State school in-year admissions and school transfers
For most state schools in England there are two main entry points: reception at the beginning of primary school and year 7 at the start of secondary school. Across the country there are some variations to the usual primary-secondary structure, including infant and junior schools, middle schools, UTCs, studio schools and all-through schools, all of which have different points of admission and departure. These are, however, the exception rather than the rule.
Moving to a new school in-year
Reasons why a child may need to transfer schools at an irregular time could include moving to a new area, unhappiness with the current school, or no longer being able to continue in private education. If for these or any other reasons your timing does not coincide with a normal entry point, you will need to complete an ‘in-year’ admissions process.
Choosing a new school
Researching schools ahead of an in-year transfer is not too different from researching schools at any other time. In many parts of the country parents have limited options to weigh up and so deciding which schools to consider is not difficult. However, whether there is one school on your list or five, visiting them and asking staff questions is the minimum a parent should aim to do. Read our article on open days for ideas on what to look for and topics to address when talking to staff.
You can also look at academic performance statistics, including KS2 SATs for primary schools and GCSE and A level results at secondary level. These may help you learn more about the academic character of the school and the demographics it serves. However, this kind of data will not aid your understanding of pastoral care, inclusivity, discipline, extracurricular activities, after-school clubs and sporting opportunities. The Good Schools Guide reviews many of the country’s leading state secondary schools, so take a look at our school search.
Which schools have vacancies?
Schools aim to have all their places filled at all times. However, some will inevitably have vacancies. Your local authority (LA), or the LA of your preferred school if it is different, should provide a list of available places at schools in its area. This can usually be found on the LA’s website or is given on request.
Making an in-year application
Your preferred school should make it clear on its website whether its in-year admissions process is managed by the LA or the school itself. It varies according to the LA and, for example, whether the school is an academy or not. If you need to deal directly with the school then there will usually be a form on its website or an email address for you to write to. If the LA handles the process then you must access its online portal or make contact with the department which deals with school admissions. It might be possible to apply to the maximum number of schools permitted by the LA on its form and additional ones that you need to apply to directly. You may also want to apply to schools in a nearby authority, which requires finding out the procedure for doing so from that authority.
When should you apply?
If you want to apply for a September start, there may be specific dates from which you can get your application processed. The main advantage of starting the process before the end of the previous school year, eg around mid-June, is to avoid a delay in your child's starting school at the beginning of the new academic year. This is because you might have to wait 2-3 weeks before you receive an offer, as the school concerned has to get any apparent vacancies confirmed. It is possible to accept a place at the end of the summer term and still later receive an offer from a school ranked higher on your preference list if a place becomes available. But you would need to be at the top of the waiting list and to have an address in the authority that you can evidence as required (see below).
Families looking to move schools mid-year should apply for a place at the time they need it. Most schools and local authorities process in-year applications throughout the year and usually expect applicants to be ready to take up a place at the new school within weeks, if not days, of being offered a place.
Moving schools during years 10 or 11
Parents should think carefully before moving schools during the years leading up to GCSEs. There are fewer places available at this point and there is a risk that the disruption to a child’s education could impact their chances at GCSE. Also, GCSE option choices could be limited if numbers for certain subjects are already full.
Documents required
When applying for a school place, you will normally need proof of address (typically a council tax bill, 6-month rental agreement or completion-of-exchange of contracts document, possibly supplemented by, eg, a utility bill). You must be able to demonstrate that the address you apply from is the child’s permanent home. It is likely that the school or LA will also want to see your child’s birth certificate or passport.
Applying to a faith school
As with the normal round of admissions, some schools, including those which select according to faith, require additional information from the applicant. You may be asked to complete a supplementary information form (SIF) or Certificate of Religious Practice (CRP) as part of your in-year application.
What happens if your preferred school is full?
The LA would advise parents to apply to schools with places already available. That way the child avoids spending longer than necessary without a school. However, there can be many reasons why a school with vacancies is not preferred by parents and you can make applications to other schools, including ones without spare places. Regardless of how much of a glowing addition your child may be to the school, an application to join an already full year group is likely to be rejected.
At this point, parents can request to go on the school’s waiting list and can also appeal against the decision to reject their application. Waiting lists and appeals are two separate processes which can run concurrently. Either can result in a place being offered but both come with zero guarantees.
How waiting lists work
If your child is the only one currently on the waiting list they are likely to be offered the next available place. However, waiting lists are normally ranked according to the school’s oversubscription criteria rather than the length of time spent waiting, meaning a later arrival to the waiting list can sometimes leapfrog earlier applicants. For example, this could happen if you are on a waiting list for a faith school which gives precedence to applicants who are church-goers. If your child is not baptised and has been on the waiting list for months, a baptised child applying today would join the waiting list ahead of your child.
An in-year school move is rarely anyone’s first choice. Whether prompted by a house move, a change in circumstances or simply the feeling that a school is not the right fit, it can be a stressful process for both parents and children. The good news is that schools and local authorities are old hands when it comes to in-year admissions. With realistic expectations, careful research and a clear understanding of the rules around vacancies, waiting lists and appeals, families can give themselves the best chance of finding a school where their child can thrive.
