In-year admissions

In-year applications are made when parents apply for a school place:

  • during the school year
  • within the school year system

Examples include:

  • moving schools in the middle of a school year
  • wishing to move from year 4 to start in year 5 in September

Keep in mind that your child is not guaranteed a place at your preferred school. You should not remove your child from their school before you have received another offer.

Before you apply to move schools, where possible, we recommend that you:

  • speak to your child's current teacher or headteacher
  • contact the schools that you are interested in before deciding to move house or apply

To apply for a place at a school outside of Southend, we advise you look up information on the school and their local authority websites.

Full details on admission arrangements are published in the:

Before you apply

If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan you must not use this service. Please contact the Special Education Needs Team.

The Admissions Team can advise on availability of places across the city. For help please email school admissions.

Make an application

There are 3 steps to apply to Southend Council for a primary school place:

Step 1

Parents or those with parental responsibility for a child can create an account (if you already have an account you can move to step 2)

Enter your details and follow the link that will be sent to the email address you have used. The process will verify your account and provide you with a link that will take you to the login page of the Southend-on-Sea’s Parent Portal.

Step 2

Once you have an account you can login and apply for a new school place.

Check the application details. If any of your preferences are for schools that manage their own in year applications, we will forward a copy of the application to the school, so you don’t have to.

Step 3

Once we receive your application you may need to provide:

  • proof of address
  • a copy of your child’s passport/visa

We work to obtain an outcome for your application within 15 school days. Applicants are notified in writing, usually via email. Parents are reminded that applications made over the summer school break may receive an offer within September, and not likely for the start of the new term.

If you are not able to access the online portal, you can request an application form via email.

The answers to the most questions are available on our FAQ page and links to the schools and where to apply are provided below under the heading ‘Useful links’

General key points on in year admissions (primary and secondary)

Where places are available, applicants will be given an offer. Please note that this does not apply to selective places such as:

  • grammar schools
  • partially selective schools

Please look at the grammar school’s admissions policy for details.

Where there are no places, applicants will be refused and can join the waiting list for the school. This is different for the selective schools and selective places.

Regardless of where you apply, you should receive an outcome to your application within 15 school days.

In the situation you are not able to find an application form for secondary schools, please use our form. You can then email or send your application and documents to the secondary schools directly. They all process their own in year admissions.

Where schools process their own in-year admissions, all applications and the outcomes are reported to the Local Authority within 2 days of submission to the school.

Parents requiring support with their in-year application for schools in Southend can email the Admissions team. When doing so, please include a copy of the application form.

Useful links

Schools in the City and where to apply

Primary / Infant /Junior schools in the city

East Central
West Central
Leigh
North West/Eastwood
Shoebury

Secondary schools in the city

Other useful links

Contact School Admissions

Online forms - school admissions

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