As parents and carers embark on one of the most important decisions they will make about their child’s education, they are being encouraged to find out as much information as possible about the school(s) they and their child are interested in and the Admissions Policy for each school.

Making that choice will involve a great deal of planning and research; viewing their online prospectus, checking performance tables and researching Ofsted reports can all help in that decision process.

Primary and First school applications for a reception place in September 2021 in Northumberland opened on Sunday 1 November 2020

Cath McEvoy-Carr, Executive Director for Adult and Children’s Services said: “As a parent it is hard to think that in less than a year’s time your child will be moving on to that first stage of education. Whether they have been in nursery or pre-school it is still a big step to take and can be both an exciting and nerve-wrecking time.

“But one thing we can assure you of is the excellent offer we have here in Northumberland. We are extremely proud of our education and are pleased that we are able to support our children at every stage of their educational journey.”

The schools admissions portal can be accessed HERE until Friday 15 January 2021 when applications close.

Councillor Guy Renner-Thompson, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services said: “Every child deserves access to good education from the very start of their educational journey, and the council are committed to ensuring that that is the case for all children in Northumberland.

We continue to invest in our schools and learning offer across the county ensuring that our children learn in environments where they feel happy and safe, grasping every opportunity available to them from day one.”

With a good choice of First and Primary schools across the county, parents and carers are being reminded to get their applications in before the deadline closes. Once the deadline passes any application received after this date will be considered as late, and the chance of gaining a place at a preferred school could be greatly reduced.

Offers for reception places will be made on National Offers Day – Friday 16 April 2021 where parents will receive an email if applying online or by post if applying by paper.

For further information on school admissions visit: www.northumberland.gov.uk/schoolplaces

and to access the School Admissions handbook visit: www.northumberland.gov.uk/schoolhandbook