School applications are opening across Somerset – and the easiest way to make sense of it is to start with what year your child will be entering next September.

Families applying for Reception or junior school can start from Monday, 28 September, while applications for secondary school are already open.

The deadlines are different, too.

• Starting Reception in September 2027? Apply from 28 September 2026 to 15 January 2027.
• Moving from an infant school into Year 3? Apply for junior school from 28 September 2026 to 15 January 2027.
• Starting secondary school in Year 7? Applications are already open and close on 31 October 2026.

Reception and junior-school offers will be made on 16 April 2027, while secondary-school offers will be made on 1 March 2027.

Parents apply through the council where their child lives, even if the school they want is in another council area.

If your child is starting school for the first time

This is the Reception application.

It normally applies to children born between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023.

In Wells, Reception-age options include Stoberry Park School, St Joseph and St Teresa Catholic Primary School and St Cuthbert's CofE Academy Infants and Pre-School.

Nearby village choices include Wookey Primary School, Coxley Primary School and Priddy Primary School.

In Shepton Mallet, parents can consider Shepton Mallet Community Infants' School and Nursery, Bowlish Infant School and St Aldhelm's Church School.

There are also nearby schools in Croscombe, Evercreech, Oakhill, Ditcheat, Batcombe and Upton Noble.

Bowlish has just received a new Ofsted report. Safeguarding standards were met and inspectors praised the school's caring relationships and phonics teaching, while also identifying work needed around attendance, teaching consistency, behaviour and support for some pupils.

In Glastonbury, St John's Church of England Infants School is one of the principal Reception choices.

In Street, options include Hindhayes Infant School and Brookside Academy.

Families around the two towns may also consider schools including Meare Village Primary School, West Pennard Church of England Primary School, Butleigh Church of England Primary School, Ashcott Primary School and schools in Walton and Baltonsborough.

If your child is leaving an infant school

This is the bit which can easily get missed.

If your child's current school finishes at Year 2, you need to make another application for a junior-school place for September 2027.

The deadline is the same as Reception: 15 January 2027.

In Wells, children leaving St Cuthbert's infant school can apply for St Cuthbert's CofE Junior School.

In Shepton Mallet, St Paul's CofE VC Junior School is one of the main junior options for children leaving the town's infant schools.

In Glastonbury, St Benedict's CofE VA Junior School is a main Year 3 option.

In Street, Elmhurst Junior School takes children from Year 3 to Year 6.

If your child already attends a primary school which continues all the way through to Year 6, you do not normally need to make a fresh application simply for them to move into Year 3.

If your child is starting secondary school

Year 7 applications are already open.

The deadline is 31 October 2026, so families have considerably less time than those applying for Reception or junior school.

The main local secondary schools include The Blue School in Wells, Whitstone School in Shepton Mallet, St Dunstan's School in Glastonbury and Crispin School Academy in Street.

Families can name three preferred schools, just as they can for primary applications.

Three choices does not mean three equal chances

Parents are encouraged to use all three preferences.

Putting only one school on the form does not increase the chances of getting it. It simply gives the council fewer preferred alternatives if that school is full.

Schools apply their own admissions rules to everyone who applies. If your child qualifies for more than one of your choices, the council offers the one you ranked highest.

So putting a school second does not mean it automatically treats your child as a second-choice applicant.

Don't assume the nearest school is guaranteed

Living close to a school can help, but it does not always guarantee a place.

When there are more applicants than spaces, schools use published rules which can include siblings already attending, catchment areas, distance and, at some faith schools, religious criteria.

It is worth checking the policy for each school before submitting the form.

Think about the school run before choosing

This matters particularly if you are considering one of the village schools.

Getting a place at a school does not automatically mean your child will qualify for free transport.

Eligibility can depend on distance and whether the child is attending their nearest or designated school.

A village school might look perfect on an open morning, but it is worth working out how you will actually get there every day before putting it high on the application.

What should you ask when visiting schools?

Ofsted reports are useful, but an open day can answer the everyday questions which matter just as much.

Ask about breakfast and after-school clubs, class sizes, SEND support, school meals, how Reception children are settled in and what happens when children need extra help with reading or maths.

At village schools, it is also worth asking whether children are taught in mixed-age classes.

If it is an infant school, ask where children usually move for Year 3 – remembering that you will still need to make a separate junior-school application.

For secondary schools, parents may want to ask about Year 6 transition, pastoral support, extracurricular activities and transport.

What about Ofsted?

Parents may notice that Ofsted reports no longer all look the same.

Older reports can still show a single rating such as Good, while newer inspections give separate judgements rather than one overall grade.

That means the date of the inspection matters, particularly if a school has recently converted to an academy or received a new report.

Rather than looking only for one word at the top of the page, parents should check what inspectors actually said about teaching, behaviour, SEND, attendance and leadership.

What if your child is summer-born?

Parents of children born between 1 April and 31 August can ask for their child to start Reception a year later.

That is not automatic and needs to be formally requested.

Families considering this should still keep an eye on the normal admissions deadline while their request is being considered.

What if your child has SEND?

Children with an education, health and care plan follow a different process for agreeing their school placement.

If an EHCP assessment is still under way, families may still need to make a mainstream school application while that work continues.

For children who need extra support but do not have an EHCP, school visits are a good opportunity to speak directly to the school's SEND lead.

And if you miss the deadline?

Late applications are normally considered after those submitted on time, which can matter if a popular school fills up.

The two dates worth putting somewhere obvious are therefore 31 October for secondary school and 15 January for Reception and junior school.

Parents who do not receive the school they wanted can normally accept the place offered while appealing for another, and can also remain on waiting lists.

For most families, the first question this autumn is therefore a simple one: Reception, Year 3 or Year 7? Once you know that, the rest of the process becomes considerably easier.

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