All schools will have an in-year admissions policy stating their admission criteria.
For many schools this may be the same as their y7 admission policy (and may therefore be embedded within it) but some schools will have a separate in-year admissions criteria e.g. Graveney has different one because their y7 has partial selection that no longer applies.
Often the in-year criteria are simpler versions, sometimes they have explicit cut-off dates when y7 criteria stop applying and in-year criteria begins (and I seem to vaguely remember is maybe from October -ISH - but at least one cut-off I've seen is much later than I expected, tho cannot recall)
Technically this should all be visible on their websites or by contacting the school.
Wandsworth are very good at collating (links to) all the y7 admissions policies in one place, but historically not so much the in-year policies.
If you think about it sixth form admissions are different so the infrastructure does exist for schools to have different admissions criteria for different ages of applicants.
Wandsworth pupil services can be very helpful over phone/email if you approach them politely and patiently.
For y7 you are generally better talking to Wandsworth, but good schools themselves often have a handle on their own in-year admissions because schools want to fill places (to get funding) but if you want distances etc they may refer you back to Wandsworth.
Anecdotally lots of movement in-year schools as soon as y7 as expectations and reality meet, etc

Thanks. My impression is that there seems to be less movement out of secondary schools than out of primary ones. Even the most oversubscribed primary schools have always tended to have opening after the first year, as people move around, but presumably it's rarer for families with children in secondary schools to move as much?

It’s great that you’re gathering detailed information about secondary school admissions! For in-year admissions (including Year 8 and Year 9), data is usually harder to come by compared to the standard Year 7 entry.

Most councils do publish data on secondary school admissions, but it’s generally more focused on the main intake period (September for Year 7). In-year admissions can vary widely by school and council, and the data isn’t always made public in the same way.

Some councils might provide in-year admission data on their websites, but it’s typically more difficult to find detailed statistics on how many students were admitted after the school year started, or how many transfers took place in Year 8 or Year 9 specifically. It’s worth contacting the local authority directly to inquire about in-year admissions for these years, as they may be able to provide more insight.

Regarding distance, yes, for in-year admissions, the criteria can often still be based on proximity to the school, though it can vary by school. If a school has places available in a higher year group, they may use distance as one of the determining factors, but other factors like availability, the needs of the school, and special educational requirements may also come into play.

As for speaking to the headteacher, it’s often a required step because the school may need to ensure they have space for the new student and may need to ensure the child’s academic or behavioural needs can be met. The headteacher can sometimes influence whether a transfer happens, but they generally can’t block a transfer unless there are specific reasons such as space availability or other school policies.

If you are thinking about a move and would like to know more about how to approach a potential transfer, it’s a good idea to directly contact the admissions team or headteacher at the school you’re interested in. They will provide the most accurate and detailed information specific to your situation.

Good luck with your search! Let me know if you'd like any more advice or if I can help with anything else.

Most councils publish data (eg on maximum distance) on admission to state secondary schools. Eg a quick google search will show the data for Wandsworth and Fulham

https://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/media/yi1 ... chools.pdf

<!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}-->https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/sites/default/f ... s-2024.pdf

 
Is there any data on in-year admissions and admissions from Y8 onwards, for state secondary schools?

 
In other words: say we don't get in our preferred secondary schools, so our child starts Y7 elsewhere.
 
Is there any data on how many students the other schools admitted during Y7, after the term started in September, and on how many in Y8 and Y9? I have not been able to find anything.
Would this data show things like distance?
Would the criteria be the same (ie mostly distance)?

This would be from the perspective of someone who already has a school place, not someone who is moving into the borough from elsewhere.
 
Eg if it shows that school X admitted 20 Y8 students living up to 2,000 metres away, then we have a decent chance. If it shows it admitted only 2 students living up to 300 metres away, then we don't.
 
Also, what little information I found always mentions that one must speak to the head of the current school. Does this mean that the head can block a transfer? If you already have a place in school A but want to move to school B, can the head of school A really block it?