Apply to school pilot

The applytoschool.ie pilot is a new online system for parents and guardians who want to apply for a place in first-year of post-primary school for the 2026/27 school year.

This is a pilot project, which means it’s being tested in a small number of areas. The schools taking part are in Athenry, Celbridge, Clonakilty, Greystones, and Tullamore/Killina.

Only selected schools in these areas are part of the pilot. You can find the full list of participating schools in the next section.

Before you start your application, please check the list of required documents below. Having these ready will make the process quicker and easier.

What you need to apply:

All applicants must upload:

• A copy of your child’s birth certificate
• Two different documents showing your current address (e.g. utility bills, bank statements)

If you are applying for a special class or both a mainstream and special class, you also need:

(i) Professional reports outlining diagnosis (psychologist, psychiatrist, multi-disciplinary report)

And

• A demonstration of the understanding of complexity of the child’s overall level of need/s evidenced in the professional reports

And

• Given the severity or complexity of the child’s support needs, a clear professional recommendation as to what educational placement type would be most appropriate to best meet the child’s needs, along with the rationale for same

And

(i) A letter from the NCSE confirming that the child is known to them and that the child has the required diagnosis and recommendation for a special class for autism.

The applytoschool.ie online application system is being piloted in the following areas:

1. Athenry
2. Celbridge
3. Clonakilty
4. Greystones
5. Tullamore/Killina

Below is the list of participating schools for the pilot initiative:

Athenry

Under the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, all schools have admissions policies. This policy is approved by the school’s patron and shared with the school community. Schools must publish their admissions policy on their website. The Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 says that all admissions policies must be fair and clear.

If a school has more applications than places (is oversubscribed), it must follow the rules in its admissions policy to decide who gets a place. These rules must:

• Follow the law
• Be fair to everyone
• Not discriminate against anyone

Schools must clearly explain their selection rules in their policy. Each school decides its own criteria and the order of priority. The Department of Education and Youth does not get involved in these decisions.

For further information on individual school policies, please refer to the school’s admissions policy which will be published on the school’s website.

The applytoschool.ie pilot will follow set timelines, with applications submitted by a set deadline and places offered over multiple rounds.

The online form for lodging applications will open on 1st October 2025, and the deadline for the submission of applications will be 22nd October 2025.

Subsequent timelines are outlined below:

This structured approach is designed to give parents/guardians and schools early clarity on the status of each application across all schools.

Full details of the timelines can be found in the accompanying “FAQs for Parents and Guardians”

From 1 October 2025, you can apply for a first-year school place in the participating pilot areas through the applytoschool.ie application.

<<Link will go live on 1 October>>

Step-by-step instructions on how to complete the application form can be found on the links below

From 1 October 2025, you can apply for a first-year school place in the participating pilot areas through the applytoschool.ie link.

The vast majority of schools participating in the Pilot have special classes for students with additional needs, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Schools use their own admission criteria to decide who can be offered a place.

Parents/Guardians will need to provide supporting documents, such as a professional report and an NCSE recommendation when applying.

The applytoschool.ie online application means parents can apply for both mainstream places and special classes through the same form.  However, schools still make all admission decisions for special classes based on their published criteria and the documents received.

Please refer to the NCSE’s website for more information on Special Classes Click here

The following documentation will be needed as part of the application process for a first-year school place.

• A copy of your child’s birth cert
• Two different forms of recent proof of address e.g. utility bill

In addition, if you have chosen special class or both you are required to upload the following documents:

(i) Professional reports outlining diagnosis (psychologist, psychiatrist, multi-disciplinary report)

And

• A demonstration of the understanding of complexity of the child’s overall level of need/s evidenced in the professional reports

And

• Given the severity or complexity of the child’s support needs, a clear professional recommendation as to what educational placement type would be most appropriate to best meet the child’s needs, along with the rationale for same

And

(i) A letter from the NCSE confirming that the child is known to them and that the child has the required diagnosis and recommendation for a special class for autism.

If you are using a computer/laptop, you can upload the file from your saved files.  If you are using a mobile phone, you also have an option to take a photo or screenshot of the document directly for upload.

Please ensure that all information in the document image can be seen clearly.  The full document must be visible.  If the images are blurry or there is missing information, you may be asked to resubmit the document.

To help schools process your application quickly, please take note of the following tips:

• For single-page documents. take a clear photo of the document and upload it
• For multi-page documents, please combine all pages into one file before uploading
• Ensure that they are in a vertical (portrait) orientation for easier review
• Document types accepted are JPG, JPEG, PDF, PNG, TIFF, TIF and BMP files
• Please make sure you upload the relevant document into the corresponding “Drop file here” upload box
• Maximum file size: 10MB

For more information on uploading your documents, please refer to the System User Guide for Parents/Guardian below.

If a school receives more applications than available places, they are deemed to be oversubscribed. Where schools are oversubscribed, they must use their published oversubscription criteria as outlined in their admissions policy to determine the order in which offers are made.

If more people apply than there are places, the school is considered oversubscribed.

In that case, the school must use the rules in its admissions policy to decide who gets offered a place first.

If your child doesn’t get a place because the school is full, their name will go on a waiting list. This list is only used to fill places that become available during that school year.

In the event that there are two or more students tied for a place or places in any of the selection criteria categories, schools’ admissions policies will outline how places are allocated.

You can find the admissions policies on the websites of each school.

Schools will issue offers for first-year places on 12 November 2025.

Depending on your child’s placement following the school’s admission criteria review assessment, you may receive more than one offer of a place (if you have applied to multiple schools).

You will be required to respond to the offer within a specific time-frame.

The school which you accept a place in will require additional information to enrol your child and will issue an online enrolment form to be completed.

The Department of Education and Youth encourage parents/guardians not to accept multiple places, and to complete only one enrolment form for the place you are accepting.

If your child is not offered a place, they will be placed on a waiting list which will be managed by each school individually in accordance with their Admissions Policy.

The Department of Education and Youth will engage with schools, patrons and management bodies if enrolment pressures arise in an area.

If you experience any technical issues, please contact the Department of Education and Youth at the following email address:

(Documents and supports will be available shortly)

• applytoschool@education.gov.ie
• Please see System User Guide for Parents/Guardians and Parent and Guardian
• Frequently Asked Questions – applytoschool.ie.

Any queries related to admissions (selection criteria/waiting lists etc.) should be directed to the relevant school.