Admission policies for Buckinghamshire schools

Each school has an admissions policy which:

  • means it can fairly decide which children can go to the school
  • will help you understand how the decisions will be made in your child's case

The policies can change as circumstances change, so it's important to look at the policies for the year your child will be admitted into the school. If your child is starting part-way through a year, they'll be admitted according to the policies set for the previous September.

See who decides the policies

School admission policy decisions are made based on the type of school.
As we are the admission authority, we decide the policies for community and voluntary controlled primary and secondary schools.
Voluntary Aided and Academy schools decide their own policies.
If a change to a policy is proposed, there will be a consultation about this, which we'll publish. Following a consultation, the admission authority should make a final decision about their rules and publish them.
After each years arrangements have been determined, any objections can be referred to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator [email protected] by 15 May in the determined year.
If you cannot find the rules for schools you're interested in, check the school's own website.

2025 Policies

2024 Policies

2023 Policies

Random Allocation Procedure

When there is more than on applicant ranked equally according to the published admissions rules and the school has no places available to allocate all the equally ranked applicants then the council will use the random allocation procedure.

2026 Consultation area

We are required to publish the 'relevant area for school admissions' policy well in advance of the school year.

This explains the area for admissions consultations and who will be consulted.

View the relevant area for school admissions for 2026.