In-year admissions (change schools during the year)

In-year admissions (change schools during the year) in Slough

Changing your child's school

An in-year admission is when you apply for a school place outside the normal admissions - at a time when your child should already be attending school. You would normally be making an in-year application if you:

have recently moved within Slough
have just arrived in Slough
wish to move from home education to school education
wish to move from a fee-paying school to a state-funded school
wish to transfer your child to another school within Slough.

If this is the case you must:

complete an in year application form via our Citizen Portal.
upload the correct proof with your application - details of supporting document required.

Things to consider before applying for a place at another school

Availability of school places

You need to be aware that many schools in Slough are heavily oversubscribed. Many year groups in our schools are already full and it is not always possible to offer children a place at their preferred school during an academic year. If you are considering moving schools within Slough, there is no guarantee of an alternative school place and you may be asked to remain at your current school or offered a school that is not your preference.

You should also bear in mind it is not always possible to offer siblings the same school during an academic year. If you have two children or more, they may sometimes be offered different schools if there are no available spaces in one of the year groups in the school you want.

Transfer between schools

It is extremely important a child has continuity in their education. For this reason, we strongly discourage unnecessary transfers between schools.

If your child already attends a school, but you feel a move would be in their best interests, you should discuss your reasons with your child’s current school. It is important you try to resolve any difficulties by working with the school, rather than requesting a transfer.

If the child has a statement of special needs / EHC Plan

If your child gets extra support through a special needs statement/education health care plan, or is undergoing a formal assessment of special educational needs, you should speak to your child’s current headteacher and SEN case officer before you apply to transfer school. A change of school could mean there is a delay in completing the assessment or in setting up support in a new school, or that some types of support would not be available.

If the child is in Year 10 or 11

If your child is in year 10 or year 11, you should think very carefully before moving the child, whatever the reason. The Key Stage 4 curriculum is different in each secondary school. A different school may not be able to offer all the same subject options, such as GCSEs and BTECs, for which your child has studied and completed coursework. Even if the school is able to do so, they may use different examination boards or syllabuses. You need to speak to the school you are interested in about options and exams before making a request to transfer.

If you get assistance with the child’s travel to the current school

You should bear in mind if you do choose to move your child from one school to another you will not automatically qualify for home to school transport. For more information check the School travel assistance page for details on entitlement.

Find out who you need to apply to

If you are considering making an in-year application, please be aware Slough Borough Council does NOT process in-year applications for all schools in the borough, for

some schools, you must apply through Slough School Admissions and for
other schools, you must apply directly to the school to secure a school place.

For more information, please go to the:

You will be able to check which schools manage their own in-year admissions (apply directly to them) and those that participate in the council’s co-ordinated in-year scheme (apply to the council for those schools) for 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026.

In-year admissions (change schools during the year)