Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what performance standards he has set for (a) academies and (b) local authorities to conclude the transfer of a pupil to a new school as a result of a change of address; and if he will make a statement.

Parents can apply for a place at any school, at any time.

The statutory School Admissions Code, which is binding on all schools, including academies, sets out the process for admission into school. Since 2012, parents have been able to apply directly to the admissions authority of their preferred school, when applying for a place outside the normal points of entry. Local authorities must provide parents with information about available school places in their area and a suitable application form that they can use to apply.

Where a school has places available, it must admit all applicants. When a school receives an in-year application, it is required to notify the local authority of the outcome of that application. Schools are also required to notify the local authority when a pupil’s name is to be added or removed from the attendance register. If parents are refused a school place, they must be offered the right to appeal.

We expect admission authorities to make timely decisions on in-year applications. Where they fail to do so, parents can raise a formal complaint through the school’s complaints procedure.