Admission to Secondary School (2025)

Applying for a school transfer

Parents with children of statutory school age who move into Gateshead and require a school place, or who are resident

in Gateshead and wish to change their child's school, must complete a school transfer application form which is available on the Council's website. Alternatively, paper copies are available from the School Admissions Team on telephone number 0191 433 8589.

If you are moving to a new house, the council will require a copy of the exchange of contracts or a rental agreement before the new address will be considered. School places cannot be offered on the basis on intended future changes of address unless the relevant documentary evidence is provided.

Year groups in some schools may be full and may not have places available when you move house or decide to transfer your child from one school to another. Unfortunately, we cannot hold places back for parents who decide in the future to move into a particular area.

The admission policies contained within this booklet are used for casual admissions (in-year transfers) and also for the normal first year of entry intake. The offer of a place at any school is dependent on the availability of places in the relevant year group at the time of application.

Application form and process

If you require a place in a Gateshead school you must complete a school transfer application form.

• the application form allows you to express a preference for up to three schools in Gateshead
• all persons with parental responsibility for the child must agree to the request before the form is completed
• section A and C of the form must be fully complete before the form can be processed
• if you are new to the UK from overseas, you must also complete Section B of the form and attach relevant documentary evidence, such as a child's passport or ID card
• once you have completed Section A (and Section B if you are new to the UK), you must send the full form to your child's current school where possible for them to complete Section C. They will then forward the completed form to the School Admissions Team to be processed.
• once the School Admissions Team receive your completed form, a copy will be forwarded to the relevant schools, who have 10 school days to respond to the request, advising if a place is available
• if any of your preferences is for a faith school, they may contact you for further information to verify your child's religion
• you can complete a school transfer form up to a maximum of six weeks prior to the school place being required

However, if your request is for your child to transfer school at the start of a new academic year, that is, in September, you can complete a form for a school transfer up to six weeks before the start of the summer holidays, that is, in June of that year.

• we cannot guarantee that your child will be offered a place at one of your chosen schools as this will depend on the availably of places at the schools you request
• Gateshead Council will notify of the outcome of your request

If you are refused a place

If we cannot offer your child a place at your chosen schools, we will let you know which other schools have places available and will notify you in writing of your right to appeal.

Completed appeal forms must be returned to Democratic Services and Governance, Civic Centre, Regent Street, Gateshead, NE8 1HH. Your appeal will be heard within 30 school days following the date of receipt. Vacant places may arise before the date of the appeal hearing. Where this happens, the school will offer the vacant place to the child that is top of their waiting list using the admission criteria set out within their admission policy.

Where year groups are full the school will maintain a waiting list and any vacancies which may arise will be offered using this list. If you would like your child's name placed on the waiting list for a school, you must contact the school to request this. If a place becomes available which can be offered to your child, you must then complete a school transfer form if you choose to take up this offer.

Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

School transfer requests for children with an EHCP will be referred to the Special Educational Needs Team who will work with parents to secure a place at a school where the specific needs of the child can be met.

Fair Access Protocol

Fair Access Protocols exist to ensure that access to education is secured for vulnerable children and young people who are without a school place and where a placement in a mainstream school or alternative provision is appropriate.

The fair access process also ensures that all schools admit their fair share of vulnerable children and young people. Our approach reflects a commitment by all our schools/ academies to work in partnership with each other and the local authority in the interests of securing the best outcomes for children and young people.

Should parents agree to a referral to the fair access process, although parents may state a preferred school, the panel may not offer a place at the parent's first choice of school as they have to take into account both the number and complexity of the student's allocated to school's via this process. This does not however remove the right of a parent to request an independent school appeal for a place at their first preference school, however, participation in the fair access process will be taken into consideration by the appeal panel.

Copies of the Fair Access Protocols are available on the internet and from the Education Support Team, telephone number 0191 433 8745.

Admissions to secondary school in advance of the normal year of entry

In exceptional cases, a school may advise that a pupil in primary school has demonstrated high academic ability and may be considered to be exceptionally able. In such circumstances the pupil may be accelerated to secondary

school or whilst attending primary school may be accelerated to another year group above that is normally relevant for the child's age. In these rare cases, a pupil would be considered if the following circumstances applied:

1. The child is sufficiently robust emotionally, and socially mature so that entry to an older year group early or move to secondary school would be applicable without any traumatic effect being encountered. In this situation the pupil would be sufficiently capable of coping with the move without support from their already established friendship networks.
2. The child's high academic ability will not be confined to one or two curricular areas but rather the child will have demonstrated exceptional ability in most curriculum areas for a considerable period of time.

In such circumstances the ability of the child will normally have been noted by the teacher or Head Teacher of the primary school. In addition the ability of the child may have been noted by an educational psychologist who has been involved with assessment for this purpose.

In normal circumstances the school may recommend that a parent may consider whether they would wish to pursue the option of early entry to secondary school. Where a child has been recommended, the parent has the right to apply for a place in a school of their preference. However, if the child is refused a place at a school of their preference the local authority will liaise with parents in order to offer an alternative school where there are places available. Parents would still have the right of appeal against any decision to refuse a place at the desired school.

The time-scale for transfer into the first year of entry to secondary school for accelerated pupils will be at the same time as year 6 transfers and through the normal admission process for year 6 pupils as described in the community secondary school admission policy.

Applications for year 12 and transfer from year 11

The majority of secondary schools in Gateshead provide courses of study for post sixteen (sixth form) students. Sixth forms vary in size from approximately 60 to 360 students. The majority of sixth form students transfer from year 11 in their current school, but all schools have places available for external students.

The entry requirements for sixth form are largely dependent on the course of study that the student wishes to access. They are the same for internal and external students.

In general, students wishing to access A Level courses must possess a minimum of 4 GCSE passes at grade 4. To access intermediate level courses, some GCSE passes at grade 2/3 and/ or appropriate Level 1 qualification(s) are required. There are no specific qualifications required for entry to foundation level courses.

Details of specific entry requirements and courses available may be obtained from individual schools. All schools publish information about their post 16 provision.

Applicants refused admission to a sixth form are entitled to appeal to an independent panel.

Schools with sixth forms

• Cardinal Hume Catholic School
• Grace College
• Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy
• St Thomas More Catholic School
• Thorp Academy
• Whickham School
• Kingsmeadow Community School

If you require admission of your child to a sixth form at a Gateshead school, please contact the sixth form directly to discuss their application and admissions process.

Alternatively, you can contact our Careers Information and Guidance Team (IAG) who will be able to help you. The IAG Team offers support to help young people understand the range of post-16 education, training and employment options that are available to them. This includes sixth form studies, college, higher education, training, and study programmes as well as apprenticeships. To arrange to speak to an advisor, please call 0191 433 2785.

Applications for University Technical Colleges (UTCs)

UTCs are technical colleges for 14-19 year olds and set up by universities and businesses. They specialise in one or two technical subjects and at GCSE offer a similar curriculum to a typical 11-18 secondary school, including basics of English, Maths and Sciences as well as their specialist subject. Their aim is to ensure young people achieve excellent GCSE or A level results along with high value technical qualifications delivered via employer and university contextualised challenges, that support high level technical and employability skills. Gateshead does not have a UTC but there are UTCs in other Local Authorities that you may wish to consider. However, this does not mean that you are required to move your child from their existing school if this remains the best option for them. If this is something you wish to consider for your child you should contact the UTC for details of when and how to apply. Additionally, when your child is due to move into Year 10 we have a duty to inform parents and carers of the UTCs that are within travelling distance.

Currently the only UTC within travelling distance from Gateshead Local Authority area is:

North East Futures UTC

Stephenson Square

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE31 3AS

Principal: Mr Dan Sydes

Website: www.nefuturesutc.co.uk (opens new window)

Telephone: 0191 917 9888

Email: info@nefuturesutc.co.uk