Parents whose children are due to start primary or secondary school next year can start applying for a place from next week.
Durham County Council will be accepting applications for the 2018/19 school year from Tuesday, 12 September.
Anyone with a child who is due to turn five between 1 September 2017 and 31 August 2018 needs to complete an application form stating which primary school they would like their child to attend.
Families will still need to apply even if they have an older child attending the same school. They must also complete an application form for older children wishing to attend a junior school from September 2018.
The deadline for applications for primary and junior schools is midnight on Monday, 15 January 2018.
Anyone with a child who is due to turn 11 between 1 September 2017 and 31 August 2018 needs to complete an application form stating which secondary school they would like their child to attend.
The deadline for secondary school applications is midnight on Sunday, 15 October 2017.
Application forms are available at www.durham.gov.uk/schooladmissions, where parents will also find essential advice to help with their application.
Paper applications are available on request by contacting Durham County Council’s school admissions team on 03000 265 896.