As the new school year approaches, it’s time for many parents and guardians to start thinking about their child’s next step in education.
If your child will turn 3, 4 or 11 between September 1, 2026, and August 31, 2027, there are some important school admissions dates to add to your diary.
Whether your child is moving to secondary school, starting reception or becoming eligible for nursery or funded early education, here’s what you need to know.
Secondary school
If your child is turning 11 during this academic year and has just moved into Year 6, you can apply for their secondary school place for September 2027.
Applications open: September 1, 2026
Closing date: October 31, 2026
Our secondary schools will also be holding open evenings in the coming weeks, giving parents, guardians and children an opportunity to visit schools and get a feel for what they’re like.
Open evening details can be found on the Wrexham Council website.
Reception
If your child is turning 4 during this academic year, including children who are just starting nursery, you’ll also need to apply for their full-time reception place for September 2027.
Remember, moving from nursery into reception is not automatic – you must make a separate application.
Applications open: September 21, 2026
Closing date: January 15, 2027
Education for 3-year-olds
If your child is turning 3 during this academic year, there are different types of early education you may be able to apply for.
Nursery
All children who reach their third birthday before August 31 are eligible to apply for a school nursery place.
Applications open: January 5, 2027
Closing date: February 15, 2027
Funded early education
Children who have their third birthday between September 1 and December 31 can apply for the January intake of funded early education.
Applications open: September 1, 2026
Closing date: October 23, 2026
Children who have their third birthday between January 1 and March 31 can apply for the April intake of funded early education.
Applications open: November 2, 2026
Closing date: December 18, 2026
Funded early education is available at a number of schools and registered nurseries. A full list of providers is available on the Wrexham Council website.
If your child is eligible for funded early education, remember that you will need to make two separate applications – one for funded early education and one for nursery.
How to apply
Each phase of education requires a new, separate application, and school places are allocated each year in line with our admissions policy.
The easiest way to apply is through the online admissions portal, where you can also find more information about the different admissions phases.
Councillor Phil Wynn, Lead Member for Education said, “Starting a new school or moving on to secondary school is an important milestone for children and their families, and we want to make the admissions process as straightforward as possible.
I’d encourage parents and guardians to take a look at their options early, make a note of relevant dates and submit their application before the deadline.
There is plenty of information and support available through our website, and applying online is the quickest and easiest way to make sure your application is received and to keep track of its progress.”
Don’t leave it too late to apply
Applications received after the closing date will still be accepted, but priority must be given to applications submitted on time.
Late applications are considered only after places have been allocated to all on-time applicants. This means that someone who lives further away from a school but applied on time could be offered a place ahead of someone living nearby who submitted their application late.
Submitting your application before the deadline gives you the best chance of being offered a place at your preferred school.
Applying to a school in another country
If you live outside Wrexham but would like to apply for a school here – or if you live in Wrexham and want to apply for a school elsewhere – please check the information on our website carefully to make sure you apply to the correct local authority.
We have data-sharing arrangements with several neighbouring authorities, and, in most cases, you should apply to the local authority where you live and include all of your preferred schools on that application.
Admissions teams work together through cross-border arrangements, so there is no need to submit duplicate applications.
For more information, please visit the Wrexham Council website.
If you need to apply in an alternative format, please contact the admissions team via email.
