One of the most common — and costly — mistakes parents make is starting the secondary school search too late. By the time many families turn their attention to it, the most competitive options, particularly in the independent and grammar sectors, have already begun their selection. Knowing when to start saves you from missing the door entirely.
This guide explains when to begin looking depending on your route, the key deadlines to watch, and a year-by-year timeline so nothing catches you out.
The short answer: earlier than you think
For state (non-selective) schools, the formal application happens in the autumn of Year 6, with a deadline that is typically in the autumn term — but you should be looking well before then.
For grammar schools and independent schools, you need to start much earlier — often in Year 4 or 5 — because registration, pre-tests and entrance exams can begin a year or more before entry, and some assessments happen as early as Year 5.
The guiding principle: the more selective the route, the earlier you must start. If competitive grammar or independent schools are on your list, begin researching and noting deadlines around Year 4, not Year 6.
Start with research, not applications
Long before any form is due, the useful work is research and visiting. Begin building a picture in good time so that, when deadlines arrive, you're choosing from informed shortlists rather than scrambling.
- Explore what's available. Identify the state, grammar and independent schools realistically within reach. Our explore tool lets you see and compare local options early.
- Understand each school's route and deadlines. These differ sharply — a grammar's 11-plus registration and an independent school's pre-test sit on entirely different timetables.
- Visit. Open events run throughout the year, often in the year before entry. Attending early gives you time to revisit favourites and reconsider.
- Talk to your child's current school. Primary and prep schools know the local landscape and transfer process well.
Deadlines by route
Because the routes differ so much, treat each one you're considering on its own timeline.
State (non-selective) secondary schools
- The formal application goes through your local authority, with a national deadline in the autumn of Year 6 (commonly late October).
- You usually list several preferences in order; offers arrive on a national offer day in the spring of Year 6.
- Start visiting and researching in Year 5 so you're ready to apply confidently in the autumn of Year 6.
Grammar schools
- The 11-plus is sat in the autumn of Year 6, but you must register in advance — often in the spring or summer before, i.e. late Year 5.
- Registration deadlines are firm and easy to miss; a missed registration usually means no test, and no test means no place.
- You'll also still make a local authority application in the autumn of Year 6, listing the grammar(s) alongside other preferences.
- Begin preparing and noting registration dates in Year 4 or early Year 5.
Independent schools
- Timelines vary widely by school, but many of the most competitive begin registration in Year 5 (or earlier), with pre-tests in Year 6 or Year 7 and entrance exams or Common Entrance later.
- Some schools have early registration cut-offs and limited places, so late enquiries can find the door already closed.
- For 13+ entry via the prep route, the process often starts even earlier, with provisional offers made well before Common Entrance in Year 8.
- Start researching and contacting independent schools around Year 4, and confirm each school's exact deadlines directly.
A year-by-year timeline
Use this as a guide and adjust to your specific schools, which always take precedence.
Year 3–4: Lay the groundwork
- Begin forming a sense of which schools and routes interest you.
- If competitive grammar or independent schools appeal, start noting their registration windows now.
- Attend a few open events to get a feel for what's out there — no commitment needed.
Year 5: Get serious
- Research in earnest and draw up a shortlist across the routes you're considering.
- Register for the 11-plus if grammar schools are on your list (often spring/summer of Year 5).
- Register with independent schools that require early sign-up, and confirm their assessment dates.
- Visit shortlisted schools properly; revisit favourites.
Year 6: Apply and assess
- Autumn: Sit the 11-plus (if applicable) and any independent pre-tests. Submit the local authority application by the autumn deadline, listing preferences strategically.
- Sit independent entrance exams and interviews on each school's schedule (often in the new year).
- Spring: State offer day arrives; independent offers come on their own timetables.
- Compare offers, weigh them carefully, and accept by the stated deadlines.
Year 7+ (for 13+ entry)
- If aiming for 13+ independent entry via a prep school, much of the selection (registration, provisional offers, pre-tests) happens across Years 6–7, with Common Entrance in Year 8. Follow the prep school's guidance closely.
Common timing mistakes
- Missing grammar registration. The 11-plus needs advance sign-up; the test deadline is not the registration deadline. Diarise both.
- Assuming all independent schools work the same way. They don't. Check each one's specific timeline — some are far earlier than others.
- Leaving visits too late. Cramming all your open days into one frantic term robs you of the chance to revisit and reflect.
- Forgetting the LA application for selective schools. Even if you're aiming for a grammar, you generally still complete the local authority form and list it.
- Not having a realistic fallback. List a "safe" option alongside aspirational ones so your child is never left without a suitable place.
How to stay on top of it
The families who navigate this calmly tend to do three things: they start early, they keep a single list of every relevant deadline by school, and they confirm dates directly with each school rather than relying on general assumptions. Treat the search as a project that begins in Year 4–5, not a task for the autumn of Year 6.
You can begin by exploring and comparing the options near you, then build your deadline list from each school's own admissions page.
Next steps: Explore secondary schools in your area, compare your shortlist, or read our senior school guide for the wider admissions picture.