After you apply
Primary school allocations
We will begin processing applications as soon as the deadline has passed.
How school places are allocated
All school preferences are treated equally - it doesn’t matter if you list a school as your first, second or third choice.
Please remember:
- if your child qualifies for more than one school, we will offer the one you ranked highest on your application
- if a school receives equal to or fewer applications than places available, all applicants will be offered a place
- if a school receives more applications than places available, places will be offered based on the school’s admission criteria
Schools in other local authorities
If you’ve applied for:
- a foundation, voluntary aided or academy school, or
- a school in another local authority
we will contact the relevant admission authority. They will assess your application using their own policy and let us know if a place can be offered.
National offer day
If you live in Hartlepool and applied online, you will receive an email on Thursday 16 April 2026 confirming your child’s school place.Unless you selected to be informed by post on your application.
If you applied using a paper form:
- and provided an email address, you’ll receive your offer by email
- and did not provide an email address, a letter will be sent to your home address by second-class post
Accepting your school place
You don’t need to do anything to accept the place, it will be automatically accepted by the school admissions team.
The school will contact you in the coming months with information about your child’s transition to school.
If you want to refuse the place
You can contact us if you want to refuse the place, but we strongly advise you to keep the place until you have secured another.
- Accepting the place does not affect your chances of getting a place from the waiting list or appealing
- You can decline the place later, once you have another confirmed school place
- Do not decline the place unless you have made other arrangements (e.g. private education). You must tell us what these arrangements are
If Your child is refused a place
If your child is not offered a place at one or more of your preferred schools:
- they will be automatically added to the waiting list for those schools
- we will contact you if a place becomes available
- your offer letter will explain the next steps and how to appeal the decision
Your right to appeal
You can appeal to an independent panel if your child is refused a place at a school you applied for.
- You can only appeal if you applied and were refused a place in the relevant year group
- You can appeal for each school where a place was refused
- Each appeal will be heard separately
- You must complete a separate appeal form for each school and each child