Introduction
Before you apply please make sure you read the Changing Schools in Somerset In Year leaflet (PDF 199KB) and we encourage you to do the following:
- read the admission arrangements for the school(s) you are interested in applying for
- find out what different schools have to offer your child
- if possible, visit schools you are interested in
- know which school is the catchment school for your child’s address
- be aware of the school transport policy Home to school transport – it is important that you understand who will be responsible for transport before applying to a school.
You can use the In-Year Application Form to apply for any state-funded school in Somerset, but you cannot use it to apply for a school outside of Somerset or a private school. Please return your application forms directly to your preferred school. Do not send your form to the School Admissions Team as the form will be automatically disregarded.
Moving your child to a mainstream school
If you wish to move your child to a school in another local authority area please contact them or visit their website to find out how to make an application.
It is important to consider the following points carefully before making the decision to change your child’s school.
- If your child is experiencing difficulties at their current school and you are considering moving them, it is important you contact your child’s teacher for a meeting to try to resolve these issues before moving your child, which should always be a last resort.
- The attainment of pupils who make in-year moves is markedly lower than their peers, and lower among pupils who make multiple in-year moves. Only 27 percent of pupils who move schools three times or more during their secondary school career achieve 5 A* to C GCSEs, compared to the national average of 60 percent. Results in English and maths for children at Key Stage 2 dropped 12 percent following one in year move, 17 percent for two moves and 25 percent for three moves (2013 RSA – Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce report on in year admissions).
- If your child is at a critical stage of their education (in year 10 or 11) it is likely that the school you wish to transfer your child to will not use the same exam boards as your child’s current school. If this is the case, any work your child has already done towards their GCSEs may not be able to be used. This could have a seriously damaging effect on your child’s exam results.
If it is the school holidays and you are waiting for the result of an in-year application you will need to wait until there is somebody available at the school. The Admissions and Entitlements Team will be unable to advise you of the outcome.
Decide on a school
First, you will need to decide which school you would prefer your child to attend. Information on the different types of schools and how to find out which is which can also be found on the Primary admissions policy or Secondary admissions policy page.
For general advice, visit our Find a school page. Please contact us if you would like to check whether there are places available in your child’s year group at particular schools or academies.
Once you have made your decision, you will need to contact the relevant school for an application form which must be filled in and returned to the school. You may need to provide proof of address if the application is a result of a house move.
In some areas of Somerset, especially urban areas, a number of the local schools may be over-subscribed. It is advisable to consider applying to a number of schools at once, in case you are unsuccessful in securing a school place at your preferred school so that your child is not out of education for any prolonged period.
Please note, if you are unable to secure a school place for your child within a reasonable distance, they may be entitled to school travel assistance to an alternative school. If this is the case, we will identify the school that travel assistance will be provided to. This will usually be the next nearest school to your home address that has places. If you choose to put your child in a different school and it is not the nearest with an available place, school travel assistance will not be provided.
If you are having difficulty securing your child a school place using the in-year application process, we advise you to contact the Admissions Team in the first instance. While you are welcome to discuss your case with your local MP, please bear in mind that they are not able to award school places, and neither an MP nor the local authority can overrule the decision of the Admission Authority.
Supporting evidence
If you need to provide supporting evidence for your school place application, like proof of regular church attendance, you must use a Supplementary Information Form (SIF). You can get this form from the school website. For Voluntary Controlled (VC) schools only the religious proof SIF can be downloaded in the Download section below.
If a place is not available in the appropriate year group, you will be refused and notified of your right to appeal to an independent panel against the decision. You can find more details about School Admissions Appeals on the Appeal a school admissions decision page.
To apply for a school place from a different country, it is likely proof of a Somerset home address will be required before the application can be considered.
If you have any difficulties finding a school for your child, please contact us immediately and we will happily advise on what options are available to you.
Waiting Lists
We keep waiting lists for all year groups for VC and Community (C) schools. If your child does not get a place at one of these schools, they will be put on the waiting list until the end of the school year.
The waiting list is kept in order of the over-subscription criteria and if a place becomes available it is offered to the child that is ranked the highest. It is your responsibility to let us know of any changes that may affect your child’s position on the waiting list.
If you would like your child to stay on the waiting list for the next academic year, you would need to re-apply for that year group and if refused your child will be added to the waiting list. You can apply for a place at school half a term early. So, if you want to start in September, you can apply from the June half term.
If you are applying to a school or academy that isn’t run by a Local Authority, you should ask that school or academy if they have waiting lists.
You can find all Somerset schools contact details on our Find a school page.