In Year Admissions

The Application for a Change of School In Year Form should only be completed for a school place outside of the normal year of entry (ie: after children start primary school or move from primary to secondary school).

Please complete ALL sections of the Application for a Change of School In Year Form. The School Admissions and Pupil Placements Service is unable to process incomplete forms, which leads to further delay in offering your child a school place.

• Clearly write your child’s name, date of birth, year group and gender.
• The address you state on the form should be your child’s only or main residence. The local authority can only use one address. All parents / carers are required to provide proof of address with their form.
• List up to 3 schools of your choice in preference order.
• Include the details of any older or younger siblings in attendance at any of the schools you are applying for.
• If there are any particular reasons why you prefer a school, write these in the ‘Reasons for preference’ box.
• Let us know the name and address of your child’s current school and if they still regularly attend. If not, let us know the date they last attended or the date they left their last school.
• If your child is a Looked After Child (in care), please state the name of the local authority, and the name and telephone number of the Social Worker.
• If your child has ever been temporarily or permanently excluded from any school or had difficulties, please indicate this on your application. This information will help us to ensure the correct support is available for your child at his / her new school.
• If there are any other agencies involved with your child such as Education Welfare Service, Connexions, Youth Offending Service etc, then provide the details and the names of any contacts.
• You need to ensure the Headteacher of your child's current or most recent school completes the Declaration on section 2 of the form.
• If any of your preferred schools require the completion of an additional or supplementary information form, this will need to be returned to the School Admissions and Pupil Placements Service (See contact detail in the essential information section) along with your Application for a Change of School Form.
• Include your forename(s), surname, and relationship to the child you are making the application for. Also include telephone numbers.
• Remember to sign and date the Declaration at the end of the form and include proof of address and any other relevant documents with your application.

If you experience any difficulties in completing your Application for a Change of School In Year Form please contact a member of the In-Year Admissions Team. (See contact detail in the essential information section)

We process your Application for a Change of School In Year Form according to how you have ranked your schools. You should receive a response within 5 working days. If your application is going to be delayed we will contact you to let you know.

All maintained schools and academies (except grammar schools) that have enough available places must offer a place to every child that has applied for one. However, this rule does not apply if one of the statutory reasons for refusal can be applied. The statutory reasons for refusal of admission are:

• Children who have been permanently excluded twice.

The obligation to comply with the parental preference is removed for a period of two years from the date on which the latest exclusion took place.

• Children with challenging behaviour.

Where a school has a high concentration of children with challenging behaviour or previously excluded children, plus a number of other exceptional circumstances that exist, the school may refuse to admit the child. To obtain further information on the above categories please contact a member of the In-Year Admissions Team. (See contact detail in the essential information section)

Community schools

If you have applied for any community schools, the local authority determines in accordance with the published admission criteria whether your child can be offered a place at that school.

If you have applied for any academy, foundation, grammar or voluntary aided schools, the governing body of the school will determine whether your child can be offered a place. The application is sent to the school for consideration and a decision should be communicated within 5 school days (up to a maximum of 10 school days for more complex cases).

Once we know the outcome of your application, we will write to you on behalf of the local authority or the governing body at the school to advise you of one of the following outcomes:

• Where your child meets the criteria for a place at the first preferred school, that school is offered.
• Where your child meets the criteria for a place at the second or subsequent preferred school, they will be offered a place at whichever is the highest ranked school.
• Where it is not possible to offer your highest ranked school, your child is added to that school’s waiting list and you are informed of how to appeal.

In the event we are unable to offer any of your preferred schools, because all the schools are full to their admission number, we offer your child a place at the nearest available school to your home address. (If the nearest school is not a community school, we contact the governing body on your behalf and they advise whether a place can be offered at that school). We also advise you on how to appeal.

All parents / carers are required to respond to any offers within 10 school days. Failure to respond means that the offer of the place is at risk of being withdrawn. If your child is not attending school the local authority may start legal proceedings to ensure your child is receiving suitable full time education.

Fair Access Protocols exist to ensure that access to education is secured quickly for children without a school place, for whom a place at a mainstream school or alternative provision is appropriate, and to ensure that all schools in an area admit their fair share of children with challenging behaviour.

Through Fair Access Sharing Panels (known as Sharing Panels) hard to place pupils with the greatest need and those who have not secured places through the usual channels have been found schools or other suitable placements.

The Birmingham Schools Admissions Forum (representing all admission authorities of maintained schools in the city) has a number of statutory duties. These include a requirement to monitor the admission of children who arrive in Birmingham outside a normal admission round with a view to promoting arrangements for the fair distribution of such children among local schools, and also to monitor the effectiveness of the Fair Access Protocol.

In accordance with the provisions of the School Admissions Code (2009), Fair Access Protocols must include, as a minimum, children of compulsory school age in the following categories:

• Children attending Pupil Referred Units (PRUs) who need to be reintegrated back into mainstream education.
• Children who have been out of education for longer than one school term.
• Children whose parents have been unable to find them a place after moving to Birmingham because of a shortage of places.
• Children withdrawn from schools by their family, following fixed term exclusions and unable to find another place.
• Children of refugees and asylum seekers.
• Homeless children.
• Children with unsupportive family backgrounds, where a place has not been sought.
• Children known to the police or other agencies.
• Children without a school place and with a history of serious attendance problems.
• Traveller children.
• Children who are carers.
• Children with special educational needs (but without a statement).
• Children with disabilities or medical conditions.
• Children returning from the criminal justice system.
• Children of UK service personnel and other Crown servants.

In addition Birmingham will include children in the following two categories:

• Children who are in danger of a permanent exclusion.
• Children who require a managed move.

Key principles of the fair access protocol:

• All schools and academies take part in the Fair Access Protocol.
• It is expected that when a child moves into a local authority area he / she is admitted to a school in that local authority area.
• Schools may have to admit pupils above their published admission number.
• Children considered under this protocol have priority for admission over others on the waiting list.
• Schools cannot refuse to admit a child who has been denied a place at that school at appeal, if the protocol identifies that school as the one to admit the child.
• It is essential that all children are found places quickly.
• Parental preference should be given appropriate consideration in determining placement.
• Funding for the application of this protocol to pupils with challenging behaviour will be devolved to local behaviour partnerships.
• Children with a statement of special educational need are not covered by this protocol.

Once a school is identified by the panel it is expected that the child will be admitted to the school within 10 school days or within 15 school days as a maximum.

If you think your child meets any of the above criteria and is suitable for referral to a Sharing Panel please contact Birmingham School Admissions and Pupil Placement (See contact detail in the essential information section)

Year 12 applications are not coordinated by Birmingham City Council. Applications should be made direct to the school(s) concerned.

Pupils are considered for entry into Year 12 based upon academic attainment and / or individual subject grade criteria and the availability and suitability of courses at the school. Details of the academic requirements for each course can be obtained by contacting the school.

Internal applicants meeting the minimum academic entrance requirements will be offered a place automatically.

Moving to a new school is an important step for any child. If you are not moving address and would like to change your child’s school, you should take the following into consideration:

• How will your child cope with learning new rules and having to do things differently, or possibly having missed important work. Children who transfer schools after their exam subjects have been chosen in Year 9 may find that they cannot do the same subjects, or that the exam board and courses are different.
• If your child has brothers or sisters at the same school, transferring one child may affect the others.
• Will it be difficult for you to have children attending different schools?
• How will you manage the start and finish times? Most schools in Birmingham are full and we may not be able to offer you the school that you want.

We advise that you sit down with your child and ask them why they want to move to a different school. If they mention that they are being bullied or not getting on with other pupils, you should speak to your child’s Form Tutor or Head of Year first in order to try and resolve the situation. Schools in Birmingham usually have an ‘Anti-Bullying Policy’ which is followed.

If after doing this you still have major concerns, or are unhappy about the way the school is dealing with your complaint, you should make an appointment to speak to the Headteacher. You may also write to the Chair of the school's Governing Body.

School Admissions and Pupil Placement Service

Email:
admissions@birmingham.gov.uk

Telephone:
0121 675 0555

Post:
School Admission and Pupil Placement Service
PO Box 16513
Birmingham
B2 2FF

Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 8.45 am to 5.15 pm
Friday: 8.45 am to 4.15 pm
Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays: Closed

Coventry City Council
www.coventry.gov.uk
Telephone: 02476 832499 / 02476 831577

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
www.dudley.gov.uk
Telephone: 01384 814223

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
www.sandwell.gov.uk
Telephone: 0121 569 8138 / 8212

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
www.solihull.gov.uk
Telephone: 0121 704 6693

Staffordshire
www.staffordshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 01785 278593

Walsall Council
www.walsall.gov.uk
Telephone: 01922 686355 / 01922 686357

Warwickshire County Council
www.warwickshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 01926 742037 (Secondary Team)

Wolverhampton City Council
www.wolverhampton.gov.uk
Telephone: 01902 551459

Worcestershire County Council
www.worcestershire.gov.uk
Telephone: 01905 822700