Changes of preferences

A maximum of four new schools can be added to an application at any one time. The Admission Authority (AA) will consider changes of preference at the next available opportunity.

A change of preference will be considered alongside other applications (e.g. late applicants or those who could not be offered a place and requested to be added to the school's Waiting List).

Once a change of preference has been considered and notification has been sent in writing, it is possible to add a child’s name to the Waiting List for that school if a place cannot be offered.  Read the information online about waiting lists.

If a place can be offered at a school which has been added as a change of preference and this school is listed higher on the application than the school originally or previously offered, the place originally or previously offered will be taken away and offered to another child. It is not possible for a child to hold an offer of a place at more than one school at the same time.

If a place is offered at a school, the child’s name will be automatically removed from the Waiting Lists for any schools which are lower down on the list than the school which has been offered.

Eligibility for free travel assistance is assessed when a school place is offered based on the Home to School Transport Policy.  

If a child was offered free travel assistance to a school they were originally offered and is later offered a place at a different school, the offer of free travel assistance to the original school offer would be taken away.

A new assessment will be made when the new school place is offered.  Free travel assistance will only be offered to the new school offer if the child qualifies for free travel assistance under the Home to School Transport Policy.