Applying for a School: International Students

If you have dependents joining you in Swansea, any children between the ages of 5 – 16 are legally required to attend school.
You’ll find information here about the UK school system, such as levels of education and education provision. You’ll also find guidance on how to make an application for a school place in the Swansea region.

For children under the age of 5, see the section "Childcare and Education for children under 5"

Please also ensure you've read the information about schooling contained in our Information for Families Guide.

School Levels & Ages

There are two core schooling levels in the UK – Primary schools deliver early-stage education from Year 1 to Year 6 covering subjects such as language, maths, personal development and physical development.

At Year 7 children transfer to Secondary / Comprehensive school. In Years 7-9 a range of compulsory subjects are delivered covering sciences, technology, languages and humanities. In Years 10 & 11 pupils study a core curriculum but are also able to select several elective subjects – these are then assessed, resulting in GCSE qualifications.

On entry into schooling, children are allocated a ‘Year’. This is usually based on age. Exceptions may be made for other circumstances such as previous study level or specific educational needs.

Types of Schools

There are two main options for schooling within the UK

• State-run Schools – provided by local councils, teaching a wide variety of subjects and skills set out in the Hwb Wales - Welsh National Curriculum – this gives children equal access to education and qualifications. As these are state-run, there are no charges for the education service.
• Independent /Private Schools – run independently of the state education system, they do not have to follow the National Curriculum. Fees will be charged for education, and these vary from school to school.

The choice of State or Independent school is entirely yours. We recommend studying schools available and picking the option that is best for you and your child - for further information see "Before Applying - How to choose a School" 

How to Apply

The main stages of the application process are: 

1) Secure accommodation
2) Identify schools in your catchment area
3) Complete and submit a Schools Admission Form to Swansea Council (Primary/Secondary)
     OR
3) For Independent Schools, follow the application process provided by the school

The sections below provide information and guidance on these stages.

Once you have made your school application, Swansea Council's Education Team will allocate your child a school place within 15 schhol, or 28 calendar, days (whichever is sooner). Please check out their website which provides information on local education provision and additional services. For Independent Schools, you will need to contact the school directly.

Important: For State Schools you do not apply to a school directly - they cannot allocate places. Please do not attempt to go to a school in the hope you can apply there or influence the Schools Admission Teams decision.  The only exception to this is if you are applying for a Nursery place (ages 3-5 years - see below)

We know you will be eager to secure a school place, and we appreciate how important this will be to you. However it is critically important that you have secured your permanent accommodation in the UK before making any applications for school places.

Please be aware that securing family housing can be extremely challenging. This shouid be your first priority if you plan to bring dependents with you. For more infromation on securing housing, and the challenges you may encounter, please refer to our guides:

• Information for International Families Guide
• Preparing for Swansea - International Students Guide

We strongly advise you to make all efforts to secure a property before you travel to Swansea. If this is not possible, we recommend you travel to Swansea on your own initially, then have your dependents join you once you have arranged housing.

If you are planning to apply for the Graduate Route, dependents do not have to be in the UK for the duration of your course. They can stay at home and apply to join you (as a dependant on your Tier 4/Student Route visa) in the last month or so of your course (e.g. July/August 2023 for courses that end in September 2023).  

When submitting a school application you will be required to provide your permanent UK address, along with proof of this address, before you can be allocated school places.

Applications require you to select three schools to apply to - once you have your permanent address you can find the schools closest to you. Most children study at a school located within a 'catchment area' - usually those within a 2 mile radius of your address.

Without knowing your long-term address, it will not be possible to assess your application and school choices. It also avoids your child having to switch schools later. Switching schools, especially after a short amount of time, can be extremely disruptive for you, your children, the Council, schools, teachers and other children. Please ensure that you  make sure that children are in the correct school right from the start.

When applying State Primary or Secondary Schools in Swansea, you will need to provide three choices of school for your child. We know you might have many considerations when selecting a school - such as the location of the school / distance from your home or the school's performance.

To help you choose, the Welsh Government provides the "My Local School" website. This gives details of all council run schools across Wales in an easy-to-use searchable service. This includes information on location, school performance, pupil mix and more - we recommend using this invaluable resource for your search.

Please make sure your choices are practical for your day-to-day life. Make sure that you will be able to bring your children to school on-time in the morning, and pick them up at the required time each afternoon. Being late to arrive or leave can be really disruptive to a child's education and to the rest of their class - and can make their integration into school more difficult.

Independent Schools

The vast majority of schools are state schools run by local councils providing free-of-charge education. You do also have the choice of applying to Independent Schools (also known as Private Schools). You will need to contact those schools directly to apply and you will be required to make payments to the school for your child's education.

Within the Swansea region you will find the following Independent Schools:

• Oakleigh House Independent School - this school provides education for children aged 2.5 - 11 years of age and is located in the Uplands area.
• Ffynone House School - provides education at ages 11+, located between the City Centre and Uplands areas

If your child is over 5  but below 11 years of age, they would usually be eligible for a place at Primary School. This guidance gives you instructions on how to complete the application.

This guide applies to the schools application process for the Swansea area – the vast majority of our students live in this area. If you have a residence outside Swansea (for example, in Neath or Llanelli) you will need to head to the local council’s website for information on their process.

Making your Application

Once you have a confirmed residence in Swansea and have identified your choice of schools, you will need to complete an application online.

• Head to the Swansea Schools Admissions Website
• Select “Apply for a school place mid-year (school transfer)”
• Click the link at “Mid-year transfer application for primary schools - Apply online”
• Complete the application and submit.

The application will usually be processed with 15 school or 28 days working, so please be patient when awaiting a reply. Don't contact the schools directly as they have no influence over the allocation of places.

Accessing the Application Guide

For help completing the online application please click here for the latest guidance – Primary School - Online Application Guide

I can’t complete the Online Application

If you have difficulty completing the online application, you can request a PDF copy by emailing Swansea Council’s Schools Admissions team at admissions@swansea.gov.uk, or by calling +44 (0)1792 636550.  You can then print and complete this form and return it by post.

You can find guidance on completing this form here – Primary School - Paper Application Guide

Children between the ages of 11 - 16 years are usually eligible for entry into Secondary School – these are also known as ‘Comprehensive Schools’. This guidance gives you instructions on how to complete an application for Secondary / Comprehensive School.

This guide applies to the schools application process for the Swansea area – the vast majority of our students live in this area. If you have  a residence outside Swansea (for example, in Neath or Llanelli) you will need to head to the local council’s website for information on their process.

Making your Application

Once you have a confirmed residence in Swansea and have identified your choice of schools, you will need to complete an application form and return it to the School Admissions Team. This form requires information from your child’s previous / current school, so familiarise yourself with this as soon as possible – you may be able to complete section in advance.

• Head to the Swansea Schools Admissions Website
• Select “Apply for a school place mid-year (school transfer)”
• Click the link at “Mid-year transfer application for secondary schools - Application for mid-year admission to secondary school”
• Download and save the Word Document
• Complete this application form – you can either complete it electronically or print the form and complete it manually
• Return the completed form:
  
  • By scanning / saving and emailing to midyearadmissions@swansea.gov.uk
  • OR by post to Admissions Team, School Support Unit, Civic Centre, Oystermouth Road, Swansea, SA1 3SN   

We recommend emailing the form - this will make sure the application is assessed as soon as possible. In addition we recommend sending proof of Visa status, any proof of address you have, along with any other information that may be relevant for your application.

Applications are usually handled within 15 school or 28 calendar days of receipt, so please be patient while waiting for an outcome. Swansea Council may contact you for further information – please be prepared to respond to these requests promptly.

Accessing the Application Guide

For help completing the application please click here for the latest guidance – Secondary School - Application Guide

I need further help completing the Application

If you have difficulty in completing the application, you can seek help by emailing Swansea Council’s Schools Admissions team at midyearadmissions@swansea.gov.uk, or by calling +44 (0)1792 636550.  

Children can access a part-time nursery place from the start of the term after they have turned 3, or the day after their 3rd birthday, and depending on the provision and availability of places at a school. Nursery provision is non-statutory which means that parents can decide whether or not they want to take up a nursery place for their child.

You can submit an application for a place at your catchment school or any other school for which you may have a preference. It is not always possible for children to be admitted to a nursery class within the catchment area for their home address or your preferred school. If there is not a place available in the nursery provision, your child's name will be placed on a waiting list. There is no right of appeal against the refusal to offer a nursery place in a specific school.

Schools in Swansea are responsible for the administration of their nursery applications and parents wishing to apply for a nursery place for the coming academic year can do so by contacting the school of their choice directly. The school will provide parents with an admission application form to complete which will need to be returned directly to the school.

This is the only scenario where a school should be contacted direct in relation to finding a place for your child. For Primary and Secondary age children, you need to follow the process above and apply to Swansea Council. 

Children under 3 years

Children aged 3 - 5 years

All primary schools in the Swansea region provide part-time Nursery places for children aged 3 years up to their entry into full time schooling. Unlike full-time schooling from the age of 5, children are not legally required to attend Nursery - it is your choice whether or not you wish to apply for this provision. 

Part-time Nursery usually consists of 10 hours per week during school term times - most commonly during either a morning or afternoon. If you have a child aged 3-5 years you are responsible for arranging any other childcare you might need outside of those hours offered by Nursery places. 

Children can access Nursery education from either the start of term after they turn 3, or the day after their 3rd Birthday if this is during term-time. If you wish to apply for a Nursery place, you will need to contact the school directly. This is the only case where applications are made directly to the school.

You can identify schools using the "My Local School" website and searching for Primary Schools. You can apply for a place at your catchment school (those closest to your home) or any other school for which you may have a preference. Once you know which school(s) you wish to apply to, you can find their contact details on the Swansea Council Schools Contact Information Pages.

It is not always possible for children to be admitted to the nursery you have chosen. If there is not a place available, your child's name will be placed on a waiting list. There is no right of appeal against the refusal to offer a nursery place in a specific school.

You also have the option to enrol your child into a independent nursery provider. These are operated as private businesses and not by the local council. You will usually be required to pay for you child's care at these providers. To find details we recommend searching online for "Private Nurseries in Swansea".