Moving school during the school year

Places in community and voluntary controlled schools are allocated using the published primary admissions criteria for primary schools and secondary admissions criteria for places in secondary schools.

For admission to voluntary aided schools and academies,the admissions team will send details of your application to the relevant school's governing body for their decision.

Some voluntary aided schools may require supplementary information. The school will write to you if this is the case. Supplementary forms can be downloaded online.

Where your child can be offered a place at one of your preferred schools, you will be asked to contact the school to arrange a suitable admission date.

Where your child has been refused a place at one of your preferred schools, you will be informed of your right of appeal. If you are moving further than two miles from your child's current school, or your child's current school is more than two miles from your current address, the school admissions team will make an alternative offer of a place at a school within two miles of your current or proposed address as applicable. You will need to inform the local authority if you do not require the alternative school offered.

If you are not offered a place at your preferred school you will have the right to appeal against the decision (please note: there is no right of appeal for nursery places).

However the law on infant class sizes states that from 1 September 2000 no five, six or seven year olds should be in a class of more than 30 pupils. Therefore the circumstances where an appeal committee can uphold an appeal for these year groups are limited.

The local authority does not hold waiting lists for in-year admissions. If your child is refused a place at your preferred school and the alternative offered is not suitable, you will need to re-apply for a place at your preferred school if you still require a place.

The fair access protocol provides a flexible approach to admissions for children who may face challenges in obtaining school places. The protocol lists the categories of children who may be given assistance in finding school places.