In year transfers

Overview

If you are moving into North Tyneside, relocating within the area, or seeking to change your child’s school for any other reason, the information provided here will guide you through the process.

The Access Team coordinates the transfer process on behalf of most schools in North Tyneside, including Academies, Voluntary Aided, and Trust schools. To request a school transfer, you must complete an ‘in-year’ application form. Please note that even if a place is available, the start date may not be immediate and would typically be scheduled at the beginning of a half term. We do not reserve places for pupils moving into the area, so your catchment area school may already be full. In the event that the relevant year group is at capacity, you will be notified in writing and informed of your right to appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel.

Further details about Education Appeals can be found on the North Tyneside Council website.

In-year admissions refer to applications made outside the usual point of entry to school. Please be aware that only one application form can be submitted for consideration at any given time. The local authority is unable to process applications for schools where the date that the place is required from, is more than 4 weeks from the date of the application (Service and Crown Personnel are exempt).

Applications for in-year admission for September 2026 will open on 2 June 2026. Applications submitted before this date will be returned.

Moving from one North Tyneside school to another

If your child currently attends a North Tyneside school, you can obtain an application form directly from the school. Applications cannot be submitted via the Citizen’s Portal. The Head Teacher must complete Section B of the form before it will be accepted.

Not currently attending a North Tyneside school

For children not currently residing in the North Tyneside borough but intending to move here, proof of an established address may be required before the application can be processed. Families new to the area do not need Section B completed; however, a recent school report submitted alongside the application is welcomed.

Please note that applications received during the Summer holidays will not be processed until schools reopen in September, due to school closures. The local authority will prepare all applications during this period, but outcomes may not be communicated until the second or third week of the new term.

Before you begin your application

• A separate application must be submitted for each child. Please indicate on the form if your child has any siblings of school age.
• Each child can have only one application active at any time, though you may name up to three preferred schools across any local authority.
• For places in nursery classes, sixth forms, private schools, or Burnside College, please contact the school(s) directly.
• We will only discuss applications with the individual who submitted them unless written consent is provided to speak with another named person.
• Please check your catchment school information here: School catchment areas.

Considerations regarding school transfers

Changing your child’s school can have significant effects and should be considered carefully. Moves due to house relocation or exclusion may be unavoidable, but other requests will require careful assessment. Many concerns arise from misunderstandings, which can often be resolved through open and reasonable communication between parents/carers and the school.

The last two years of Secondary School (years 10 and 11), when pupils prepare for their GCSE and other public examinations, are particularly important. It is generally considered that changing schools at this stage should be avoided, if possible, because it might have a damaging effect on the examination results a pupil may achieve. At public examination level, schools do not always offer the same combination of subjects and syllabi. Examination requirements can also differ as schools do not all use the same examination boards. Problems may arise in subjects involving course work that must be sent to examination boards by set dates, and pupils who have not completed essential course work may be unable to complete the examination.

The Procedure

The same admission arrangements apply to children moving between schools as those starting for the first time, and admission is dependent on the availability of places. If there are places available, the start date may not be immediate and would normally be within 15 school days. If a school is going through an organisational change, and increased numbers of pupils are moving to a different school, pupils will be admitted to the new school at the start of each half term.

In general it is unwise to withdraw a child from one school before you have made satisfactory arrangements for admission to another, and it is expected that your child will continue in their current school.

Legal requirements

Children aged 5 to 16 must be in full-time education. They should continue attending their current school until an alternative place is offered. Failure to ensure school attendance may result in legal action - School attendance.

Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

• If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), it may specify a recommended school.
• If your child has an EHCP, please contact our SEND team about identifying an appropriate school.
• If your child does not have an EHCP, complete the in-year application form and provide details of any additional needs or specialist support previously received. This information will assist in processing your application promptly and ensuring appropriate support.

Timescale for hearing the outcome

We will process your application and forward it on for an admission decision within 10 school days (this may be slightly extended in June/July and September/October due to the number of applications we receive at these times of year).

These timescales may be delayed if information is missing from your application. You should hear whether the schools you applied to can offer your child a place within 15 school days of submitting your application. Places are not offered during holidays when schools are closed. If you have not heard by the 15th school day, please email us at school.admissions@northtyneside.gov.uk 

Communication of outcomes

For schools managing their own in-year admissions, the school will communicate the decision directly. Where schools have delegated admissions to the local authority, the School Admissions Team will notify you in writing. If a school is unable to offer a place, you will receive a formal refusal letter outlining your right to appeal the decision.