Applying for a Reception place (Year R) for Sept 2026
If your child was born between 1st September 2021 and 31st August 2022 (inclusive), they will be eligible to start school in the school year beginning September 2026.
Starting school
Schools offer places to all children from the September following their fourth birthday
Starting School in Hampshire - A guide for parents, carers and practitioners to help ensure the best possible start to school for Hampshire's children.
School Readiness Leaflet - A guide for parents and carers, produced by the Early Years Advisory Team
By law, children do not have to be in school until they reach compulsory school age.
Compulsory school age
Children with birthdays between:
- 1st September and 31st December 2021 (inclusive) reach compulsory school age on 31st December 2026, at the start of the Spring Term 2027.
- 1st January and 31st March 2022 (inclusive) reach compulsory school age on 31st March 2027, at the start of the Summer term 2027.
- 1st April and 31st August 2022 (inclusive) reach compulsory school age on 31st August 2027, at the start of the new school year in September 2027.
Starting school arrangements including deferred entry and delayed admission for summer born children
Most children start school full-time in the September after their fourth birthday. There are other options for parents of four year olds who feel their child is not yet ready for school.
Deferred entry
Parents can choose to defer their child’s admission until later in the school year, but not beyond the start of the term after they reach compulsory school age.
Part-time attendance
Children can attend part-time until they reach compulsory school age.
Parents must discuss their child’s starting arrangements with the school once an offer has been secured.
Delayed admission for summer born children
Parents of summer born children (those born between 1 April and 31 August) can choose not to send their child to school until September 2027 (when they reach compulsory school age). They can also request that their child is admitted outside of their normal age group – into Year R rather than Year 1.
In making such a request, parents would be expected to state clearly why they felt delaying their child’s admission to Year R until the following September was in their child’s best interests. It is recommended that parents considering such a request contact the local
authority in the autumn term 2025 to ensure that an informed decision is made.
Guidance on a delayed school start for summer born children, including how to make a request, is available on the County website at Admission of children outside their normal age group | Education and learning | Hampshire County Council
(hants.gov.uk)
Key dates for main round admissions for September 2026
The application round opens on 1st November 2025 and will close at midnight on 15th January 2026 and the notification date for on-time applicants is 16th April 2026.
If you applied online, you will receive an email on the morning of the notification date. You can also log in to the online system to view the outcome.
If you applied using a paper form, you will be sent a letter on the notification date by post. Please allow 2 to 3 working days for your letter to arrive.
Applications
All Hampshire residents (not including Southampton or Portsmouth) applying for a Year R place must apply to Hampshire County Council, either online or in some circumstances on a PDF form.
Non-Hampshire residents wishing to apply for a place at Harrison Primary must apply using their home LA application.
Children who are being assessed for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) should apply as above. However, those who already have an EHCP need not apply as their placement will be determined by the SEN team as part the of the annual review.
On-line applications (htpp://www.hants.gov.uk/admissions)
The online form will open on 1st November 2025 and will close at midnight on 15th January 2026 (the national closing date).
PDF application forms
A PDF application form (YR application form), along with the accompanying privacy notice, will be available on the Information Hub from 1st
November 2025, for schools to download and email to parents, which they can either complete electronically or print at home to complete. This form should not be used after the application deadline of 15th January 2026.
Applications under the medical/social criterion
Parents seeking priority for a school under the medical/social criterion are required to tick the relevant box on the Year R application and provide supporting evidence by the application deadline (15 January 2026). Parents should refer to the school’s admission policy to find out what evidence is required. Please note that not all schools include a medical/social criterion within their oversubscription criteria.
The onus is on the parent to ensure they submit their evidence by the deadline. Where it is not provided, the child or family member’s medical or social need cannot be considered. The Admissions Team will not be contacting parents to request evidence from those who have only ticked the medical/social box on the form, nor will it pursue evidence on the parent’s behalf
Parents who want to change their application
Before the deadline (15th January 2026)
Online applicants must log back into the online system to change their application. Parents who have applied on a PDF application will need to complete a fresh application or apply online if they wish to make changes. A new application received before 15th January will supersede the previous one.
After the deadline and until 7th February 2026
Parents who submitted an on-time application can only change their application if there has been a significant change in their circumstances, for example a house move, or a sibling has started at the school. In the case of a house move, the Hampshire website outlines what address evidence is required, depending on the type of move. Evidence of the change of circumstances will need to be submitted to the Admissions Team by 6th February 2026. Evidence received after this date will not be considered until after the notification date (16th April 2026).
After 6th February 2026
No further changes to on-time applications can be accepted after this date unless exceptional circumstances apply.
Late applications
Parents seeking to apply after 15th January 2026 must make a late application.
a) Late online applications
Parents can make a late application online at hants.gov.uk/admissions
b) Late paper application forms
As part of the County Council’s digital strategy, the County Council will no longer be batch printing paper applications for distribution to families, nor will schools be expected to print applications for parents. However, a PDF version of the YR Late application form, along with the
accompanying privacy notice, will be available on the Information Hub from 16th January 2026, for schools to download and email to parents which they can either complete electronically or print at home and complete
National notification date for on-time applicants: 16th April 2026
Applicants will be sent an e-mail confirming the outcome of their application on 16th April 2026. Online applicants will also be able to log into the online system to view the outcome. The e-mail will invite parents to reply only if they no longer require the place.
Any paper applicants who did not provided an email address on their application will be sent a letter by second class post on 16th April 2026. Parents should allow 2-3 days for their letter to arrive
Notification dates for late applicants
Late applications received before 16th April 2026 will be considered on 29th April 2026, together with any unsuccessful on-time applicants, for any available places. This includes places declined by successful on-time applicants between 16th and 28th April. Priority will be given in accordance with the school’s published admission criteria. Applicants not offered places will be added to the waiting list when it is established on 30th April 2025.
Late applications received on or after 16th April 2026 will be considered from 29th April 2026 onwards.
The Admissions Team will send application outcomes by email or by post for any applications who have not provided an email address.
The Admissions Team will continue to process late applications (i.e. make offers and refusals) throughout the summer term and summer holiday until 31st August, except where the ranking of an application cannot be determined without contacting the school.
Waiting lists
Waiting lists for oversubscribed schools will be established on 30th April 2026. Lists will include both on-time applicants and late applicants(whose applications were received before 16th April) who were refused a place and not offered a higher preference school. Late applications received on or after 16th April will be considered from 30th April in order of date of receipt.
Waiting lists will be ranked solely in accordance with the school’s admission criteria. Date of application and length of time on the list do not affect a child’s position on the list. Places that become available will be offered in strict waiting list order, by the Admissions Team, from 30th April 2026.
The Admissions Team will continue to make main round offers from the waiting lists throughout the summer holiday until 31st August 2026 where places are available.
The main round waiting lists will be rolled forward into in-year waiting lists on 1stSeptember 2026 when the main round cohorts start school. Waiting lists for community and controlled schools will be maintained until 31 August 2027, at which point all names will be removed. Parents wanting their child to be considered for a place at the school in the following school year must complete and submit a fresh in-year application in the summer term preceding the new school year.
