Apply to start primary school September 2025
Service update
NHS England notification: To protect your child contact your GP practice to check their immunisations are up to date before they start school.
Application dates
The online school admissions round to enable you to apply for a primary school for September 2025 opens on Monday 18 November 2024 and closes at midnight on Wednesday 15 January 2025. Before completing and submitting your application it is recommended that you read the Educating your Child booklet.
- Educating your child (PDF, 849KB)
This will provide you with further information on the admissions process. We strongly recommend that you consider using all the preferences available to you when making your application
Children due to start primary school in September 2025 must be born on or between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2021
Online application process
Once you have set up an account online. You can start and submit your application. Your online account will allow you to log in and view or amend your application at any time up until the closing date.
Once you have submitted your application online you will receive an email. Check that you receive the confirmation email. If you do not receive the confirmation email within 24 hours contact us
Email: school.admissions@iow.gov.uk
Leading up to the closing date emails will be sent out to remind parents/guardians to submit the online application that has been started. You will also receive this email if you review your application and click un-submit without realising. If you receive a reminder email to submit your application prior to the closing date, do not ignore this, you may have double clicked and inadvertently unsubmitted the application. If you do receive the reminder to submit your application email you can either log in to your online account and check. Or contact School Admissions to check.
By law children must start school at the start of the term following their fifth birthday. Or if your child is born during the Summer Term, they must be on the school roll by the start of the Summer Term 2023. Most children will start school when they are four years old. Before completing your application you should read our Educating your Child booklet. This will provide you with further information on the admissions process.
- Educating your child (PDF, 849KB)
If you are applying for a place at a church aided primary school contact the school direct.
Church aided primary schools may require you to complete their supplementary information form. The supplementary information form needs to be completed and sent to the appropriate school. Please submit these forms by the time stated in their admissions policy. This needs to be completed before Wednesday 15 January 2025 and returned direct to the school.
Supplementary information forms returned to the schools after the closing date will also be processed as late.
All primary schools will hold Open Days, further information on these will be provided by each of the schools.
Postal application process
Download and print the application form
Return completed application form to: School Admissions and Transport, County Hall, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 1UD
If you cannot download the application form to complete you can request a paper application form from the School Admissions and Transport service.
Please note: all applications received after the closing date are considered as 'Late' and will be processed after those applications that were received by the published closing date of midnight on Wednesday 15 January 2025.
Additional information for church aided primary school applications
If you are applying for a place at a church aided primary school please contact the school direct. You may need to complete their supplementary information form.
The supplementary information form needs to be returned to the appropriate school by the closing date of Wednesday 15 January 2025. The information provided on this form will enable them to rank your application. This is in accordance with their oversubscription criteria.
- Arreton St Georges CE Primary School
- Brighstone CE Primary School
- Oakfield CE Primary School
Do not need a supplementary form to be completed.
Application closing date
The closing date for primary school applications is midnight on Wednesday 15 January 2025.
Please note: all applications and changes received after the closing date will be considered as 'Late'. They will be processed after the applications that were received by the published closing date.
National Offer Day
National Offer Day is the day parents will be notified by the School Admissions and Transport team with an offer of a place at a primary school. National Offer Day for Primary school places is Wednesday 16 April 2025
Parents/guardians who applied online by the closing date will receive an email from the local authority on the Wednesday 16 April 2025 notifying them of the school where a place has been allocated for their child.
Letters will also be sent 2nd class on this day to those parents/guardians who did not apply online and those who will be receiving additional information.
School Admissions are not able to confirm the child's allocated primary school by telephone.
Waiting list
Waiting Lists will be established for the first time on Thursday 1 May 2025.
Further information
By law children must start school at the start of the term following their fifth birthday. Or if your child is born during the Summer Term, they must be on the school roll by the start of the Summer Term for that academic year. Most children will start school when they are four years old.
If you would like to search for the primary school nearest to your home address use the online map.
The nearest school to the home address, as stated in the admissions policies of all schools, is measured in a straight line using the local authority’s geographical information system (GIS). It starts from the centre of the building of the home address to the centre of the school building. This information cannot be used as an assessment of your child's nearest school for transport entitlement.
The last date that applications or changes to existing applications can be made prior to this date is the Monday 31 March 2025. The system will then close down to enable the process for the allocation of primary school places to take place. The system will reopen on Monday 24 April 2023.
All new applications or changes to details on original applications will be processed from this date. Any changes to existing applications must be received in writing. Send your changes to school.admissions@iow.gov.uk and state your child’s full name, date of birth, home address and your preferred schools in order of preference (you can name up to 3.)
September 2025 admissions policies
Admissions Policies for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools
- Admissions Policy September 2025 Primary Intake (PDF, 253KB) and supplementary information form for CE Voluntary Controlled Schools only (PDF, 126KB)
- The Bay CE School Admissions (PDF, 198KB) and The Bay CE School supplementary information form (PDF, 126KB)
Admissions policies for voluntary-aided, foundation and trust schools and academies
- Arreton St Georges CE Primary Admissions Policy (PDF, 818KB)
- Brighstone CE Primary Admissions Policy(PDF, 812KB)
- Yarmouth CE Primary Admissions Policy (PDF, 723KB)
- Holy Cross Primary School Admissions Policy (PDF, 331KB) and Holy Cross Supplementary Information Form (PDF, 190KB)
- St Marys Catholic Primary School Admissions Policy (PDF, 331KB) and St Marys Catholic Supplementary Information Form (PDF, 246KB)
- St Saviours Catholic Primary School Admissions Policy PDF, 331KB) and St Saviours Supplementary Information Form (PDF, 231KB)
- St Thomas Catholic Primary School Admissions Policy (PDF, 331KB) and St Thomas Supplementary Information Form (PDF, 223KB)
- Queensgate Foundation Primary (PDF, 353KB)
- Lanesend Primary Admissions Policy (PDF, 255KB)
- Northwood Primary Admissions Policy (PDF, 344KB)
- St Blasius Shanklin CE Primary Academy (PDF, 214KB)