North Yorkshire Council has opened applications for children born between September 1, 2022, and August 31, 2023, with families having until January 15, 2027, to submit their preferences.
Parents can list up to five schools in order of preference and are being encouraged to research their options before applying.
The council says a record 96 per cent of families secured their first-choice primary school place this year, up from 95 per cent the previous year.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for education, learning and skills, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, said: “We know that choosing the correct primary school for families is important, which is why we have included lots of information about the application process and details about the county’s schools on our website.
“For a child to be allocated a school place it is crucial that you make an application to the local authority where you live and the deadline to apply is January 15, 2027.
“If parents or carers apply after the deadline, this could affect the allocation of your child’s school place.”
She reminded families that applications are still required even if their child already attends a nursery attached to their preferred school or has an older sibling attending
Parents are also being urged to consider the council’s home-to-school transport policy when choosing schools.
Under the policy, free transport is generally provided to the nearest suitable school with available places where the journey exceeds the statutory walking distance, subject to eligibility criteria.
The council has warned that a child’s catchment school for admissions purposes may not necessarily be their nearest suitable school for transport.
This means families could secure a place at their preferred primary school without automatically qualifying for free transport.
Parents can check their nearest school and find details of transport eligibility using the council’s online school travel information service.
School places will be announced on National Offer Day, April 16, 2027.
Applications and further information are available at www.northyorks.gov.uk/primaryadmissions, while school transport guidance can be found at www.northyorks.gov.uk/HomeToSchool.