How to research Peterborough primary schools
Primary school applications for September 2026
The process for applying for a primary school place for September 2026 will launch on 12 September 2025.
On this page, we have provided information to help you research the different schools we have in Peterborough.
Age ranges of schools
Throughout this process, you may hear three different types of school mentioned – infant, junior and primary.
- An infant school is for children between the ages of 4 and 7 – it has three school year groups – Reception, Year 1 and Year 2
- A junior school is for children between the ages of 7 and 11 – it has four school year groups – Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6
- A primary school is a combination of infant and junior schools – for children between the ages of 4 and 11 – it has seven year groups – Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6
At the end of Year 6, children move up to Year 7 in secondary school. You will have to apply for a secondary school place for your child when they reach this age.
Types of schools in Peterborough
All children in England between the ages of 5 and 16 are entitled to a free place at a state school.
State schools receive funding through the council (also known as the local authority) or directly from the Government. We have the following types of schools in Peterborough:
How to research the suitability of a school
On your application, you need to list three school preferences. If you only list one and it is full, your child might not receive a place there. We may have to allocate your child a place at a school you did not like or consider. That is why it is important you have two further options listed.
We have an online primary school directory that you can use to find out further information about each school in Peterborough. Each school’s directory listing provides information on:
- The name, address, website address and contact information for the school
- The age range of the school
- The number of children attending the school
- The number of children the school can have in each year group – also called the Published Admission Number (PAN)
- Oversubscription criteria for the school – factors that the school considers to prioritise applicants when it receives more applications than it has places available
- Catchment area and map – the area around the school from which it will accept children
- Supplementary Information Form (SIF) – if you are applying for a place at a religious school, they will ask you to complete a SIF in addition to our own council application form
- Open day event information
- Information about the local offer for children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND)
- Ofsted unique reference number (URN) and latest report
In addition to our directory, you can find out further information about schools from Ofsted and the Department for Education. They publish information on inspections and performance:
- Ofsted inspection framework
- Ofsted inspection reports
- Ofsted parent view
- Department for Education - performance tables
- Department for Education - school admissions code
- Department for Education - guidance for schools on school admission and overseas students
You can also view our information on:
Visit the school
We encourage you to visit the schools you are interested in. Benefits include:
- Giving your child the opportunity to get a feel of what the school would be like to attend
- Meeting the headteacher and class teachers
- Receiving a tour of the school to see what the classrooms and facilities are like
- Hearing first-hand about what school life will be like for your child
- Having the opportunity to ask questions
Often schools arrange activities for visiting children to participate in.
Understand how we allocate school places
In addition to researching your preferred schools, we also recommend you read our 'how we allocate primary school places' page. This explains:
- Oversubscription criteria (how we allocate places if we receive more applications than places available)
- Catchment areas (including schools that don't operate catchment areas)
- How we calculate home-to-school distance
- Why you should choose three preferences
School transport
Parents have a duty to:
- Make sure their child attends school
- Arrange necessary transport to and from school
- Accompany their children where necessary on journeys to and from school
If you make a preference for a school other than your catchment or nearest, you will be expected to make your own arrangements for your child’s journey to and from school and meet any costs involved.
In terms of primary school children, we will provide free transport for:
- Primary age children in Reception to Year 3 who attend their catchment or nearest available school and live at least two miles from the school
- Primary age children in Year 4 to Year 6 who attend their catchment or nearest available school and live at least three miles from the school