The deadline for parents to enrol children into Swindon’s primary schools is fast approaching, with January 15 the cut-off date.

It applies to all children who are due to attend primary, infant or junior schools in the town.

Other than for pupils who are home-educated, it is mandatory that all children must attend school during the term following their fifth birthday.

As a result, children born between September 1, 2013 and August 31, 2014 will start primary or infant school in the coming September, and all those born between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011 will start junior school at the same time.

Applications can be made online, or via a hard copy. Each application allows parents to rank their top three schools in terms of preference, which, along with the level of over-subscription for schools, will be used by the local authority’s admissions team to determine which school children are accepted to.

Parents who have not yet submitted an application will be relieved to find that applications are not processed on a first come, first served basis. Instead, all applications submitted prior to the January 15 deadline will be treated equally, though no guarantees on which school children will be awarded a place at are given.

More more information, and to apply, visit https://www.swindon.gov.uk/primaryschoolplaces