THE application portal for pre-school and primary school places in Northern Ireland for September 2024 to June 2025 opens today.
To assist parents the Education Authority (EA) has issued information on the key dates in the schools and admissions procedure.
Pre-school and primary one applications for school year beginning September 2024 went live today at 12 noon.
The EA’s Pre-School Admissions Guide helps parents understand more about the process and what to expect when applying for a school place for your child.
If your child is born on or between July 2 2020 and July 1 2021 they will be in their final pre-school year (Target Age) for the school year September 2024 to June 2025.
If your child is born on or between April 1 2020 and July 1 2020; OR if your child is born before April 1 2020 but due to be born on or after April 1 2020 if born at term; and you have submitted a request to defer your child from starting primary one in September 2024 you can apply for a pre-school place for September 2024.
If your child is born on or between July 2 2021 and July 1 2022 your child will be underage for the school year September 2024 to June 2025.
If your child is born on or between April 1 2021 and July 1 2021; OR if your child is born before April 1 2021 but due to be born on or after April 1 2021 if born at term; and you have submitted a request to defer your child from starting primary one until September 2026 you can apply for a pre-school (underage) place for September 2024 in a nursery school, primary school nursery unit.
How do I apply?
Online applications are now open and will close at noon on Friday January 26 2024.
Before starting your child’s application you should:
- Read carefully the admissions criteria for each pre-school that you wish to nominate as a preference.
- All pre-school settings will require the birth certificate to verify a child’s name and date of birth. Either a full (long) or short birth certificate may be used or an amended birth certificate or an adoption certificate, where appropriate, is acceptable. If you do not have a copy of your child’s birth certificate, please contact the pre-school settings you wish to nominate to see what other documents they may accept.
- You should refer to the admissions criteria to find out if other supporting documents are required by each of the pre-school settings you have chosen, for example proof of address.
- You can scan or take a photo of the documents you require for each pre-school setting and save them on the device you will be using to make your pre-school application. Make sure the photos or scans are clear and legible.
- For GDPR purposes you should remove personal/sensitive/private information from your documents before uploading, for example financial details in bank statements.
- You will require an email address to be able to register on EA Connect to submit an application.
Places are not allocated on a first come, first served basis. Pre-school providers will not consider applications until after the closing date.
It is important that you:
- Find a pre-school/school in your area
- Read the admissions criteria
- Check what supporting documentation is required
- List at least four preferences on application
Primary School Admissions Guide
School Age
Children born on or between April 1 2019 and July 1 2019 (inclusive) and children born before April 1 2019 but with a due date on or after April 1 2019 whose parents deferred their admission to primary school in September 2023.
Children born on or between July 2 2019 and July 1 2020 (inclusive).
Children born on or between April 1 2020 and July 1 2020 (inclusive), and children born before April 1 2020 but whose due date was on or after this date may submit a request to defer primary one admission for September 2024. See information on Deferral of School Starting Age.
How do I apply?
Online applications are now open and will close at noon on Friday January 26 2024. An application received after noon on January 26 and by 4pm on January 31 will be treated as a late application.
Before starting your child’s application you should:
- Read carefully the admissions criteria for each primary school that you wish to nominate as a preference.
- All schools will require the birth certificate to verify a child’s name and date of birth. Either a full (long) or short birth certificate may be used or an amended birth certificate or an adoption certificate, where appropriate, is acceptable. If you do not have a copy of your child’s birth certificate, please contact the schools you wish to nominate to see what other documents they may accept.
- You should refer to the admissions criteria to find out if other supporting documents are required by each of the schools you have chosen e.g. proof of address.
- You can scan or take a photo of the documents you require for each school and save them on the device you will be using to make your primary application. Make sure the photos or scans are clear and legible.
- For GDPR purposes you should remove personal/sensitive/private information from your documents before uploading e.g. financial details in bank statements.
- You will require an email address to be able to register on EA Connect to submit an application.
Admissions Criteria
All schools have admissions criteria. If a school gets more applications than they have places available, they use these criteria to decide who to offer places to.
Before starting to complete your child’s application you should read carefully the admissions criteria for each primary school that you wish to nominate as a preference.
You should complete your application providing all the relevant details about how your child meets the school’s admissions criteria.
School Preferences
Parents have the right to express preferences for the schools they would like their child to attend, but no child can be guaranteed a place in any school.
Please note you cannot list the same preference more than once. The only exception where you can list a school twice in your order of preference is if you wish to apply for a school which offers both English and Irish Medium education.
Where there is an option of applying separately to an Irish Medium Unit, EA Connect will indicate this in the school’s name.
The first school you list will consider your application. If they are unable to offer a place the application will then go to your second preference school and so on until a school is able to offer a place or the list is exhausted.
Some schools give priority to applicants who have listed their school as first preference, therefore, applicants who list the school at a lower preference may have less chance of obtaining a place at the school.
It is extremely important that you provide all relevant details on your application as this information will be used by individual primary schools to determine which children will be selected for admission.
More details are available on the Education Authority’s website: Applying for a School Place | Education Authority Northern Ireland (eani.org.uk)