You can apply to move school part way through the school year. This is called an in-year admission.
It can be for a child who:
- is new to Medway and needs to attend a Medway school
- is being educated at home and now needs a Medway school place
- currently goes to a Medway school or academy and wants to move to a different school or academy in Medway
In-year admissions are for entry to any year group between reception and year 11 during the school year and outside of the normal transfer process for reception, year 3 (junior schools only) and year 7.
You can apply up to six weeks before needing the school place. If you are applying for an in-year admission for a September start, you can apply from the June. For example, if you would like your child to start in September 2023, you can apply from June 2023.
The following are not in-year admissions and will require you to apply through the normal processes:
- entry to reception until the end of term 2
- transfer to a junior school until the end of term 2
- transfer to year 7 until the end of term 2
Find a school
Before you apply, you must choose the Medway school or academy you would like. You can visit the school directories for the age group you require below.
- primary schools in Medway (for infant, primary and junior)
- secondary schools in Medway
You can also find out how schools process and prioritise applications by reading their oversubscription criteria.
Information about vacancies
If you would like to know which Medway schools have vacancies, please email casualadmissions@medway.gov.uk giving us the following details:
- your address
- your child or children’s names
- your child or children’s date of birth
We aim to respond to you within five working days.
Our response is for guidance only as vacancy information can change daily. If we advise that a school has places one day, it might not have spaces the next day.
Apply
To apply for an in-year admission, you must submit an application for each school you would like to apply for. You must submit a completed in-year admission application. An enquiry with the school is not a formal application. If you have spoken to the school and they have told you it is full, you can still put in a formal application.
You will only be given the right to appeal if you submit a formal application. You can apply for more than one school at a time. You do not need to wait for the outcome of an application before applying to other schools. Please submit all of your applications at once.
Download in-year admission application form
Supporting information
You must include the below information for your application to be considered:
- if you are moving to the area, provide proof of your move. This could be a tenancy agreement or most recent Council Tax bill
- any relevant medical evidence to support your application (for either you or your child)
- your supplementary information form (SIF) if your school choice requires one. Check if you need a SIF on the find a school page
Crown servant families
If you are a crown servant, you can apply using your future address. If you do not know what your future address will be, the application can be considered using your quartering barracks address. Please provide the address with your application.
Grammar schools
Each Medway grammar school has its own admissions policy. This will be used to determine whether children who apply meet the required academic standard. If you apply for a grammar school, the school will usually arrange an academic assessment as part of the application process.
Help finding a school place
If you have applied for school places but are having trouble finding one, please contact us at casualadmissions@medway.gov.uk.