Primary education information for parents Starting at a school in Year 1 and above, and transfers between schools

Published: 2 September 2024

If you want to apply for a school place in Year 1 or above, you can either apply online or fill in a common application form (a transfer request form) and return it to Wirral Local Authority. You can get common application forms from:

  • Any Wirral primary school
  • The Council’s call centre: 0151 606 2000 during office hours

We arrange for children in Year 1 and above to start at a primary school in the same way as Foundation 2 children.

If you are transferring between Wirral schools, it is always advisable to speak to the headteacher of your child’s school before making an application to transfer. It will disrupt your child’s education less if you arrange to transfer them to another school in the summer at the end of the school year.

For community and controlled schools

We will offer your child a place in your zoned school if that is what you want, as long as this will not bring the class size to more than 30 for Key Stage 1 children (Foundation 2, Year 1 and Year 2). There is no limit to the size of classes in Key Stage 2 (Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 or Year 6).

We will agree a place in an out of zone school as long as:

  • there is room in your child’s year group; and
  • for Year 1 and Year 2 children, there are not already 30 children in the class.

If your child goes to an out-of-zone infant school, they will be able to transfer to the relevant junior school at the age of 7.

Where a school which is below its admission number has organised its Key Stage 1 into classes of 30, and the only way to admit another child would be for us to take qualifying measures (that is, provide more resources in terms of staff and accommodation at the school), we may refuse an application.

Key Stage 2 - Children are usually entitled to a place at their catchment school even though the school may be on or above its admission number. However, where there is a serious concern, for example about health and safety, there may be circumstances in which a Key Stage 2 place may be refused at a catchment school. The Council will agree a place in an out-of-zone school as long as there is room within the admission number.

For voluntary aided schools and Academy Schools

Your application will be passed to the school for their decision whether to offer a place to your child. The governing body will operate their own admission criteria taking into account to the availability of places in the year group, and the Key Stage 1 class size limit (for years F2, 1 and 2).

The governor’s decision whether or not to offer a place at an Aided or Academy school will be sent to you in writing by Wirral Local Authority, not by the school.

What if I don’t get offered the school I wanted?

If your application for a place is refused, in the refusal letter other nearby schools may be suggested at which places are currently available in your child’s year group.

You can also appeal against the decision not to offer a place at your preferred school.

The School Admissions Code says that the governing body of Voluntary Aided and Academy schools can decide that they would prefer parents to apply directly to them to request an in-year transfer. If any schools decide to take this up, they must notify the Authority by 1st August 2023. The Wirral Admissions website will be updated with a list of any schools who decide to do this – parents would then apply for those specific schools directly to the school on their own application form, and the school would reply to parents directly about whether or not a place was being offered and give a right to appeal if refused. The school would have to notify the Local Authority about the application and the decision.