WC schools to make acceptance offers for 2026 placements from 30 May - Maynier

CAPE TOWN - With the on-time admissions window for grades R, 1 and 8 officially closed, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) said that schools would start to make offers of acceptance to parents from 30 May.

The department received a record number of applications for the 2026 academic year.

The on-time admissions window closed this past Tuesday and applications were received for almost 165,000 pupils.

This is an increase of more than 12,000 compared to the on-time applications received for the same grades for 2025 and the highest number of on-time applications received to date.

Western Cape Education MEC David Maynier: "Schools will now consider all of the applications received during the on-time window, and apply their admissions policies to select successful applicants. Schools will start to make offers of acceptance to parents from 30 May 2025, and parents will need to confirm their acceptance by 17 June 2025."

Maynier has urged parents to ensure they remain contactable.

"The most important thing that parents can do now before the outcomes are available is to ensure that they update the department if their contact details change. Every year, we face challenges with parents who are uncontactable when an offer is available for their child, so we urge parents to assist us by providing accurate details."