Admissions

Changing Schools

In-year applications are when you need to apply for a school place at any time in the year that it is not part of the 'normal admissions round'. There are three main reasons for making an in-year application.

You might:

• Be moving house.
• Be unhappy with your child's current school.
• Want your Year 2 child enrolled at an infant school to start Year 3 in a primary school.

Moving home part-way through the academic year

If you are moving into Southampton (SO14-SO19) from another local authority or country part-way through the academic year, you will need to complete an in-year transfer application.

You can also change the schools named on your application if they are no longer appropriate.

Changing schools because you are unhappy with your child's current school

Changing schools is a big decision and should not be made lightly. If your child is having difficulties at their current school, discuss the reason you want to change schools with your child's current school to try and resolve the situation before making an application.

Changing school can be difficult for a child and rarely solves their difficulties. It is important to consider the emotional, social and academic consequences for your child connected with a change of school before making an application to another school. In-year places are not always available.

Please be aware that, unless there is a relevant safeguarding reason made known to us, we will contact your child's current school upon receipt of your in-year transfer application.

Applications should be made on-line to the local authority admissions team at the following: School Applications.

Primary School Places, Year R and Year 3 Appeals Timetable 2026/2027

Appeals will be considered in accordance with the School Admission Appeals Code 2022 which is available to view at:

School Admission Appeals Code

• School place offers will be sent on 16 April 2026
• Appeals must be lodged by 15 May 2026
• Appeals lodged on time will be determined in accordance with the School Admission Appeals Code 2022, before the end of the summer term
• Appeals lodged after 15 May 2026, that cannot be added to a scheduled hearing, will be determined at a later date.

General

• You will receive at least 10 school days’ notice of your appeal hearing date.
• You can waive this right if you are late in making your appeal and wish to have your appeal determined at a hearing that is already scheduled.
• Case papers will be dispatched to you within a reasonable time before the hearing date.
• Once you have received notification of your hearing date, any additional evidence you wish to submit should be sent via email to the Democratic Services Inbox democratic.services@southampton.gov.uk in accordance with the date detailed in the notification.
• Additional evidence may be submitted up to and including the day of the hearing.
• The panel will take its significance into account and whether there is a need to adjourn the hearing to allow all parties time to consider it.
• Following the appeal hearing decision, where possible, letters will be sent five school days following the hearings conclusion.

Moving to Juniors

When your child is in Year 2 you will need to apply for a Junior School Place.  Applications can be made on-line at Southampton City Council via the following link:

School Admissions

It is advised that you select 3 schools and list them in order of preference.

TIP: When searching for the schools to add to your list, please remove the postcode from the search engine as this will only pull up schools in your postcode (for example. a SO15 postcode will only list Shirley Junior School and Tannersbrook Junior School). In addition, if you know which schools you would like to list, it is advisable to search using the first few letters of the name only.

APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO SOUTHAMPTON CITY COUNCIL BY THE 15TH OF JANUARY EACH ACADEMIC YEAR.

If you do not have access to a computer, please use your local library, or alternatively, please call 023 8083 3004 who will be able to advise you further.

To apply for a place, you will need to:

• Find and decide the order of your preferred schools.
• Register and apply through the Citizen Portal.

Please click here to register for the portal.

Once you have registered for the portal, you can make your application here.

Citizen Portal Set Up Help

1. Select ‘School Admissions’ button when logged in to the Citizen Portal.
2. Choose or add the child you would like to start the application for.
3. Check the postcode for your child’s address to ensure you’re applying through the correct authority.
4. Select the transfer / admission group.
5. Enter the child’s UID, if SCC have sent you one. Otherwise proceed with ‘No UID’.
6. Provide additional details of your child.
7. Provide your address details. You must provide your child’s permanent address on the application form.
8. Tell us about your child’s current school.
9. Choose your school preferences. You may select up to three different schools, and it is important to rank them in the order you would prefer your child to attend. Your first choice school should be at Rank 1. The search screen initially shows schools that have the same part postcode as your child’s address, e.g. SO16. Please remove the part postcode and change the ‘Schools Located In’ drop down menu to Southampton.
10. Confirm if a sibling also attends the school or a linked infant/junior school that you are applying for.
11. You will have the opportunity to select reasons relevant to your chosen schools. You can also provide other reasons to support your application.

Admissions Guidance

When allocating school places the distance measurements are calculated from home to the nearest school gate by the shortest distance by public roads and footpaths. Distances are measured using a GPS system.

The Shirley Infant School Catchment Area covers the following roads:-

• Atherley Court
• Atherley Fields
• Bellemoor Road
• Bourne Avenue
• Branksome Avenue
• Bridlington Avenue
• Burgess Road (2–68 Evens Only)
• Colebrook Avenue
• Cranbourne Close
• Dawlish Avenue
• Darlington Gardens
• Eastbourne Avenue
• Evelyn Crescent
• Fuschia Gardens
• Hanley Road
• Harland Crescent
• Hill Lane (153–165 And 206–358)
• Ivanhoe Road
• Kineton Road
• Kellett Road
• Leicester Road
• Luccombe Place
• Luccombe Road
• Lincoln Court
• Melrose Road
• Morland Road
• Norcroft Court
• Pentire Avenue
• Pentire Way
• Pewsey Place
• Pirrie Close
• Queens Road
• Radway Crescent
• Radway Road
• Raymond Road (Odd Numbers Only)
• Shanklin Crescent
• Shanklin Road
• Shayer Road
• South View Road
• St James Close
• St James Road (Even Numbers Only)
• Turners Oak Court
• Twyford Avenue
• Upper Shirley Avenue
• Warwick Road
• Wilton Crescent
• Wilton Gardens
• Wilton Road
• Winchester Road (215–331)

Pre-school Activities

We want to help support the smaller members of our community.  With this is mind we have made this pre-school activity section to help you keep them busy.  You can talk with your little one about their school and carry out some of the practical activities that we have made for them. 

This will hopefully start to reassure them that school has lots of fun learning.  We also hope it helps them if they are currently not attending a preschool setting.

Family Book for September

Remember to make your family book to bring with you on your first day at school.  We like to keep these in our book corners so you can share with your friends.

You can make your book as simple or as creative as you like.  You could make your family book in any of the following ways using:

• An old photo album.
• A scrapbook.
• A ring binder folder with plastic wallet photo book.
• Laminated photos and then bound together.

There are some great links below to support your little one ready for school. The PACEY website has some really supportive resources for parents too:

You mention you have strong links with the local pre-schools that you conduct transition visit to. My daughter currently attends a childminder in the area (with her younger sister who will be joining Year R in 2022). How will transition look for her? 

​Sorry, I should have said Pre-schools and Childminders.  We carry out the same induction for children with child​minders.  We have a phone conversation with them and if we can the same as pre-schools make a visit. They will be sent the same Induction welcome booklet that we leave with all early years settings.

Will there be the opportunity meet the Year R teachers? 

​We move our teachers around so ensure they have experience of both key stages. You will meet the year R teachers in the June welcome meeting.  

How do you help summer born babies settle in when they may potentially be less emotionally mature and anxious compared to older children?

We believe our staggered start supports all children but particularly the Summer born children.  As they are the younger children in the year group we can extend their part time sessions in liaison with the family for slightly longer.  We have a clear balance of child initiated (child led learning) which replicates the pre-school provision and we build up to make the learning experiences more formal for their learning.  The children work in small groups of 1 adult to 2 children and gradually build up to a 1:3 and then 1:6.  We believe each child is an individual and we plan our activities to support the next steps for each child.  We believe that our environment, planning and ethos supports all the birthday groups and tailors appropriately to their needs.

What do you offer for ‘gifted’ children, or high achievers? And on the inverse of this how do you support struggling children?

Our planning is differentiated to support each child’s next steps.  This will be to extend their learning, consolidate or revisit key barriers of learning the child may be finding difficult.  We run interventions that may extend children or consolidate learning.  We have a range of resources that offer children challenge and support.  This support and provision is across our curriculum in all areas ie PE, History, PSHE, English and Maths.

What is your teacher retention rate like? How long have most of the current staff been there?

We have a very low turnover of staff. If staff leave this is mainly for a progression in their career of retirement.  Many of us have been in the school for over 10 years and we have some new staff who have been with us for 2 years.

Do you have an ‘open-door policy’ if parents have any concerns?

Yes we do have an open door policy.  We like to ensure we have strong relationships with our families as this brings out the best for the child.  We would much rather parents raise small concerts then these grow in to bigger worries. The staff will always make time to make phone calls or have a meeting with families.  The senior leadership team like to be involved in these or are also easily contactable should families wish to talk things through. We are doing our best to keep this policy with the current circumstances and will make phone calls to families who need to talk something through.  We will also contact you if we have a worry.

What clubs and extra-curricular activities do you run?

Our after school activities are run by Team Spirit or Learning through sport.  There is a large range from dance, cooking, football, circus skills, Music, choir, high fives, Lego club and many more.  

How many infants don’t get into the junior school?

We are a feeder school in our policy. All Infant children get into the Junior school providing their application is with the Local Authority on time.

How do you make children who are nervous feel comfortable on their first day?

We have a very important induction process into school that supports your little one in becoming familiar with the school.  We have:

• A parent welcome meeting in June.
• Contact with all the preschools that the children attend and visit or have a telephone call with the key worker. We send a book all about school for them to share in their Early Years Setting.
• A Class activity session is held in July. This is where the child and parents get to meet the class teacher and teaching assistant. At this session the children bring home a virtual book all about school. The children receive a postcard with their class adults photos too for the fridge.
• A week where the pre-schools can bring the children to the school for a visit in July.
• A home visit or meeting in school in July or September depending on the year.  Here we ask you and your child to make a family book so it can be kept in school but brought in with the child on their first day.
• We believe our staggered induction supports this heavily too. By doing this the children walk into a new environment in smaller groups and therefore, the adults can ensure they support them on smaller ratios. This means they can establish strong relationships with your little one to ease the transition between home and school.  We believe if children feel happy and safe then they are ready to learn.  

What are your discipline procedures?

We believe every day is a new day. We use restorative practice to support the conversations between children or a child and adult if the wrong choice has been made.  We use positive praise and support the child with making the correct choice to own their own behaviours. Our policy is underpinned by the United Conventions of rights of the child. Please see on the website click on Key information/Policies and Procedures/ behaviour policy for the full policy.

What wrap around care is available?

There are a number of before and after school clubs available that our children attend. We unfortunately do not have our own on site provider.