Basic needs
Find out about admissions and getting started at a new school.
If your child/young person is moving school during the school year, or outside the usual transition times, your nearest school or first-choice school may not have a place available. You can often find out if a school has available places (which means they are accepting new pupils) from the school’s website or the local council’s website.
Applying to a new school
How you apply for a new school depends on where you live and the schools in the area. In some cases, you need to apply through your local council. In others, you apply directly to the schools. Sometimes you may need to do both.
You can find information about changing schools during the school year on your local council’s admissions website. The moves might be called in-year or mid-year school moves. You should be able to find the relevant page by searching online for ‘in-year’ or ‘mid-year moves’ together with the name of your local council.
If you are a kinship carer for a child or young person, you can find some specific information about moving school here.
Applying for a school place can sometimes feel confusing or take longer than expected, especially if you are new to the area or new to the UK. You may be able to get help from your child/young person’s current or new school, or from the local council’s admissions team.
For some families, moving schools also means moving to a new country. If your child/young person is learning English, the new school might put them in an ‘English learning’ class for the first weeks or offer separate lessons or technology to help them learn. Some schools may also have English lessons for parents.
If English is not your first language, you can ask the school how they can support communication with your family.
If you child/young person has a special educational need or disability, it is important for the new school to know, so they can put the right support in place. You can ask the school about any particular provision they have in place for your child/young person’s specific needs.
Your child/young person may need a new school uniform. Uniforms can be expensive, but some schools can help or tell you where you will be able to get the uniform. You can ask the school if they sell used uniforms or have uniforms you can borrow for the first weeks.
Food choices can be different at a new school. Some children/young people enjoy trying new foods. Others may find this change difficult. If that is the case for your child/young person, you can ask the school for more information, so you can help them prepare. Also, make sure the school is aware of any dietary requirements or allergies your child/young person may have.
Getting started at the new school
Before your child/young person starts, the new school may invite you to a meeting or a tour of the school. Some schools may ask to visit you at your home.
The school will sometimes ask you to complete forms and/or share information about your child/young person. This helps staff understand how best to support them.
The new school may also be able to tell you about local support services such as food banks, charities, local activities and community groups.
Amina’s Story
Amina was 8 years old when she moved to England with her mum and two younger brothers. Before the move, Amina and her brothers lived with their dad while their mum worked in another country. The family found it hard being apart, but Amina’s mum wanted to give her children better opportunities. Moving to England meant they could all live together again, and everyone was excited about that.
Starting a new school was a big change for Amina. She spoke very little English and found it difficult to understand what people were saying. The lessons were different from her old school, the children wore a different uniform, and even the food at lunchtime was unfamiliar.
Before Amina started, the school invited the family to visit. They showed her around the classrooms, playground and dining hall when it was quiet. This helped her get used to the new surroundings without lots of noise and people around.
When Amina started school, she felt more prepared because she already knew what to expect. Over time, her English improved, she made friends and became more confident. By the end of her first term, she felt happy, settled and proud to be part of her new school community.
