In-year admissions

An In-year application should be submitted for children of school age requiring admission to a school in Reading.

You can apply for In-Year admission if your child is new to the country or returning to the UK, moving into Reading or if your child is already in a school but you are requesting a move to a new school.

In-year applications can take 15 school days to process. The school admissions team will notify you of the outcome to your application as soon as possible.

Please note: You need to be aware that there are areas in Reading that are heavily oversubscribed. It is therefore not always possible to offer children a place at their preferred school during an academic year.

Children will be admitted into the year group appropriate for their age group.

National Curriculum Year Groups- from September 2024
Reception 1/9/2019 31/8/2020 Primary
Year 1 1/9/2018 31/8/2019
Year 2 1/9/2017 31/8/2018
Year 3 1/9/2016 31/8/2017
Year 4 1/9/2015 31/8/2016
Year 5 1/9/2014 31/8/2015
Year 6 1/9/2013 31/8/2014
Year 7 1/9/2012 31/8/2013 Secondary
Year 8 1/9/2011 31/8/2012
Year 9 1/9/2010 31/8/2011
Year 10 1/9/2009 31/8/2010
Year 11 1/9/2008 31/8/2009

Before submitting your child’s application you should ensure you read the In-Year Admissions Guide as it provides details on the application process. You will also need to read the relevant Primary School Admissions guide 24/25  or Secondary School Admissions guide 24/25 as they explain how each school will prioritise your child’s application using oversubscription criteria.  Please do not refer to the 2025/26 guides.

How to apply

Applications can be submitted four weeks in advance of a place being required. You can apply for your child’s admission via the parents’ portal which you can access by clicking the orange ‘Apply for admissions’ button below.

Apply for admissions

Our schools are popular so it is likely that a preferred school may be full. It is recommended that parents express more than one preference in order to maximise the extent to which preferences can be met.

If you wish to apply for a school outside of Reading Borough you will need to contact the relevant local authority and apply using their form.

You can find your catchment area school (also known as a designated area school) by visiting the My Reading website.
Please note: Not all addresses have a catchment area school.

If you want to apply to an independent school, you will need to apply to the school directly. We will not process admission for independent schools.

If your child is new to the country, please make sure you read the In-Year Admissions Guide and guidance for applications for overseas children to check your eligibility to apply. Please also read the latest guidance from the Department for Education. If you do not provide the necessary evidence with your application, there is likely to be a delay in processing your application.

If you are a resident in Reading and your child is without a school placement, we will monitor your application until a place is secured. If you live outside of Reading, and we cannot offer a place at one of our schools, you must contact your home Local Authority to enquire about a school place.

Additional forms

Some schools ask you to fill in a supplementary form in addition to assess where you rank in accordance with their oversubscription criteria. You do not have to complete this, but it may affect your place on their waiting list.

Your child(ren) may receive priority for some schools if their current school receives Pupil Premium for them. More information about Pupil Premium.

All community schools within Reading Borough give priority to children in receipt of Pupil Premium. You will need to complete the In-Year Supplementary Form and submit this with your application.

You will need to get your child’s current school to confirm they are eligible for Pupil Premium by stamping the supplementary form. Please contact the school if you are not sure whether they get this funding for your child.

Maiden Erlegh Reading also takes Pupil Premium into account as part of the admissions process, and you should use the separate Maiden Erlegh Reading Supplementary Information Form.

If you declare your child to be in receipt of Pupil Premium on their application but do not submit the form, it cannot be ranked accordingly.

Ranking considering religion

The following schools take into account religious affiliation in their oversubscription criteria. Please complete the SIF (if you think it applies to your child) and return it directly to the school in question.

English Martyrs Supplementary Information Form

St Anne’s Catholic Primary School In-Year Supplementary Form

St Martin’s Catholic Primary School Supplementary Form

Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School Supplementary Form

Fair Access Protocol

Brighter Futures for Children, on behalf of Reading Borough Council, as required by the School Admissions Code 2021 (paras 3.14 to 3.22) has a Fair Access Protocol which assists local authorities to place students in schools.

Appeals

If you are not offered a place at a school then you will be advised of your right of appeal.

Should you have any further queries, you can call our contact centre team on 0118 937 37 77 or email the school admissions team via at admissions@brighterfuturesforchildren.org.