Application and admission to compulsory school

Engelska (ENG)

The municipality in which you live is responsible for compulsory school and compulsory school for pupils with intellectual disabilities. It is therefore required to offer your child school placement. There may also be independent schools in the municipality. You can notify the municipality of your preferred choice of school for your child.

You can choose your child's school

In your application for school placement, you can indicate which of the municipality's schools you want your child to attend. The chances of your child being placed in a school of your choice is greater if you choose several options. If you do not submit an application, your municipality will place your child in a school close to your home.

You have the right to choose a school for your child anywhere in the municipality, not just the district or area in which you live.

The application period for compulsory school varies from one municipality to another.

Rules for placement at a school

Municipal and independent schools have different rules for school placement.

Rules for placement at municipal schools

• Proximity principle

The wishes of a guardian may not override the right of another pupil to be placed in a school close to their home. This is called the proximity principle. In some cases, several schools may be considered equivalent from a public transport standpoint, even if they are not the same distance from the child's home. The proximity principle does not always mean that a pupil is entitled to be placed in the school closest to their home.

• Sibling priority as selection criterion

Municipalities have some freedom to decide which principles they want to use for school placement. One example of such a principle is sibling priority, which means that a child is given priority for placement at a specific school if they have a sibling who already attends that school.

However, the principles used by the municipality must not be in conflict with the provisions on guardian preferences or the proximity principle.

Rules for placement at independent schools

If an independent school does not have enough places for all applicants, it must carry out a selection process. Independent schools can use the following selection criteria:

• application date (queue time)
• sibling priority
• geographical proximity
• certain organisation-related criteria

Tests and examinations for admission or selection

Some compulsory school programmes may use tests and examinations for the purpose of admission and selection to the programme at the school. This includes programmes that require pupils to have specific skills in art, physical education and health, music or crafts.

Under certain conditions, schools can use proficiency tests in music as a condition for admission and selection to a preschool class programme.

If a school uses proficiency tests as a basis for selection to a particular school unit, they may not use any other selection criteria.

Find schools in your municipality

There may be several different compulsory schools and compulsory schools for pupils with intellectual disabilities in your municipality. There may be municipal and independent schools. Municipal schools are managed by the municipality. Independent schools are run by an owner, for example, a company or a foundation.

In “Find and compare compulsory schools and compulsory school for pupils with intellectual disabilities”, you can search for and compare schools based on factors such as grade results, teacher to pupil ratio, and inspection reports from the Swedish Schools Inspectorate.

Find and compare compulsory schools

Submit your application

Many municipalities and independent schools have a digital application system. Information on how to apply is usually available on the municipality's website. In some municipalities, independent schools are also included in the municipal application system. If so, you can apply for all schools in the municipality via the same system.

If the independent schools in your municipality are not included in the municipality's application system, you apply to these schools directly at the school. Contact the school for information on how to apply.

Receive a school placement decision and respond

Once the application period is over and the school places have been allocated, your municipality will inform you which school your child has been admitted to. If you applied directly to an independent school, you will receive a decision from the school.

It is important that you respond to the admission decision if you want the place you have been offered.

If you decline the place or do not respond by the deadline, the place will be offered to another pupil. Your child will then be placed in a school close to your home, according to the school placement rules of your municipality.

If there are two guardians, you must both sign the admission decision. If you are away or unable to sign for any other reason, you can authorise someone else to sign on your behalf.

If your child is not admitted to the school you requested

If your child is not admitted to one of the schools you requested, your child will be placed in a school close to your home, in accordance with the school placement rules of your municipality.

Admission from waiting list

You can apply for any unfilled places for your child at municipal schools. For information on how to do this, visit your municipality's website.

Your child starts school

The school will inform you when the autumn semester starts, so that you and your child can prepare for the start of school.