Keep the confirmations for each separate application
Test registration and the school-place application are different processes. One receipt does not prove the other was completed. Where you register for several tests, save a confirmation for each organiser.
Use a simple folder with dated file names. The key records are:
| Stage | Keep |
|---|---|
| Test registration | Submitted details, candidate reference and confirmation |
| Test arrangements | Venue letter, approved adjustments and any reported incident |
| Results | Full result letter, scores or rank and review instructions |
| CAF | Final submitted preference order, receipt and later change confirmations |
| Allocation | Offer or refusal letter and your response confirmation |
| Waiting list or appeal | Requests, acknowledgements, evidence and decisions |
A screenshot can help, but retain the downloadable letter or complete email when available. It may contain qualifications or deadlines outside the visible screen.
Save the policy and the evidence relevant to your application
Keep each school’s determined admission arrangements for the correct September entry year. If a distance rule or priority area matters, save the official map and measurement definition alongside the policy.
Provide address documents, pupil premium evidence or other priority information only as required by the named authority. Check the relevant evidence date: current eligibility and eligibility by a specified deadline are not always interchangeable.
For agreed test adjustments, keep the request, supporting evidence and the organiser’s confirmation. A school’s awareness of a need is not the same as the test organiser approving an arrangement.
Record changes and problems promptly
If you move, correct a date of birth, report illness or change a preference, save what you told the authority and its reply. After a telephone conversation about an important instruction, request written confirmation or send a factual follow-up.
For a portal problem, note the time and error and contact the official team before the deadline where possible. A screenshot of an error does not itself guarantee that a late application will be treated as on time.
Keep the file useful and private
Store sensitive records securely and share them only through the admissions team’s specified route. Avoid sending medical or identity documents to unrelated contacts.
If an appeal becomes necessary, a dated sequence of relevant records is more useful than an unlabelled bundle. Follow the clerk’s evidence instructions and explain what each document supports. See the appeal timing guide for the separate submission deadlines.
A FEW MORE ANSWERS
Still wondering?
Is a saved CAF draft proof that we applied?
No. Keep the final submission confirmation or receipt showing the application reference and submitted preferences. If the portal does not confirm submission, contact your council promptly.
Should we keep an old admission policy after the website changes?
Yes. Save the published arrangements for your child’s entry year. A newer policy may relate to a different cohort and may not explain the decision made on your application.
Should we email all our evidence to every school?
No. Send the documents requested through the official process, by its deadline. Keep other relevant records securely in case the admissions team or appeal clerk asks for them.
Official sources
Checked 28 Sept 2026