Cheshire East Council opened applications on 1 September 2026 for school places starting in September 2027. For transfer to Year 7, the deadline for on-time applications is 31 October 2026. For Reception, the closing date is 15 January 2027.

The local authority asks families to read the admission arrangements and list preferences in the parent portal, which is separate from the council-tax account. Anyone who applied online before September 2025 must register again after a change of provider. Voluntary (church) aided schools may also need papers sent straight to the school.

Applying before the deadline does not guarantee the first choice. Each school applies published criteria when applications exceed places. Late applications may be disadvantaged. Misleading information can lead to an offer being withdrawn.

GOV.UK notes that families apply through the council where the child lives, even if the school is in another district. The national guide dates match Cheshire East here, but other councils open their portals on different days.

Under the national guide, offers go out on 1 March for secondary and 16 April for primary, or the next working day. Families must accept by the deadline in the letter. The council must offer another place if none of the preferences is met.

This article concerns Cheshire East, not every council in England. Families elsewhere should check their own portal and the procedure for cross-boundary applications. The council’s published support number is 0300 123 5012.

Image: former school and church hall, Crewe Green, Cheshire, 12 May 2025 / Dominic Nelson, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. A reused historic building, not a 2027 admissions school, and no identifiable children. Cropped to 16:9.

Source consulted: Apply for a September 2027 school place | Cheshire East Council; School admissions: How to apply | GOV.UK.