If you have moved house, you can apply to change school during the school year. This is called an "in year admission". You may have other reasons to want to switch schools but changing schools can be disruptive, so we recommend you read Hertfordshire County Council's guidance before taking this step.
If you are looking for a nursery place, please contact us directly on 01438 314148 and see our Nursery Admissions page for more information,
For all other year groups, application must be made via Herts County Council
We are currently able to consider applications for all year groups other than Year 3 (correct at at March 2024).
School vacancies for Reception to Year 6 are published on HCC's admission pages.
Application process
Application for an in year admission should be made online; you are required to submit proof of address with your application. You will also need to ask your current school to complete an online form with extra information.
The admissions team will contact you within 2–3 weeks (10–15 school days) of receiving your application, proof of address and any additional documents needed to let you know whether your application has been successful.
You need to accept or decline any place offered.
If your child has a Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan that names The Leys Primary and Nursery School, your child’s application will be handled by HCC's Special Educational Needs Team.
The local authority uses a set of principles known as the fair access protocol when considering in year admission applications for "hard to place" or vulnerable children. This is to ensure that all children get a suitable school place and that no school is asked to take an unreasonable number of children who have a higher level of needs.
For more detail, read the full fair access protocol document.
You'll have the right to appeal an in year admissions decision if you make an in year application and a place can't be offered because the school has no vacancies when you apply.
Alternatively, contact the appeals team at school.appeals@hertfordshire.gov.uk or 01992 588548
Continuing interest lists do not carry over from one academic year to another so, to retain your interest for a school you are required to make a new in year application.
The Leys Nursery & Primary School uses HCC's admission criteria to determine the allocation of places.
Admission rules are applied in order. If more children qualify for a school place under a particular rule than there are places available, children will be prioritised using the next rule (for rules 2-5).
Children looked after and children who were previously looked after including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. Previously looked after children are those who were looked after but ceased to be so because of being adopted or became subject to a child arrangement order or a special guardianship order.
Children who were not looked after immediately before being adopted, or made the subject of a child arrangement order or special guardianship order, will not be prioritised under this rule.
Children for whom it can be demonstrated that they have a particular medical or social need to go to the school.
All Hertfordshire schools can support children with a wide range of additional needs and are expected to accommodate severe medical needs.
An application made under Rule 2 should clearly demonstrate why the school applied for is the only one that can meet your child’s need in a way that no other school can.
You may wish to complete the Rule 2 application form if you are making an application for a school or academy whose social / medical arrangements are considered by us. Check the rules of the school you're applying to for clarification on how to apply under Rule 2.
Not applicable
Children who have a sibling on the roll of the school at the time of application.This applies to:
'Sibling' definitions
A sibling link will not be recognised for children living temporarily in the same house, for example a child who usually lives with one parent but has temporarily moved or a looked after child in a respite placement or very short term or bridging foster placement.
If an applicant lives at more than one address, the sibling must also reside at the same address for the majority of the school week. The sibling’s address will be verified by the school.
A sibling must be on the roll of the named school or linked school at the time of application (and when child starts), or have been offered and accepted a place.
Children for whom it is their nearest school or academy, excluding those that allocate places on the basis of faith (membership or practice) before allocating on the basis of distance/location. This can include schools outside Hertfordshire.
Children who live closest to the school are given priority. Children not considered under Rule 5 will be considered under Rule 6.
A tiebreak will be used if two applications have addresses that measure the same distance from a school.