If you can avoid transferring your child to another school mid-year it’s best to do so, as transferring schools can be very disruptive to their education.

How to apply for a school transfer

If you need to transfer your child to another school due to moving house, fill in the online transfer form below.

If you're not moving house, but your child is having difficulties at school and you’re thinking about transferring them to another school, please talk to someone at your child's school first to see if you can resolve the problem another way.  If you've spoken to your child’s school and you still want to transfer your child, fill in the online transfer form below. 

If you want to apply for a transfer to a school outside Barnsley, contact the council where the new school is located.

Which form to complete

For transfers up to the end of the 2025 to 2026 academic year, email admissions@barnsley.gov.uk for the link to the transfer form.

For transfers from September 2026 onwards, apply online below.

When we receive your transfer application

We’ll write to you, usually within three school weeks, to let you know whether or not your transfer request has been successful.

We can refuse your application if transferring your child would have a detrimental impact on the education of children already at the school where you'd like your child to go.  For example, if admission numbers for your child's year group have already reached their limit, adding another child would have a negative impact on the education provided.

If we refuse your transfer request, you can submit a notice of appeal.

If you don’t want to accept the place we offer, you must tell us in writing within 10 working days of receiving your offer.

Fair access protocol

To comply with legislation, Barnsley Council has a fair access protocol with all the schools in the Barnsley borough. This means that, in some circumstances, pupils defined in the protocol will have a higher priority for admission than all other pupils seeking admission to that school.

School details

You can find details of schools and academies in Barnsley, together with their contact details, on our schools in Barnsley page.

Ofsted inspections

You can find out about Ofsted inspections in schools and find inspection reports on GOV.UK.