Moving schools (in-year) transfer

Introduction

An in-year admission could be:

• a move between Peterborough schools, or
• a move to a Peterborough school from a school in a different county or country

To apply for a place at a school outside of Peterborough, you will need to apply to the local authority which the new school is located.

You can submit an application for a school place up to 30 school days before the intended start date. When we have received a complete application, along with the appropriate documentary evidence, (proof of your Peterborough address and Student Details form where your child is moving from one Peterborough School to another) we process applications following the timetable found below.

When you can apply

If you want to apply for an In Year place you need to make your application in line with the dates listed below.

Allocations are made term-time only. There will be no in-year allocations taking place during the school holidays.

The deadline for applications to be received and processed within an allocation is Thursday at midday.

Before you apply

If you are changing from one Peterborough school to another you will need to ask your current school to complete a student details form. You will need to send the completed form with your in-year application. Your application will not be processed without this form. 

If you are applying under academic or religious grounds, you may also need to complete a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) and send this to the school so they have it when they receive a request for a school place from us.

Many issues that worry parents/carers and children can be put right without the need to move schools. Before you consider changing your child’s school, we recommend that you reflect and discuss the move with your child’s tutor/head of year or head teacher prior to making an application.

It is important that you think carefully before moving your child from their current school.

Please read our leaflet of 'things to consider' to ensure you are fully aware of some of the issues that can affect your child moving school.

Your catchment school

It is strongly recommended that you choose your catchment school as one of your three school preferences, even if there are currently no places available, as this may affect your entitlement to transport, should it not be possible to offer a place at this school. Please read our Frequently Asked Questions for more details.

In a small number of cases, your child’s address may be in the catchment area for a school that falls under a neighbouring local authority. If this is the case for your child’s home address, you should make your application to that local authority.

We also encourage you to find out more about schools in Peterborough by:

• Checking you're applying to the correct council
• Checking your school catchment areas
• Visit the school directory to see school info and visit websites
• Reading Ofsted reports for the schools you are considering
• Checking Department for Education performance tables
• Visiting schools
• Reading the National School Admissions Code

Moving schools due to moving home

For cases in which you are seeking an in-year transfer due to moving home, you will need to provide proof of your new address with your application.

If you are unable to provide proof of your new address, you can apply using your old address. However this may affect how your application is considered against the over-subscription criteria for your chosen schools and your position on the school’s waiting list, should your preferred school be full.

Moving from abroad

UK law states that children must be receiving an education between the school term after their fifth birthday and the last Friday in June in the school year that they turn 16.

If you are moving from overseas, temporarily or permanently, your child may be eligible for a school place. You will need to provide proof of your new address. Your child must be:

• aged between 4 and 16
• intending to attend a Peterborough school for at least 30 school days

Please email admissions@peterborough.gov.uk for further guidance and include your full name, address and contact details. We only process applications for Peterborough state schools. We do not manage admissions for independent (fee paying) schools.

Find more information on standard visitor visas and study visas on GOV.UK.

Changing schools if your child has Special Educational Needs

If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan or Statement of Special Educational Needs, you will need to contact the Statutory Assessment and Monitoring Service (SAM) instead of the Admissions Team. Find out more on our Family Information Service website.

You may also like to contact the SAM Service on 01733 863733 or by email to SENTeam@peterborough.gov.uk

Changing schools for looked after children or previously looked after children

Under the School Admissions Code, children who are looked after or have previously been looked after are granted a priority in admissions arrangements.

A child is looked after by a local authority if a court has granted a care order to place a child in care, or a council’s children’s services department has cared for the child for more than 24 hours.

Applications for looked after children must be made by the Social Worker involved with the child or documentation attached to your application to say that their social worker is in agreement with the application.

A previously looked after child is defined as a child who following being looked after became subject to:

• an Adoption Order under the Adoption Act 1976 or Section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002
• a Residence or Child Arrangement Order under Section 8 of the Children Act 1989 and amended by Section 12 of the families Act 2014
• Special Guardianship Order under Section 14a of the Children Act 1989
• For previously looked after children you will need to provide evidence that they were previously looked after and attach this to your application.

UK service personnel/crown agents

If you provide an official government letter stating your relocation date and intended address, we can allocate a school place in advance.

We will accept a Posting Order, or a quartering area address for applications from service personnel in the absence of a permanent home address.

You will need to provide this documentation with your application.

Apply for a school place

You will need to make an application per child, based on your child’s home address.

When you apply we strongly recommend using all three preferences of which one is your catchment school. If you apply to one school, and we are unable to make an offer for this school, the offer you receive may be a school you would not have chosen for your child.

The following schools process their own In Year applications:

• Braybrook Primary Academy
• Discovery Primary Academy
• Fulbridge Academy
• Gladstone Primary Academy
• Hampton Vale Primary Academy
• Lime Academy Trust: Abbotsmede/Parnwell/Watergall
• Manor Drive Primary Academy
• Manor Drive Secondary Academy
• Arthur Mellows Village College
• Thomas Deacon Academy
• G.P.U.T.C

Please contact these schools directly for In Year admissions.

School places and Brexit

The Department for Education has provided us with updated guidance following on from Brexit regarding the rights of foreign national children, who are within the UK and their rights to a school place. If you believe this information relates to your situation, please read the information provided.

Contact us

Should you need to write to us you can do so at:

School Admissions Team
Peterborough City Council
Sand Martin House
Bittern Way
Fletton Quays
Peterborough
PE2 8TY

Or alternatively you can email us at admissions@peterborough.gov.uk.