Proof of address: in-year admissions
In-year applications are submitted directly to schools. You must give proof of address to the school you are applying to, following their requirements.
The information on this page is for reference only. Check with each school to confirm what they need.
What is considered the child’s home address?
The child’s home address is the residential property that is the child’s only or main residence and which is either:
- owned by the child’s parent/carer(s) or the person(s) with parental responsibility for the child.
- leased to, or rented by, the child’s parent/carer(s) or the person(s) with parental responsibility for the child.
Where parent/carer(s) have shared responsibility for a child and the child lives with either for part of the week, then the main residence is likely to be considered the address where the child lives for the majority of the school week.
What is considered acceptable proof of address?
Examples of acceptable proof of address:
- a copy of your most recent council tax bill.
- a copy of a recent utility bill (gas, water, electric etc. dated within the last six months).
- a solicitor’s letter confirming contracts have been exchanged and specifying a completion date and the new address.
- a signed and dated tenancy agreement from either Birmingham City Council, or a known Birmingham Housing Association, and the commencement date.
Documentation should be in the applicant’s name. Bills should be actual, not estimates.
The following are usually not acceptable proof of address on their own:
- Bank statements
- Mobile phone bills
- TV licence
Neither of these lists are comprehensive. The school may request additional proof where necessary.
Let the school know if you are unable to provide any documents from the “acceptable” list.
Applications from UK Crown Servants and UK Military Families
Schools must process applications from UK crown servants or UK military families, with evidence from their employers or commanding officers that they are returning to the area ahead of any move.
Schools must accept any posting or quartering address as a ‘home’ address in the absence of any actual home address.
Families in the process of moving to Birmingham from another local authority in England or from outside England
You are able to apply for an in-year place at any Birmingham school regardless of where you currently live. Until you are able to provide proof of your new Birmingham address, your current address will be taken into account if the school is oversubscribed and you are added to its waiting list.
Where families living abroad already have an address in the UK, schools can ask you to provide proof of the address to which you will be moving; this would include circumstances where parents/carers:
- own or rent a property in the area to which they intend to return
- can provide other evidence that they will be returning to live in the area
- living abroad do not have an address in the U.K. - schools may ask you to provide proof of the address where you currently reside
If a place is or becomes available at the school you apply for while you are still residing outside Birmingham, you will need to discuss with the school a reasonable start date for your child, or you may risk losing the place if you are not in a position to take it up yet.
Providing accurate information
The information you provide must be complete and accurate to the best of your knowledge.
If any of the information provided is found to be not true or deliberately misleading (including information omitted) then an offence may have been committed, including, for example, offences created by the Fraud Act 2006.
If a school place is allocated using a fraudulent address, the place may be withdrawn.
Page last updated: 19 November 2025
