Last updated:
10th October 2023
In-year admissions - moving to a different school
Availability of school places
You need to be aware that all schools in Wokingham are heavily oversubscribed. Many year groups in our schools are already full with local children and it is not always possible to offer children a place at their preferred school during an academic year.
If you are considering moving to Wokingham, there is no guarantee of an immediate school place, and you may be offered a school that is not your preference.
For more information regarding applying for a school place in-year, please read the Local coordinated in-year admissions (PDF document), and our Parents Guide to In-year Applications (PDF document) before making an application.
Children new to the area, changing schools in-year or without a school
Due to the unprecedented amount of In Year school applications currently being received, there will be a delay to our response times.
The number of calls the team takes dramatically impacts the time taken to complete the application process. Therefore, the quickest and easiest way to contact the school admissions team is by email schooladmissions@wokingham.gov.uk.
When sending an email, please ensure that all the information requested is in one email and additional or chaser emails are not sent.
If you are a resident in Wokingham, your application will be monitored until a school place has been secured and we will contact you for more information if required. If you live outside of Wokingham, you should contact your home Local Authority for further advice. We appreciate your patience during this extremely busy time.
Arrivals from Hong Kong on the British National (overseas) visa
Welcome to the UK and welcome to Wokingham, there is a wealth of information available regarding School Admissions on our website.
Please ensure that when you complete an application for your child to attend school that you include details of your previous address in Hong Kong. If you want to apply for a school place during an academic year, you must submit an In-Year Admissions application.
Read our School Admissions Parents Guide for Hong Kong Nationals (PDF document) for details about school admissions, which we have translated into Traditional Chinese.
You can also read the Welcome Pack for arrivals from Hong Kong on the Gov.uk website for more details about school admissions.
Applying for a school place outside of normal admissions
You can make an application to move from one school to another at any time of year.
Applications will be considered half a term in advance of the place being required. For entry to school at the start of term or half term, an application will need to be received by the School Admissions Team, 15 school days in advance of the commencement date.
To apply you will need to create a citizens portal account by following the link below:
Please apply through the above link and complete the online application. If you are unable to apply online, email schooladmissions@wokingham.gov.uk for details on how to complete a paper application.
School preference options
Parents may express a preference for up to four schools and consideration will be given to each preference. It should be noted that where parents apply in-year, this means that places are being sought for year groups that have already been allocated during the general transfer rounds.
Our schools are popular so it is likely that a preferred school may be full. It is recommended that parents express more than one preference in order to maximise the extent to which preferences can be met. Places can't be held open for those applicants moving to a school’s designated area and there is no guarantee that a place will be available at preferred schools.
It is advisable to contact the School Admissions Team prior to any house move to determine where there are school places and to verify the new home address’ designated area, if this is important to you. It should be noted that the information given is only current on the date you contact us and is subject to change, as applications are received on a daily basis and places allocated from waiting lists.
