Draft coordinated admission arrangements timetable 2026

It is the responsibility of admission authorities to ensure that admission arrangements are compliant with this code. Where a school is their own admission authority, this responsibility falls to the governing body or academy trust.

Section 88P of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 requires local authorities to make reports to the schools adjudicator about such matters connected with relevant school admissions as required by the code.

Objections to the admission arrangements of both maintained schools and academies can be made to the schools adjudicator whose decisions are binding and enforceable.

The Secretary of State may refer the admission arrangements of any school to the schools adjudicator at any time if the Secretary of State considers that they do not or may not comply with the mandatory requirements of this code or the law.

The Schools Adjudicator may investigate the admission arrangements of any school that the adjudicator considers do not or may not comply with the mandatory requirements of this code or the law.

Any decision of the schools adjudicator will be binding on the admission authority. The admission authority must, where necessary, revise their admission arrangements to give effect to the Schools Adjudicator's decision within two months of the decision (or by 28 February following the decision, whichever is sooner), unless an alternative timescale is specified by the adjudicator. An adjudicator's determination is binding and enforceable. Where admission authorities fail to implement decisions of the adjudicator the Secretary of State may direct the admission authority (either the governing body, the local authority, or academy trust) to do so under Section 496 or 497 of the Education Act 1996 or the funding agreement.

The following table sets out the admission authority for each type of school in England.