PARENTS and carers have until the end of the day on Sunday to submit their secondary school applications for children starting Year 7 next September.

Applications opened on September 3, with many secondaries having catchment areas.

If there are more applications than places, priority is given to children by following the school’s admission rules.

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Details of catchment areas can be found for schools which use them on the Oxfordshire County Council website.

While the catchment area is one of the ways that school places are decided, there are other factors such as whether a child has a brother or sister at the school or whether they have special educational needs.

Religious or faith schools can use the religion of a child or family as a deciding factor.

Secondary school children are eligible for free home to school transport if the school is more than three miles from their home address.

Transport can also be provided when the distance is less than three miles and the route is listed as dangerous by the county council.

National offer day falls on March 1, with the last date to respond to offers a fortnight later.