Apply for a school place
State schools are free. You apply through your local council, which sets the deadlines. If you arrive mid-year, ask the council for an in-year place.
Home » Public bodies » Department for Education (DfE)
Department for Education (DfE)
Responsible for schools, childcare, apprenticeships and higher education policy in England. School places are handled by your local council.
Contact
DfE general enquiries
Opening times Monday to Friday: 9am to 5.30pm Closed at weekends and bank holidays
- Phone · Telephone
- 0370 000 2288
- Contact form
- gov.uk/contact-dfe
Preventing extremism in education settings
Opening times Monday to Friday: 11am to 3pm (excluding bank holidays) You can report concerns about extremism related to education settings in England, including allegations about institutions, staff and external people or organisations trying to influence settings.
- Phone · Telephone
- 020 7340 7264
- [email protected]
- Contact form
- report-extremism.education.gov.uk/
We only list official numbers. Beware of websites showing 084, 087, 09 or 118 numbers that connect you to a public body at a premium rate.
Related procedures
Help with childcare costs
Tax-Free Childcare and free childcare hours for eligible families. Check what you can get before booking a nursery.
Become an apprentice
An apprenticeship is a paid job with training, from GCSE level up to degree level. In England you need to be 16 or over and not in full time education. Wales and Northern Ireland have their own schemes.
Social media
Contact data source: GOV.UK, Open Government Licence v3.0, updated 12 October 2026.