For parents

From the first prospectus to the first day, one step at a time.

A practical walk through how school admissions actually work in Uganda. Timelines by level, the documents every school asks for, the fees nobody puts on the website, and the questions heads quietly hope you'll ask.

Browse schools open now Compare three shortlisted

The year-ahead view

The admissions year, month by month.

Most schools quietly run on this calendar. Move six weeks early, the good seats are gone by August.

01
Jan – Mar
Open the file
Pick four or five schools you'd seriously consider. Request prospectuses. Book visits for the next school holiday window. Most schools open their S1 / P1 books between January and March of the year before entry.
02
Apr – Jun
Visit & shortlist
Walk the grounds. Ask to meet a teacher in your child's subject, not just admissions. Sit in on a lesson if the head allows. By the end of June your list should be three schools, ranked.
03
Jul – Sep
Apply & interview
Submit forms with the documents below. Pay the application fee. Most well-known schools interview applicants and at least one parent, read the school's entrance-test sample papers in advance.
04
Oct – Nov
Wait & confirm
Offers usually arrive within four weeks of interview. You will be asked to pay a placement deposit (UGX 200,000 – 800,000) to secure the seat. Lose the deposit if you withdraw after the deadline.
05
Dec – Jan
New-entrant week
Uniform, name tags, trunk packing, first medical. Most boarding schools host a half-day orientation in the week before Term 1, go, even if you are confident your child will adjust.

The folder you'll carry

What every school will ask for.

Assemble these in a single labelled folder before you submit the first application, you will use them again, often within the same week. Make three certified copies of the required documents; schools do keep them.

A small thing that matters: bring originals to interviews. Schools will hand them back; copies alone often slow the placement decision by a week.

Completed application form (school-specific)
Child's birth certificate or NIN slip
Two passport-size photos (recent, white background)
Most recent end-of-term report (last 2 terms)
PLE / UCE result slip (where applicable)
Transfer letter from the previous school
Parent / guardian ID copy & contact details
Baptism or religious-affiliation certificate
Preferred, not always required
Letter of recommendation from the child's previous head
Preferred, not always required
Medical history form (school-supplied)
Preferred, not always required

By level

How the process changes from nursery to A-Level.

Nursery & P1

3 – 6 years

Most respected nurseries open books 6 – 12 months ahead and run a play-based interview. Bring the child, heads decide on temperament as much as on parents.

P5 – P7

10 – 13 years

Mid-primary intake is harder, schools have one or two seats per stream. A strong P4 report and a sit-in maths/English paper usually decide it.

S1 (UCE start)

13 – 14 years

The most competitive intake. PLE Division 1 with aggregate 4 – 12 unlocks the top tier. Many schools also reserve seats for in-house P7 leavers, apply early if you are coming from outside.

S5 (A-Level)

17 – 18 years

UCE Division 1 + your three principal subjects' pass grade decides it. Subject combinations are fixed at intake, choose carefully; switching mid-year is rarely allowed.

The bill before the bill

What admission actually costs, before fees.

Tuition is the line item most parents budget for. These six are the ones that surprise first-time applicants, they rarely appear on the school's website but they always appear in the invoice.

Application form fee
Non-refundable, paid before interview.
UGX 20,000 – 100,000
Interview / entrance test
Charged by selective schools to cover marking.
UGX 0 – 150,000
Placement deposit
Counts toward Term 1 fees once the seat is taken.
UGX 200,000 – 800,000
Uniform & trunk
One-off; varies sharply between day and boarding schools.
UGX 300,000 – 1,200,000
New-entrant extras
Books, ID cards, sports kit. Check each school's list.
UGX 50,000 – 400,000

If you missed the window, you still have moves.

Late applications are not a dead end, they are a different door. Most schools hold three to five seats back for late, exceptional applicants and for last-minute withdrawals. Three things to do, in order:

1
Phone, don't email. Ask for the admissions officer by name and request a 10-minute window to drop documents in person.
2
Bring a one-page letter from the previous head explaining the timing, moving city, a sibling's school change, late results. Heads want context.
3
If the school is full, ask to be placed on the formal waitlist (in writing) and to be told your position. A polite weekly check-in is normal.

Ready to start the file?

Search schools that are still taking applications for the coming intake, or write to our admissions desk if you want a second pair of eyes on your shortlist.

Schools open now Write to the admissions desk

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