Starting school September 2026
If you applied for a secondary school place for September 2026, you can now find out about Offer Day 2026.
If you live in Trafford and your child will start in Year 7 in September 2026, you must apply to Trafford for your school place. The closing date for secondary school applications is 31 October 2025.
You need to include all your preferred schools on your application, including schools in other local authority areas. We work with other areas to make sure each child is only offered one place.
If you only apply directly to a school, your application will not be considered.
Some schools ask you to complete a supplementary form and return it to the school. This is often for faith schools or grammar schools. Check the school website to see if one is required. You must also include that school in your application to us.
Important advice for Altrincham and Sale residents
All secondary schools in the Altrincham and Sale areas are significantly oversubscribed.
If you live in Altrincham, please read our admissions application advice for Altrincham residents.
If you live in Sale, please read our admissions application advice for Sale residents.
Key dates
- 31 October 2025 - Closing date for applications
- 2 March 2026 - National offer day, where all applicants receive their offer of a place
- April 2026 - Review of allocation of vacancies
Application guidance
Before you submit your application, please read the guidance on the following pages.