Moving or changing to a school in Swindon

Moving to Swindon 

If you are moving to Swindon, or have recently moved, it’s not always possible to offer your child a place at their preferred school during the school year. This is because many schools in Swindon are full and have waiting lists. 

If you want to apply for a school outside Swindon, you’ll need to contact the local council where that school is located for information on how to apply. 

Changing schools in Swindon 

If you want to change your child’s school, only apply if you are planning to move within the next six weeks. While your application is being processed, your child should continue at their current school. 

If a place becomes available at one of your preferred schools, your child should start there as soon as possible. The start date for your child is to be agreed with the school you have been allocated.

We’ve noticed that some parents request to change schools due to problems that may not be resolved by moving. If you are considering changing schools, we recommend you talk to your child’s current school first. They may be able to help. Changing schools might not fix all issues and can sometimes cause new problems.

We highly recommend that you explore all available options with the current school before deciding to move your child permanently. 

How to apply for a school place in Swindon 

If you want to apply for a school place in Swindon, you must apply directly to Swindon Borough Council. This applies if: 

• you live in Swindon and don’t have a school place
• you’ve recently moved to Swindon or are in the process of moving and need a school place
• your child already has a school place but you want to transfer them to a different school in Swindon

How the application process works 

As the local authority, we coordinate all in-year applications for all year groups and schools in Swindon, including those schools that we do not directly manage. 

• You can submit your in-year application online
• You can select up to three schools in order of preference. We will work with the relevant school admission authority to try and offer your child a place at one of the schools you have listed. 

All preferences are treated equally, and we will offer the highest preference possible. 

In-year transfers are allocated every 15 school days. We process in-year applications according to set periods during the school term. Applications received within a process period are not prioritised by their submission date. 

The timetable for process periods is outlined above. 

Each process period has a specific offer date. On this date, we will notify you by email whether we have been able to offer your child a place or if the application was unsuccessful. 

Once you receive your offer letter, you must contact the school to accept the place and agree on a start date. You must accept the place within 28 school days from the date of the offer.