Moving schools

Primary and Secondary School Transfers

Before applying for a transfer of school, parents must read the following booklet:

The form is made up of two parts Part 1 of the application form must be completed by your child’s current school. Once completed, you must scan or take a photo of the completed Part 1 and upload it to the relevant section of the online applications. This step must be completed before moving onto Part 2 of the form.

Once a fully completed form has been submitted, they generally take 15 school day to process.

Please Note: This does not apply to applications received during school holidays and at the start of the academic year following the summer break. This is because a large number of applications are made during the summer break. Schools are closed and unable to confirm vacancies or consider applications. This can cause a delay in finalising offers and relaying offers to applicants.

Important information

Before submitting an application to transfer schools parents/carers must ensure that everyone who has parental responsibility are in agreement with the application to transfer schools and the preferences named.

If there is a Court Order in place which prevents moving your child’s school, you must take legal advise on that order before submitting an application to transfer schools.

If at any stage we are informed that anyone who has a right to participate in decisions about your child's education is not in agreement to a school transfer we cannot process your application.

The Local Authority cannot mediate disputes between parents. Parents must resolve disputes about transfers between themselves, legally if necessary.

For further information please read the government's guidance Understanding and dealing with issues relating to parental responsibility (external link).

Schools that deal with their own in year transfer applications:

To apply for the six schools listed below, you must contact the school directly to apply:

Church schools

If any of your preferred schools are church schools, you should fill in the school's own information form as well as an in year application form and return it to the school.

In Year Fair Access Protocol

We sometimes receive requests for places from Wigan residents and are not able to offer a place at a school within a reasonable distance of where the child lives. In these situations,  we will use  the Fair Access Protocol to allocate a place at a school, even if the year group is full.

Privacy notice

The council has a legal responsibility to protect the data it collects. For more information see our privacy notice:

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