and is done through the Bristol City Council website.

You can only apply for a reception, primary and secondary place if you live in Bristol. If you are from outside of the city, you must apply through the education authority where you live.

Once you create an online applications account, you can apply for up to three different schools for primary, and up to five schools for secondary. Follow the step-by-step breakdown of how to apply for school places in Bristol:

• Find the schools you are interested in and read their relevant policies and information - please note some schools require additional documentation.
• Register and apply online using the Bristol City Council website.
• Complete and send any supplementary forms directly to the schools

School place deadline in Bristol - late applications

If you have missed the primary place deadline, there is no need to panic as Bristol City Council have a process to help you out. The window for late applications for secondary school places opened on November 4.

Late applications for either primary or secondary will only be accepted after the initial round of allocations is complete. For reception that is April 17 and Year 7 is sometime in May.

For further information about submitting a late application for primary, reception and secondary school places, visit the Bristol City Council website.