The dates for when parents must apply for their child’s primary and secondary school have been discussed.

The timetable for admissions for Lancashire's primary and secondary schools and academies for 2024/2025 were discussed during a meeting on Thursday (February 2).

A draft scheme and timetable for Lancashire schools and academies/free schools was circulated for consultation with schools and academies, governors, diocesan representatives and neighbouring authorities during Autumn Term 2022.

Under the proposed timetable, the online application system will go live from September 1 for both primaries and secondaries.

Applications for secondaries will close on October 31, while applications for primaries will close on January 15, 2024.

Offer letters or emails will then go out on March 1, 2024, for secondaries and April 15, 2024, for primaries. Both the closing dates and offer dates are set by the central government.

The scheme for 2024/2025 maintains the focus on online applications being the primary way of applying for school places, although hard copy application forms are available for those without a computer.

Every local authority has a duty to formulate a scheme to co-ordinate the admission process for every state funded school in their area.

Cabinet member for education and skills, Cllr Jayne Rear said: "Every parent wants the best for their child, so we understand how emotive the admissions process can be.

"That's why we strive every year to make the process as simple as possible.

"The majority of applications are now done online because that is the quickest and easiest way to apply for your child's school place.

"No matter what method you use, our admissions team will be happy to support you with your application at every step."

In addition to this, the cabinet was updated on the progress of the School Place Planning Programme 2023-25 and consider several recommendations to approve various projects identified to increase the number of primary and secondary school places across Lancashire.