School transfers

You must make your transfer application to the council for the area in which the child’s home address is, even if you're applying for schools outside of that area. It's your child's home address which decides which council you must apply to, not the address of the school.

If your child lives in Middlesbrough

If your child lives in Middlesbrough, you must apply to Middlesbrough Council's School Admissions Team. You can apply for schools within Middlesbrough or any school outside of Middlesbrough.

If you choose to apply for schools outside of Middlesbrough, for instance a school in Stockton, we would then talk to Stockton Council's School Admissions Team about that school's places. You don't need to apply to both councils.

If you make an application to a School Admissions Team for an area where your child doesn't live, it won't be accepted.

If your child doesn't live in Middlesbrough

If you're moving house into another council area, or if your child already lives in another council area, you should apply to that council for a school transfer.

For example, if your child lives in Stockton, or you're moving to Stockton, you must apply to Stockton Council's School Admissions Team. You can apply for schools within Stockton or any school outside of Stockton.

If you make an application to Middlesbrough Council's School Admissions Team and you don't live in Middlesbrough, it won't be accepted.

If you want to discuss or apply for a mid-year transfer, please contact the School Admissions team for an application form.

We cannot hold school places for children, so you should not apply more than 4 weeks in advance. Exceptions will be made for families of Service Personnel with a confirmed posting, or Crown servants returning from overseas, as long as the application includes an official letter stating a relocation date.

Contact the Ethnic Minority Achievement Team if you're moving to Middlesbrough from another country, you're a Traveller, fair, or circus family, or you speak English as an additional language. The team can help you to complete transfer application forms and other school admission forms.

1. Contact the School Admissions team for an application form. Make sure you apply to the right council. You can state up to 3 school preferences on your application form.
2. When we get your application, we'll check it to make sure all the information is complete. If it's not, we'll send it back to you to complete.
3. We'll send your application to each school in turn (in the order they appear on your application form) to see if they have a place for your child.
4. If one of the schools has a place available, the School Admissions Team or the school will contact you.
5. If none of your preferred schools have a place available, the School Admissions Team will contact you. You'll have the right to an independent appeal against the decision. The School Admissions Team will also tell you which schools near to your home may have places available, if you want to make another application.

Please note, if you have more than one child, it may not be possible to offer all the children a place at the same school.

We process applications as quickly as possible, and we aim to respond to the application within 10 school days, or 15 school days at the most. Transfer requests are put on hold during the school holidays as school staff are not available for us to speak to.

Is a school transfer the best option?

Sometimes parents want to transfer their child to another school for reasons other than moving house. We try to discourage unnecessary transfers between schools, because children need consistency in their education. Changing school is a very important decision, and it may affect your child’s education. Research has shown that changing schools can be extremely disruptive, and could affect your child’s future academic achievement.

If your child already attends a school in Middlesbrough, we recommend that you discuss things with your child's current school before requesting a transfer. It's rare that transferring to another school fixes the problems; it's best to try and address them at your child's current school.

Once you've considered the risks, and attempted to resolve any issues with your child's current school, if you still want to go ahead, contact the School Admissions team for advice about applying for a school transfer.

The request must be countersigned by your child's current school, and sent to the address given on the transfer form.

How do I decide which schools to apply for?

1. Contact the School Admissions Team to ask which schools may have places. Please note, even if there is a space when you enquire, it does not mean you're guaranteed a place when you apply.
2. Look at the school's website for information about the school.
3. Contact the schools you're interested in to see if you can make an appointment to visit (not all schools offer this).

Middlesbrough schools are very popular, and many schools may not have a place available for your child. You may have to accept a place in a school which is not one of your preferred options.

Do I need to send any additional information with my application?

You'll need to check the school's admission policy on their website to see if you need to give additional information. For instance, Roman Catholic schools may require evidence of faith. It's your responsibility to provide any additional information with your application. Evidence of faith should be sent directly to the school you're applying to.

If you have copies of your child's school reports, it may be useful to include these.

If your child meets the school's 'previously looked after' criteria in the oversubscription criteria, you should include evidence of this. For example, a copy of the adoption certificates, child arrangements, or Special Guardianship Order which confirms the child was 'looked after' (in care) immediately before the order was granted.

How is a decision made on my application?

The School Admissions Team sends your application to each school in turn (in the order they appear on your application form) to see if they have a place for your child. If they have a place available then generally that place will be offered to you, but in some cases this may not be possible.

If you apply for a school outside of Middlesbrough, the School Admissions Team will send your application to the council where the school is located. They will then send it to their schools to check for places.

What if none of my preferred schools can offer my child a place?

If none of your preferred schools can offer your child a place, you'll have the right to appeal the school’s decision.

The School Admissions team will let you know which nearby schools may have places available. If your child is not currently attending any school, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to minimise the time your child is out of education. If your child is currently in school, they must continue to attend that school.

Information for families moving house

You should apply for a school place before you move house, so your child does not miss out on their education. You'll need to provide your new address and previous address, and give us the date that you moved (or are moving). You may be asked for proof of address of your house move.

What is the fair access protocol?

If a child is not enrolled at a school, and they cannot get a place through the normal admissions process, the fair access protocol may apply. This only applies to the most vulnerable children, as defined by the Department for Education.

Overseas nationals entering the UK who want to apply for a place at a state-funded school must make sure they have 'right of abode', or that the conditions of their immigration status allow them to access a state-funded school. It is parents' responsibility to check this when applying for a school place. Find out more about right of abode.

More information about school applications for foreign national children and children resident outside England is available on GOV.UK.

Contact the Ethnic Minority Achievement Team if you're moving to Middlesbrough from another country, you're a Traveller, fair, or circus family, or you speak English as an additional language. The team can help you to complete transfer application forms and other school admission forms.

As a parent, you're legally responsible for making sure your child attends school. In some cases, we can offer some pupils help with travel between home and school.