Before you apply to move schools during the school year

Changing your child's school can affect them in many ways and the decision should not be taken without careful thought. Nevertheless, we know that a number of families will need to transfer their child to another school during the academic year, rather than at the usual transfer times. These school moves are called in-year admissions.

Is a change of school the best option for your child? 

Sometimes a change of school is unavoidable, perhaps due to a change in family situation, or a house move. However, in other circumstances, it can be disruptive to your child’s learning. For example: 

• Your child may need to adapt to the new school delivering the National Curriculum differently.
• If your child has already chosen their GCSE or A Level options, they may not be able to continue with them; the new school may use different exam boards and/or offer different subjects.
• They are likely to have to adapt to new routines and new friendship groups.
• They may have a longer journey each day to get to school.
• The new school may not have before and after-school clubs available. 

So, before you make the final decision, you may want to explore the following options with your child’s current school: 

• Discuss any issues or concerns that you have with the current school with the headteacher, or a member of the governing body.
• Review any additional pastoral or learning support that you think your child needs with their classroom teacher or headteacher.
• If your child is getting into trouble at school, discuss any possible reasons and solutions for this with their teacher. 

If you feel there are issues with your child’s current school and want to seek advice on your rights, do not agree to remove your child from the school’s register before discussing your situation with us. 

Considering other schools

To identify the most appropriate school for your child, we recommend that you:  

• Research each school by visiting their website and social media accounts and, if possible, visit the school in person. 
• Read the school’s latest Ofsted inspection report, available on the OFSTED website.  
• If your child has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), contact colleagues in SENDAR for further advice. 
• If you wish to apply to a grammar school, find out about their testing procedure prior to applying for a school place. 
• Consider how your child will travel to school. Parents and carers have a legal responsibility to get their child to school and you should not assume that any transport assistance will be available for your child. 

Schools that don't accept applications through the regular admissions process

You will need to apply directly to some schools for a place. These schools don’t allow you to apply through the regular admissions process:

• St Lawrence C of E Primary School
• St Gabriels C of E Academy
• Rugby Free Primary School
• Aylesford School and Sixth Form College
• Etone College
• North Leamington School
• Rugby Free Secondary School
• The Queen Elizabeth Academy

All admission authorities must comply with the School Admissions Code, which includes writing to parent/carers to confirm the outcome of a school application. If you are refused a place, the school must give a reason for the refusal and let you know how to place an appeal.

How are school places offered?

All schools have admission criteria which are used to decide which children should be offered places if there are more applications than places available. We refer to this as oversubscription criteria.

All admission authorities are legally obliged to operate an equal preference system. This means that all of your school preferences will be looked at equally and we will try to offer your child a place at your highest ranked school choice. There is no benefit to naming a school more than once on the application.

You will be sent an official offer letter confirming the school where a place can be offered.