What you need to do
You should:
- make sure you have a confirmed Luton address to apply – you cannot us a business address, childminder’s address, or any address other than your child’s home address
- check with the schools you are intending to state as a preference to see whether any supporting evidence should be sent with your application, or a supplementary form
- read the admission policies for the schools you're interested in
- read our the applying for schools or in-year transfer guidance
- read the checklist before submitting your application
- find your catchment area school
Read the admission policies
For the schools you're interested in, you should read their school admission policy to see what level of priority you would have – you can find school policies in our directory of schools.
Read our guidance documents
This guidance includes:
- admissions criteria
- appeals procedures
- timetables
- contact details for schools
- maps of where schools are
If you're applying to change your child's school
You should read the in-year transfer guidance.
Read the school admission checklist
Use our checklist to make sure you have read and supplied the correct information for your preferences.
Choosing your preferences
You should make sure you have stated a first, second and third preference and have not named the same school two or three times.
If one of your preferred school(s) is oversubscribed, we may ask you to provide original documentation as proof of address.
If your child has a sibling who attends a preferred school
If you do not state that your child has a sibling (brother or sister) who will be attending one of your preferred school(s) by September 2026, then your application will not be considered under the sibling criterion.
Specific school preferences
If you've stated Cardinal Newman Catholic School as a preference (for the high school transfer), you must also complete the school’s supplementary form and provided the following, direct to the school:
- completed supplementary form
- my child’s original Baptismal certificate
- certificate of Catholic practice
- First Holy Communion certificate
If you have stated Sacred Heart Primary School, St Margaret of Scotland Primary School and/or St Martin de Porres Primary School as a preference (for the starting school admissions round). You must provide a:
- completed the schools’ supplementary form
- provided the completed supplementary form
- provided my child’s original Baptismal certificate or Certificate of Reception direct to the school
If you've stated St Josephs Primary School as a preference (for the starting school admissions round), you must also provided your child’s original Baptismal certificate or Certificate of Reception direct to the relevant school(s).
You must provide the documentation required if you have chosen the following schools as a preference:
- Challney High School for Boys
- Challney High School for Girls
- Chiltern Academy, Denbigh High School
- Lea Manor High School
- Putteridge High School (for the high school transfer)
- Dallow Primary School (for the starting school admissions round) as a preference
If you have specified Wenlock CofE Academy as a preference, the you must also completed the school’s supplementary form.
For Catholic schools preferences
Make sure you have uploaded written evidence from a doctor (medical need) or director of Children Services (social need) to demonstrate exceptional social, medical or pastoral need.
If you do not upload the relevant evidence, your child will not be considered under this category.
For junior school applications
If you have stated a primary school as a preference, then this preference will be disregarded.
If you are seeking admission on medical grounds
You must upload medical evidence for your child. If you do not upload medical evidence then your child will not be considered under medical grounds and the information added to the application will not be considered.
If your child is new to the Luton-maintained schools system
If you are applying for a junior and high school transfers and your child is new to the Luton-maintained schools system then you must provide a copy of your child's birth certificate with your application.
If you're applying for school outside of Luton
You should make sure you:
- have read and understood the relevant council’s information guide and
- checked the school’s admission arrangements to see if I need to complete a supplementary form
If you supply this information to us, then we will not pass it onto the relevant parties.