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In-year admissions

Schools, education and learning

'In-year admissions' is the term used when a child is looking for a school place during the academic year.

You can make an application for an in-year admission when:

  • you have moved to, or moved to a new property within Waltham Forest and need a school place 
  • you want your child to move from one school to another within the same year group 

If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and you want to change their current school, please contact the SEND Service on 020 8496 6503 or 020 8496 6505.

As a Council, we are taking every step to prepare and ensure that the vital services that you rely upon will continue during this difficult time. We aim to process all applications for an in-year transfer within 15 school days.

Apply for an in-year school admission 

In-year application form (70KB, PDF).

Application guidance

We advise that you read the guide booklets below before submitting your application, to avoid any errors or delays:

If you need assistance, please contact the Admissions Team on 020 8496 3000.

If you have any issues or receive an error message when completing your online application please email admissions@walthamforest.gov.uk stating the issue with a copy of any error message so this can be dealt with as soon as possible.

PLEASE NOTE: We are only able to speak to the applicant regarding their admissions application, so please do not ask a family member or a friend to contact us on your behalf.  We will not be able to discuss an application with a family member or friend unless the applicant has given us their permission to do so in writing.

Fraudulent applications

The London Borough of Waltham Forest takes very seriously any attempt to gain an advantage in the admissions process by giving false information.

It is really important that the admissions system is fair for everybody. Nobody should be allowed to cheat by using a friend or relative’s address, a business address or by temporarily renting a property near to a popular school. Each year a number of parents try to get a school place by providing false information, which could result in them taking a place that should have gone to another child.

The Local Authority will investigate all instances where a parent is thought to have provided false or misleading information in order to gain admission to a school. Your address will be checked by reference to various records and, if necessary, by a council officer visiting the application address.

A false application may, in addition to possible prosecution, lead to the withdrawal of your child’s place in the school applied for, even if the child has already started school.

For details on how we use your information for fraud prevention, including sharing with fraud prevention agencies, please see our updated Anti-Fraud Fair Processing Notice.

If you suspect someone has provided false information on a school application form please report fraud online. Alternatively you can call the fraud hotline anonymously, 24 hours a day on 0300 003 1099 or you can email us at fraud@walthamforest.gov.uk

Applications for overseas children Click to get info

In most cases, children arriving from overseas have the right to attend schools in England. School admissions will not refuse to admit a child based on their nationality or immigration status nor remove them from roll on this basis. It is the responsibility of parents to check that they have a right of abode and that their children have a right, under any visa entry conditions, to study at a school. Having right of abode means you are allowed to live or work in the UK without any immigration restrictions, which means:

  • you will not need a visa to come to the UK
  • there is no limit on the length of time you can spend in the country

If you are moving to the UK, you must check that you have a right of abode or that the conditions of your immigration status otherwise permit you to access a state-funded school.  You can prove you have right of abode if you have a UK passport describing you as a British citizen or British subject with right of abode.  Otherwise you need to apply for a Certificate of Entitlement. For more information please visit the GOV.UK website.

Applications from UK crown servants or military families

As set out in paragraph 2.18 of the School Admissions Code 2014, admission authorities and local authorities must process applications from UK crown servants or UK military families with evidence from their employers or commanding officers that they are returning to the area ahead of any move. We will accept any posting or quartering address as a ‘home’ address in the absence of any actual home address.

 

Transferring schools for reasons other than a house move Click to get info

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

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

You will need to provide your reasons for requesting a change of school and set out what you have done to try to resolve the issues with the current school.

If you still want to apply for a school transfer 

Transfers from home education or alternative educational provision Click to get info

If your child is being educated at home and you now wish them to be considered for a mainstream school, you should complete the in-year application form.
Children attending alternative education provision who are ready to attend a mainstream school are normally placed through Waltham Forest’s Fair Access Protocol. This ensures that the amount of time any child is out of school is kept to a minimum.

Waiting lists Click to get info

We will write to you with the outcome of your application. If your child is not offered a place at your preferred school you have the option of going on a waiting list. To do this, you must return the reply slip attached to your letter and indicate which schools you'd like to be placed on the waiting list for. 

In-year waiting lists are only open for the academic year in which you apply. They close on 30 June. If your child is on a waiting list and has not been offered a place at your preferred school by the end of June, you must reapply from 1 July. This will ensure they are considered for your preferred school in the new academic year. All applications received from 1 July will be considered for the new academic year in September.

Contact Click to get info

School Admission - Postal Address Only
Waltham Forest Town Hall
Forest Road 
London 
E17 4JF 
Telephone: 020 8496 3000

School Admissions - Appointment Service
Sycamore House
Town Hall Campus
Forest Road 
Walthamstow
E17 4JF

Please note that due to the Covid-19 pandemic Sycamore House is currently closed.  We will keep this page updated to reflect the current situation.