Starting secondary school from September 2025
Find out the how the application process works for your child's application to secondary school from September 2025.
Primary to secondary transfer
All applicants will receive the outcome of their application via email. If you have been offered a school you must accept or decline your offer within 2 weeks.
How places were offered in Westminster, and Kensington and Chelsea
To provide you with as much information as possible, details of how places were offered for all schools located in the Bi-borough area, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster, is provided in the document below.
If you are considering applying for further schools, you are advised to use this information to determine the likelihood of your child being offered a place.
The abbreviation ‘LAC’ is used throughout this document, this stands for Looked After Child and applies to children who are, or were, in the public care of a Local Authority, for example foster children, or were adopted from abroad.
Schools with vacancies or only a short waiting list
The document below includes details of schools that either have vacancies, or only a short waiting list. Schools in adjoining local areas are also included for ease of reference, If you wish to apply for further schools, you must contact your home local authority Admissions Team.
Waiting lists and appeals
If your child was not offered their first preference school, they will be retained on the waiting list for any schools listed higher than the one they were offered. Waiting list positions for the following schools will be available from 31 March 2025 from the Admissions Team:
- Grey Coat Hospital
- Harris Academy St John’s Wood
- Paddington Academy
- Pimlico Academy
- Westminster Academy
For other schools you are advised to contact the school directly, or the borough in which they are located, for further advice about the waiting list process.
There is a right to an independent appeal for any school that has been unable to offer a place. Please consult your formal outcome letter for more information about this process.
Applications
Late applications
The eAdmissions website is the recommended way to apply. The website is open for online applications until the middle of August.
Apply on the eAdmissions website
Apply using a paper form
If you require a paper form, please contact the Admissions Team.
Resources
In order for you to be fully informed of the application process and how to find out more about the schools you may be interested in applying to, a handy Hints and Tips leaflet is available. A more detailed online brochure includes further information about individual schools and how they offer places.
This leaflet answers the most frequently asked questions and includes:
- all the visiting dates and open evenings for Westminster secondary schools
- dates for ability banding and aptitude tests, which some schools run
This brochure includes:
- the process of applying for schools, and what happens after
- oversubscription criteria for all Westminster secondary schools
- how places were offered in the previous year
- useful information to assist in the transition from primary to secondary school
Contact us
If you need a paper application form, or require some further guidance on the process, contact us by:
- calling 020 7745 6433, weekdays, 9am to 2pm
- emailing schooladmissions@westminster.gov.uk
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Published: 11 January 2021
Last updated: 3 March 2025
