Starting Secondary School

If your child was born between 1 September 2014 and the 31 August 2015, you need to apply for a Secondary School place in September 2026.

• The national closing date for applications is 31 October 2025. If your application is late, you will be far less likely to secure place at your child's preferred school.
• You will be asked to choose three schools please name these in the order for your preferred preference.
• Applying for one school only at this stage will not increase your chances of securing a place at your first preference. If your first preference is oversubscribed, you may miss the opportunity of a place at your second or third preference by not naming the school on your initial application form and only applying for it at a later date.
• If you would like to apply for a school in another authority as part of your application. We would recommend that you check the website of the relevant local authority to verify any admission arrangements of the preferred school before you submit your application.
• Please ensure that you have submitted your application once complete, or it will not be considered. 
• You will be able to log back in and view or edit it until the 31st October 2025 however you must re-submit your application for it to be considered. Any changes after this date will be considered as late applications, you will not be able to do these online.
• All parents who live in Rotherham and apply by 31st October 2025 will be made a single offer of a school place on the National Offer Day of 2nd March 2026. This will be the school named highest on your application for which your child is eligible for a place. If it is not possible to offer a place at one of your preferred schools, you will be made an alternative offer. No decisions will be given to parents before 2nd March 2026
• Places will be allocated based on your child’s residential address on 31st October 2025.
• Please use the link below to begin your application to apply for a school please note you will need to register to create an account before you can begin your application.

Make a secondary school application (Opens in a new window)

For full details on how to apply for a secondary school place please see the documents below: 

Admissions to Secondary School Guide

St Pius Supplementary Information Form

St Bernards Supplementary Information Form

Fraudulent Application

Rotherham Borough Council takes very seriously any attempt to gain an advantage in the admissions process by giving false information. It is important that the admissions system is fair for everybody. Each year a few parents try to get a school place by providing false or intentionally misleading information, which could result in them taking a place that should have gone to another child.

Once the Authority has made an offer of a school place it may be withdrawn if the offer was made on the basis of a fraudulent or intentionally misleading application or information from a parent which effectively denied a place to a child with a stronger claim, even if the child has already started at the school.

Where a place or an offer has been withdrawn, the application will be re-considered and a right of independent appeal offered if the place is refused, the child’s name will also be placed on the waiting list if the preferred school is oversubscribed.