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Infant to junior school transfer timelines | Transfer from infant to junior or primary school | Birmingham City Council
Transfer from infant to junior or primary school

Infant to junior school transfer timelines

To avoid disappointment, we cannot emphasise enough how important it is to research the admissions criteria for each school you are interested in.

  • Read the primary school admissions arrangements, which will be updated on 1 October 2025. You can also visit the school's website.
  • If your child does not have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) but is receiving support at their current school for their special educational needs or a disability (SEND), consider whether your chosen schools are suitable for their specific educational needs by talking to school staff or visiting the school's website.
  • Do not apply if your child has an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP), visit the SENAR Local Offer website.
  • Applications open on 1 October 2025 at 9.00am.
  • The closing date for submitting applications is 11.59pm on 15 January 2026. Applications received after 15 January 2026 are classed as late and will be processed after 16 April 2026.
  • If you applied online and provided an email address and your child is successful in being offered a place, we will email you on Thursday 16 April 2026 to tell you which school your child has been offered. We cannot guarantee the exact time you will receive your email, as this will depend on your service provider. However, we expect you to receive your offer email by 4:00pm on Thursday 16 April 2026.
  • Ensure you check your junk or spam folder for the email address you provided.
  • We will also send you a formal offer letter that will be posted by first class post on 16 April 2026, which you will receive from 16 April. 
  • The offer letter will explain how to accept or refuse the offer that has been made.
  • Do not contact Birmingham City Council before you receive the notification of your child's school place. The School Admissions team will be unable to inform you by telephone which school has been offered to your child (where applicable) until Friday 17 April 2026.
  • If your child is not offered a place, you will not be offered an alternative school place. If your child is not currently in receipt of education, you will need to make an application for other schools through the normal in-year admissions process.

Waiting lists

  • Your child's name will be automatically added to the waiting list for any higher preference Birmingham schools that your child was not successful in being offered a place at.
  • Information on waiting list positions will not be available until  Thursday 7 May 2026.
  • From 7 May 2026, you can phone Children's Services on 0121 303 1888, who will let you know who holds the waiting list for the school you want. This will be either school admissions or the school itself.
  • Waiting list advice will not be available before 7 May 2026 to allow time for offers to be accepted and refused.
  • The admissions team will contact you if a school place becomes available for your child from a waiting list.
  • For schools outside of Birmingham, check the relevant local authority's website for information about their waiting lists.

Page last updated: 10 September 2025

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