Phase transfer

Phase transfer is when children move between school phases. This includes the following:

• Moving from an early years setting such as a nursery, to an infant or primary school.
• Moving from an infant school to a junior school.
• Moving from a junior or primary school to a high school or secondary school.
• Moving from a high school or secondary school to post-16 further education such as a mainstream college.

If your child attends a special school or an all-through school, they will not usually be affected by the phase transfer process.

The phase transfer process for children with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan starts 12 months before they are due to transfer, in the September of the year before.

Phase transfer for children who are in Year -1 (the year before Reception), Year 2 and Year 6

For children moving to Reception, Year 3 or Year 7 in September 2025, the phase transfer process starts in September 2024.

In September 2024, we send out an initial letter to parents, with a parental preference form. The parental preference form is so you can tell us which school you would like your child to attend in September 2025. Please return the completed parental preference form to us as soon as you can but no later than 6 October 2024.

We then consult with your child's catchment school(s) and your school preference. We also liaise with our admissions team to keep them informed of the process.

Once all consultations have taken place we inform you of the school which will be named in your child's EHC plan.

We issue a final EHC plan, naming your child's current school and September 2025 transfer school by 15 February 2025. We will issue these documents to you by email.

Phase transfer for children who are in Year 11

Phase transfer also applies to children who are in Year 11 in September 2024 and moving into Further Education (FE) provision.

We send out an initial letter to parent carers in September 2024, with a parental preference form. The parental preference form is so you can tell us which FE provider you would like your child to attend in September 2025. Parent carers should return the parental preference form to us within 15 days.

We then consult with your preferred FE provider(s). We also liaise with our admissions team to keep them informed of the process.

Once consultations have taken place, we inform you of the FE provision which will be named in the EHC plan.

We issue a final EHC plan, naming your child's current school and September 2025 transfer provision by 31 March 2025. We issue all final plans to you by email.