Last updated:

26th April 2024

Applying for school

We are working on providing school places for all of the children who come to the borough from Ukraine.

Use our Schools designated areas map to find out which designated or 'catchment' area you live in (or to find the designated area of a particular school). Search for an address or postcode using the text box or a location on the map using the 'set location' map pin.

Please refer to our school admissions for Ukrainian nationals (PDF document) before applying for a school place.

Advice in Ukrainian

The Department for Education has published a blog in Ukrainian on how families arriving from Ukraine can apply for school places and childcare.

Common questions

We've published our common questions on applying for and starting school for people coming from Ukraine.

This covers things frequently asked to our teams about the application process, how long it takes and how it works.

Who can complete an application

Applications for a school place should be completed and submitted by the parent or guardian of the child.

If you are a host family or welcoming children from Ukraine as part of another scheme, email the details to yoursupport@wokingham.gov.uk. This helps us do forward planning for where we can find spaces and help us to make early contact with relevant schools, but applications can only be submitted by parents or guardians.

To apply you will need to create a citizens portal account by following the link below. When choosing a reason for applying, select "moving to the area from abroad".

Apply for a school place

Responding to applications

School place applications have set periods of time for us and local schools to respond. This is measured in working school days, which is a day where the schools in the borough are open.

If an application is submitted in the school holidays, the application process may not start progressing until the next working school day if the school applied for has no school places.

This is because the admissions team will need to make approaches to the school to check numbers on roll. Working with the most up to date information is important.

Once an in-year application is submitted to us, the schools we manage in-year admissions for work to the following timescales:

Up to 10 working school days for us to respond to the application and check where capacity is available once all the required information has been provided, such as passports or visas
The school will confirm the start date with the family
In complex cases another 10 working school days may be required if the case needs to be taken to the Fair Access Panel to source a place for the child.
The panel makes sure vulnerable children, and those who are having difficulty in securing a school place in-year, are allocated a school place as quickly as possible, minimising the time the child is out of school
If a child is placed via the panel route then the child should be offered a start date within seven school working days

All applications will be processed as quickly as possible but we need this time to work with schools to ensure there’s enough space, equipment and staff to welcome new children into the classes.

Local schools

Local schools are divided into:

Primary Schools for children aged four to 11
Infant Schools for children aged four to seven (Reception to Year 2)
Junior Schools for children aged seven to 11 (Year 3 to 6)
Secondary Schools for children aged 11 to 18

We are working with local schools to find suitable places for all children arriving from Ukraine. Most children will be placed in their natural age group cohort.

Nursery or pre-school

Younger children can go to a nursery or pre-school. We are working with nursery and pre-schools to find spaces.

Starting primary school

If your child was born between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020 you must apply to start primary school in September 2024.

A specific form for late applications is available for these. Apply now to start primary school in September.

Starting junior school

Children seeking a place to start in Year 3 at a junior school from September 2024 need to complete a late infant to junior application. Apply for a junior school place on our website before the end of July 2024.

Starting secondary school

Children born between 1 September 2012 and 31 August 2013 must apply for an in-year primary school place as described above.

They also need to complete a late starting secondary school place for September 2024. Apply now to start secondary school in September.

Education after age 16

Children born between 1 September 2007 and 31 August 2008 will be in Year 11.

Most of the students in this cohort will be taking exams and are on study leave, it is probable that you will be signposted to our not in educational, employment or training (NEET) prevention team for support for now.

This will be until students can take up full-time post-16 educational places from September 2022. Find out more about education options on our options for Year 11 students, starting sixth form and learning and development services webpages.

Government guidance

Government has provided guidance on how schools work in the UK in Ukrainian. To find out more: