Moving or changing to a school in Swindon
Moving to Swindon
If you are moving to Swindon, or have recently moved, and require a place in a Swindon school, you will need to complete an In-Year Transfer.
If you want to apply for a school outside Swindon, but are a Swindon resident, you will need to contact the local council where the preferred school is located.
Only apply if you are planning to move within the next six weeks. While your application is being processed, your child should continue to attend their current school.
Changing schools in Swindon
Some parents request a change of school for their child because of problems at the current school, or because they have moved address within Swindon.
If you are considering changing schools due to problems at the school, we recommend you talk to your child’s current school first. They may be able to help.
We highly recommend that you explore all available options with the current school before deciding to move your child permanently.
If your child is currently being taught out of their normal age group and you want your child to remain out of their normal age group when they transfer to a new school, you will need to submit a request for admission out of the normal age group. This must be done alongside the InYear Transfer Application.
The admission authority of the new school you are applying for will decide whether it is in your child’s best interests to continue to be educated out of their normal age group. Unless there are good educational reasons for a child to join their normal year group (meaning they would miss a year of school), they should remain with their adopted year group.
It is rarely in the best interests of a child to miss a year of school.
To do this, complete and submit the form below:
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 have 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
| Process period | Open date (when you can apply) | Closing date (online applications must be submitted by 12 noon) | Parents notified (the day offers are emailed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 July 2026 | 02 September 2026 | 10 September 2026 |
| 2 | 03 September 2026 | 11 September 2026 | 17 September 2026 |
| 3 | 12 September 2026 | 22 September 2026 | 30 September 2026 |
| 4 | 23 September 2026 | 01 October 2026 | 12 October 2026 |
| 5 | 02 October 2026 | 13 October 2026 | 21 October 2026 |
| 6 | 14 October 2026 | 02 November 2026 | 11 November 2026 |
| 7 | 03 November 2026 | 12 November 2026 | 19 November 2026 |
| 8 | 13 November 2026 | 23 November 2026 | 01 December 2026 |
| 9 | 24 November 2026 | 02 December 2026 | 14 December 2026 |
| 10 | 03 December 2026 | 15 December 2026 | 06 January 2027 |
| 11 | 16 December 2026 | 11 January 2027 | 19 January 2027 |
| 12 | 12 January 2027 | 20 January 2027 | 29 January 2027 |
| 13 | 21 January 2027 | 01 February 2027 | 09 February 2027 |
| 14 | 2 February 2027 | 09 February 2027 | 24 February 2027 |
| 15 | 10 February 2027 | 25 February 2027 | 09 March 2027 |
| 16 | 26 February 2027 | 10 March 2027 | 18 March 2027 |
| 17 | 11 March 2027 | 22 March 2027 | 14 April 2027 |
| 18 | 23 March 2027 | 19 April 2027 | 27 April 2027 |
| 19 | 20 April 2027 | 29 April 2027 | 11 May 2027 |
| 20 | 30 April 2027 | 13 May 2027 | 21 May 2027 |
| 21 | 14 May 2027 | 25 May 2027 | 10 June 2027 |
| 22 | 26 May 2027 | 11 June 2027 | 21 June 2027 |
| 23 | 12 June 2027 | 22 June 2027 | 29 June 2027 |
| 24 | 23 June 2027 | 29 June 2027 | 08 July 2027 |
| 25 | 30 June 2027 | 09 July 2027 | 19 July 2027 |
How the application process works
We coordinate in-year applications for all year groups in Swindon.
- 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.
- If you are new to Swindon, and a place is unable to be offered at one of your preferred schools, we will allocate the closest school (in a straight-line distance) with a place available for your child
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.
We do not process applications during the school holidays.
Applications received within a process period are not prioritised by their submission date.
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.