Requesting a school place during the school year

In year applications are when you want to move your child from one school to another part way through their time at a school.

The majority of school in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole accept applications submitted to us.

The following schools manage their in year applications themselves:

• Highcliffe School
• Poole High School
• The Grange School
• Twynham School

If you want to make an in year application to one of the schools listed above, you will need to contact the schools directly.

Moving to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Many schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are already full and moving into an area does not mean that a place will be available at the nearest school. Please call us on 01202 123 222 for the most up to date information about school places.

If you are moving to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole from overseas, you should look at the most recent government guidance on admissions applications for overseas children to see if your child is eligible to attend a state funded school.

Before applying, please read the parents’ guides and the full admission policy for the school(s) you wish to apply for.

If you apply online, you also need to pass this background information form to your child's current or previous school for them to complete and return to us. If your child’s last school was not in the UK, you do not need the form completed.

If you are unable to apply online, you can download our application form to post or email to us:

Moving from a local school

Changing your child's school part way through the year is a big decision. There are some situations where you can't avoid it, like moving house.

You may be considering changing school because you or your child are unhappy with your current school. If you have concerns or are experiencing difficulties with your current school, you are strongly advised to discuss this with the school.

You should carefully consider the effect of changing schools. Any change could disrupt your child's education, particularly if your child is in secondary school where a move may disrupt their studies and exam results.

Before you make an application, we recommend you visit the school you want your child to go to and discuss the change of school with an appropriate member of staff, for example the headteacher or the school’s admissions officer.

You may also want to take a look at the school’s website to find out more information, including the structure of the school day, uniform requirements and the subjects offered.

We operate a co-ordinated admissions process with the majority of schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. This means there is one application and one offer per pupil.

Before applying, please read the parents’ guide and the full admission policy for the school(s) you wish to apply for. You can use the same Apply button above.

If you apply online, you also need to pass this background information form to your child's current or previous school for them to complete and return to us. Your application cannot be processed until this form is received.