Top councillors have approved changes to the way children in Warwickshire are allocated school places.

Warwickshire County Council's (WCC) cabinet today (February 12) approved the changes to school admissions which will come into force for the 2027/28 academic year.

Changes will see the local authority no longer accept evidence of future house moves or relocation, meaning the family will have to move and the child be a resident at that address before it is considered.

Other changes will see children of staff now included in the oversubscription criteria for schools, meaning they may be given priority where a school receives more applications than it has places available.  

The oversubscription criteria for junior schools will also "be brought into line with those used for infant and primary schools". This means eligibility for pupil premium or service premium must apply at the time an application is made. 

Catchment areas will be updated for Lighthorne Heath Primary School, Shottery St Andrew's Primary School and Bishopton Primary School to reflect local changes in housing and demand for school places. 

Cabinet also agreed to reduce the published admission number at Thomas Jolyffe Primary School from 60 to 30, and at Water Orton Primary School from 45 to 30. These changes are based on pupil number forecasts and are "intended to support the long-term stability and financial planning of the schools".  

For moves during the school year, the need for parents or carers to re-register their interest in remaining on a waiting list will be removed, though they must reapply the following academic year if a place is still required. 

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The changes follow a public consultation that ran from November 2025 to January 2026.

Changes apply to all community and voluntary controlled schools in the county, for which Warwickshire County Council acts as the admissions authority. 

Other schools, including academies and voluntary aided schools, set their own arrangements but work within the countywide admissions system. 

Cllr Wayne Briggs, portfolio holder for education, commented: "These arrangements ensure we continue to deliver a high-quality admissions service for families in Warwickshire, whilst making sensible adjustments that improve efficiency and provide clearer, smoother processes for parents applying for school places."