Under most circumstances applications can only be processed once a child is living locally and places will only be allocated to children who can start immediately. If you are planning a move, even if you have a new tenancy agreement or have exchanged contracts, we cannot accept the application until after the move has taken place and your child has moved in. Children whose parents are in Armed Forces or who are Crown Servants are an exception to this and should provide evidence when making the application.
In-year applications received more than 4 weeks before the place is required will not be processed, with the exception of applications for September places which will be processed after 15 July. Applications received early will be returned for resubmission nearer to the required start date.
It may not be possible to make September allocations over the summer after the schools have closed.
This is for one or more of the following reasons
Your application will be acknowledged but please allow two weeks following the start of term for any offers to be made.
When sending supporting documents, please ensure that they are in PDF format and are combined into one document. We cannot accept individual pages photographed and sent as separate documents.
In-year applications cannot be made online and an In-year form must be submitted with Section 8 completed by the most recent school. A PDF of the form can be found below.
If your child is already in a local school and you wish to transfer to another school, please complete an in-year application for below but clearly outline your reasons for requesting the transfer.
The reasons driving the request will be considered and, in most cases, we will write to you to recommend a course of action with the existing school. Only once these routes have been exhausted, or there is evidence to support an immediate transfer, will an application normally be processed.
The transfer process is not quick and, if a transfer is approved, the importing school can delay the start date until the next full school term.
Background information is normally sought from the current school to determine if the transfer process should apply and to support panel decisions around appropriate types of provision.
Please note that applications made to avoid exclusion from an existing school or to give a fresh start elsewhere will not normally be considered immediately.
If you apply for a school with vacancies, the process will normally take up to two weeks. Applications may take a little longer if you name schools which are full. Secondary school applications often take longer due to the need to consider the impact on timetables and option groups.
You will receive an outcome for each of your applications; this may be in one or more letters. If you are successful, the school will contact you to arrange a meeting to discuss admission dates and any additional needs. This may be by telephone or letter.
Each school will have a set of criteria by which applicants are ranked and places offered. These are only relevant if the school has more applicants than places at the time of application, or the school is already full. Where a school has no vacancies, the admissions criteria for the school are used to place children on the waiting list.
If a child is only eligible for one school within the listed preferences, this will be the offer made. Under certain circumstances, it may be that you will receive more than one offer. If this is the case, you will be asked to quickly choose which offer to take so as not to block a place for another child.
We will process your application as quickly as possible to ensure your child is not out of school for a lengthy period of time. However, if your child has significant support needs to enable them to access education, it may delay the application process. We may need to contact your child's previous school to ascertain if this may be the case.
If we are unable to offer you place at a higher preference school, you will be given the opportunity to go on the waiting list. Waiting lists for Merton Community Schools are held termly and you will be informed of the closing date when we confirm your place on list. Please contact the admission authority responsible for the school if you have named a VA school as they may manage their waiting lists differently.
For full details of how in-year applications submitted for Merton schools will be considered and processed, please see our In-Year Admissions protocol. This protocol has been prepared by Merton Council and agreed to by all Merton community, voluntary aided, voluntary controlled, academy and free schools.
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