• Check the oversubscription criteria for the school. 
  Some schools have more applicants than places. Read Section D of the guide for parents and carers or check the school's website to understand how places are offered.
• Choose wisely 
  Include at least one school where your child is likely to meet the admissions criteria. Include your catchment school as a preference, you can check here: Find your catchment school. There's no guarantee your child will be offered a place at your local school, if you don’t list it as a preference.
• Use all four preferences
  Using all four will improve your chances of being allocated a school of preference. If none of your chosen schools have space, your child will be offered a place at the next nearest school with availability in the year group.
• Why preference order matters 
  If more than one school can offer your child a place, you'll get the highest preference school on your list, which is why preference order is important.
• Equal Preference Scheme
  We use an Equal Preference Scheme which means your application is considered by the schools regardless of the preference order. The schools don't know if they're your first or fourth choice.
• Education Health and Care Plan
  If your child has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), email the team EHCP@milton-keynes.gov.uk as they will be responsible for processing your child's application.
• Free School Meals/Pupil Premium
  If your child is eligible for Free school meals or Pupil Premium, make sure you indicate this when applying. This information can help schools provide additional support and may influence admissions in some cases.
• Moving house?
  If you're planning to move during the application process, refer to Planning to Move? section in the guide for parents and carers. Your address at the time of application can affect your eligibility for certain schools, especially those with distance-based criteria.
• How are you going to travel to school?
  Think about how you will access the school place. Can you walk to the school, or will you need to use public transport?
• Active transport
  Starting secondary school is a big step—and it’s also the perfect time for your child to gain more independence. One great way to support this is through active transport, like walking or cycling to school.
  The benefits are:
  • Builds independence and confidence
  • Encourages healthy habits that can last a lifetime
  • Helps protect the environment by cutting down on car journeys
  • Offers social time— children can make new friends on the way

You can learn more about each school by reading our Guide for Parents/Carers guide for parents and carers.
This guide includes key information on how places were offered for each school in previous years, school contact details and how to apply.
 

• Find the catchment schools for your area (link)
• Visit the schools you're interested in. Most offer open days — details are usually on their websites.
• Check the school’s website to learn about its values, curriculum, and daily life.

You must still apply through Milton Keynes City Council, even if your chosen school is in another council area. This includes when applying for Year 7 places in Buckinghamshire grammar schools and Year 9 places in Central Bedfordshire upper schools.

Please check the Central Bedfordshire Council website for further details on the upper schools you can choose to apply to: Central Bedfordshire Council

You apply through the council you pay council tax to, even if your chosen school is in Milton Keynes.

If you are moving house during the application process, refer to the Planning to move house section in the guide for parents and carers
If you're planning to move into Milton Keynes before the closing date for applications, 31 October, you should:

• Complete the Milton Keynes application as if you are already a resident.
• Include a letter confirming your move details - such as:
  • Your new address
  • Expected move date
  • Proof of your new address

We will only accept one of the below for proof of address:

• A signed by all parties' tenancy agreement
• Solicitors letter confirming exchange of contracts for a purchased property
• Council tax bill/number for the new address. The applicant must be named on the council tax record as a named occupant.

This helps the admissions team treat your application as local, which may affect your chances of getting a preferred school.

You will need to fill out a new 'late application' form and must send proof of your new address. Include your signed lease or rental agreement (covering beyond 1 September 2026), or a solicitor's letter confirming exchange of contracts or completion date.

We will use your new address for correspondence purposes. The application will be looked at in later rounds of school place allocations after 
national offer day.

Applications must be submitted online via the Citizen Portal by midnight on 31 October 2025.

This is for Milton Keynes residents who pay council tax to Milton Keynes City Council.

If you pay council tax to another council, you will need to apply through them, even if your chosen schools are in Milton Keynes.

Need a paper form?
Request a paper application form by emailing the Access to Education team: secondaryadmissions@milton-keynes.gov.uk

• The most secure way is to email your form back to secondaryadmissions@milton-keynes.gov.uk
• If posting forms, send forms to Milton Keynes City Council by recorded delivery, to arrive by 5pm on 31 October 2025. The Access to Education team is not responsible for forms lost in the post and is unable to acknowledge receipt.
• If your child is currently being educated outside of their normal age group you can only apply with a paper application.

Before Submitting your school application:

• Review all details thoroughly
  Mistakes or missing information - such as incorrect addresses, missing documents, or unchecked boxes, can affect your child's chances of being offered a place at one of your preference schools.
• Check your preferences
  Make sure your school choices are listed in the correct order and that you've included all relevant information, such as sibling links or eligibility for Free School Meals/Pupil Premium.
• Have you applied through the right council?
  If you live in Milton Keynes and wish to apply to either Buckinghamshire grammar schools, or any schools in another council area, you must still apply through Milton Keynes. Children may miss out on a place being allocated a place at a Buckinghamshire grammar school or a school in another council's area, because they did not apply through the right council by the closing date.

National Offer Day is set by the government. It is the day when parents find out which school place has been offered for their child.

If you applied by 31 October 2025, you will find out your child's school place on 2 March 2026.

Online application - Log into the Citizen Portal to see your school place offer. You will also receive a confirmation email (sent throughout the day).

Paper application - You will receive a letter via second class post from 2 March 2026.

Live outside of Milton Keynes?
If you applied and your council tax is paid to a different council, check your local council's website to understand how and when you will be 
informed of your child's school place.

• Buckinghamshire Council
• North Northamptonshire Council
• West Northamptonshire Council
• Bedford Borough Council
• Central Bedfordshire Council
   

Applications received after the national closing date 31 October 2025, will be considered as a late application and will be reviewed after 2 March 2026.

A late application form will be available to download, on the website from 2 March 2026.

Late applications will be processed as follows:

Important information:

• Late applications are for children who move into Milton Keynes after the closing date and wish to apply for a Year 7 place in a Milton Keynes secondary school or secondary schools in other council areas.
• You can also submit a late application for alternative schools that may still have places available after national offer day. A list of schools with places available will be published on the website from 2 March 2026 on an allocation profile.
• Late applications are processed manually and not through the Citizen's Portal. You will receive a letter in the post confirming the outcome on the applicable late round offer day.
• If you receive an offer from a higher preference school and wish to apply for a lower preference school from your on-time application, you can submit a late application. There is no guarantee a place will be allocated at an alternative school.

The school will send you an admissions pack with key information and next steps.

• For Milton Keynes schools only- no action is required - your child's place will be automatically accepted. The Milton Keynes City Council assumes acceptance of a place at a Milton Keynes school, unless you explicitly decline.
• If you wish to accept a school place in another council area, please check with the relevant council how to do this.  For Buckinghamshire grammar schools, please confirm your acceptance directly with the admissions team using the link Buckinghamshire admissions team
• If your child was declined a place at the higher preference schools on your application, your child will remain on the waiting lists for those schools and you will retain the right to appeal.

Visit the allocated school
Even if it was not your first choice, visiting the school can give you a better sense of it's environment, staff and facilities. Many families find they are pleasantly surprised after a visit.

Waiting lists
If you are declined a preferred school, your child is automatically placed on its waiting list.
Places may become available if other families decline their offers or move away. Waiting list positions are available on each late round offer day.

Late applications /Applying for alternative schools
You can apply to alternative schools that still have places - you can check which schools have places on the allocation profile published on the website on 2 March 2026.
All late applications are ranked according to each schools' oversubscription criteria, so a place is not guaranteed.

Declining the offered school
If you are declining the offer you must email secondaryadmissions@milton-keynes.gov.uk and include:

• Your child's full name
• Date of birth
• Details of where your child will be educated in September
• The place will not be removed until we receive confirmation of where your child will be educated in September 2026.
  
  Contacting your local MP
  All school places are offered based on The School Admissions Code 2021. This means the local council (Milton Keynes City Council) must follow the legal framework when offering places.
  The council nor your local MP can change the outcome of your application. Only an independent appeal panel has the legal authority to overturn the decision. These panels are completely separate from the council and follow strict legal guidelines to make sure the process is fair.

You have the right to appeal if your child was not offered a place at a higher preference school you applied for.
Appeals are heard by an Independent Appeal Panel and must be submitted within 20 school days of receiving your allocation letter.

Appeals for all secondary schools in Milton Keynes are managed by the schools themselves.
You will need to submit a separate appeal for each school and provide strong supporting evidence (e.g. medical, social or educational reasons). Be prepared for a formal hearing process.

You can find full guidance on the Milton Keynes City Council appeals page on the website Appeals.

Parental responsibility
Parents and carers must ensure their children attend school regularly and travel safely to and from school.

Who qualifies for travel support?
Children of secondary school age (up to Year 11) may be eligible if:

1. Distance- based criteria
□ Aged 11 to 16
□ Attend their catchment school
□ Live 3 miles or more away (measured by the shortest safe walking route)

2. Low-income criteria
Children qualify for travel support if they:

• Aged 11 to 16 (Years 7–11)
• Receive free school meals or parents receive Universal Credit
• Attend one of the three nearest schools
• Live between 2 and 6 miles from that school

Important Area Exceptions:
Milton Keynes City Council does not consider Walton High the nearest qualifying school for children living in:
 

Children in these areas are not eligible for travel support to Walton High.
Children in Little Brickhill are only eligible if they meet the low-income criteria above.

How to Apply
Apply online at www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/schooltransport

Privilege fare scheme
If your child is not eligible for travel support, you may apply to pay for a seat on a contracted school bus
(if space is available). These seats can be withdrawn if needed for eligible children. A notice period is usually given.
To enquire about the Privilege Fare Scheme, please contact the School Travel Support team:
01908 252526
STS@milton-keynes.gov.uk

Full policy and application forms: www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/schooltransport

Starting secondary school is a big step—and it’s also the perfect time for your child to gain more independence. One great way to support this is through active transport, like walking or cycling to school.

• The benefits are:
• Builds independence and confidence
• Encourages healthy habits that can last a lifetime
• Helps protect the environment by cutting down on car journeys
• Offers social time— children can make new friends on the way
   

Find out what SEND support is available for a child with special education needs.  If you have any queries about your child’s special needs or wish to understand the transfer process, please contact the SEN casework team. 

If your child has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), please contact the team to apply for a school place EHCP@milton-keynes.gov.uk at Milton Keynes City Council