School waiting lists
If a school in Newham receives more applications than it has places available, it will have a waiting list.
Your child will automatically be added to a school's waiting list if:
- you have a current live application for that school; and
- the school is ranked higher on your application than the school your child has been offered.
Waiting lists are cleared at the end of each school term. If a place becomes available before the end of the term, we will contact you automatically to let you know. If you have not received an offer from the waiting list by the end of the term, you will need to submit a new In-Year application form to add your child's name on the new term’s waiting list.
This does not apply to faith schools, where children remain on the waiting list for the current school year without the need to reapply.
See the 2026–2027 term dates for Newham schools.
Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and you are requesting a place in a school resource provision or a school place, you should not submit a standard In-Year application form. Instead, please contact the 0–25 SEND Team directly, as they are responsible for processing these requests.
How waiting lists work
Waiting lists do not work on a first come, first served basis. By law they are organised in line with school's admissions arrangements which includes their oversubscription criteria.
This means a child will not automatically be added to the bottom of the waiting list and they can move up and down the list on a daily basis as other children join and leave the list.
When a school has an available place, it will be automatically offered to the child who is at the number one position on the day it becomes available.
If a child is happy at their current school and a place is offered at another school where they are number one on the waiting list they do not have to take up the place, they can email us to withdraw the offer SchoolAdmissions@newham.gov.uk
A child will stay on a school waiting list for one term at a time until:
- They are offered a place at a school ranked higher;
or
- They are offered a place at a school and their parents/carers refuse it
or
- Their parents/carers request in writing that they are removed from the list,
or
- Their parents/carers submit a fresh application and do not name the school as a preference on the new form;
or
- The application is found to be fraudulent or completed to deliberately mislead.
In-year applications
School waiting lists open on the first day of term and are closed and cleared on the last day of each term unless a school in Newham has published a different process on their website. Where an application is received from the first day of the month in which the term ends and the child cannot be offered their first preference, they are automatically added to the waiting lists for the higher preference schools than the school offered for the current and new term.
Reception and Year-7 applications
Waiting lists for the new school year open after national offer day – this is normally 1 March for Year-7 places and 16 April for reception and junior places. These are closed and cleared on the last day of school in December following offer day.
A child will stay on a school waiting list until:
- They are offered a place at a school ranked higher; or
- They are offered a place at a school and you turn it down
Find out your child’s waiting list position
If parents/carers give us their current email address on their school application form, we will email you your child’s current waiting list position every Tuesday for the schools we manage.
For most schools including academies and free schools, the School Admissions and Appeals Team organise and manage the waiting lists.
However, we do not manage the waiting lists for the schools listed below. Parents or carers will need to contact the school directly to ask about their child’s position on the waiting list. Please do not contact Newham Council about waiting list numbers for these schools, as we cannot provide this information.
- Bobby Moore Academy
- Brampton Manor Academy
- Harris Academy Chobham
- Harris Science Academy East London
- Langdon Academy
- Oasis Academy Silvertown
- St Bonaventure’s RC School
- St Angela’s Ursuline School
- School 21
- Stratford School Academy
It is the parents/carers responsibility to tell the School Admissions and Appeals Team or the school if they hold their own waiting lists of any circumstances that may change their child’s priority. For example if a brother or sister starts at the school.
If you did not give us your email address or if you have changed your email address, please use the link below to tell us.
Sign up to receive weekly waiting list updates or update your email address
