The 8 mistakes immigrant families often make in the UK education system: deadlines, listing one school, term-time trips to Turkey and home fee
Published: Last checked: October 20264 min read
Short answer
Points that cause problems when official rules are missed: the 31 October (Year 7) and 15 January (Reception) deadlines, listing one school, not accepting an offer in time, term-time holiday fines (£80, £160 if unpaid after 21 days), staying in education to 18, home fee status and UCAS dates.
In short
- This post is general information and does not assess anyone's personal situation. It makes no statistical claim about "the most common" mistakes: it collects the points that, according to official pages, cause problems when missed. It is based on official pages as they were on 18 October 2026 and covers England.
- Each mistake below rests on a rule on a GOV.UK, UKCISA or UCAS page. For children starting Year 7 in September 2027 the deadline is 31 October 2026.
The rest is for members
Sign up for free to read the whole post.
Sign up and keep readingAlready a member? Log in
Official sources
This answer is based on the pages below. Check the source yourself before you decide.
- GOV.UK: School admissions, how to apply
- GOV.UK: School attendance and absence
- GOV.UK: Legal action to enforce school attendance
- GOV.UK: Know when you can leave school
- UKCISA: Full list of categories for HE in England
- UCAS: Dates and deadlines for uni applications
Source links are for members. Sign up for free