When the child has finished the first half of the fourth year in primary school, the parents are provided with a guidance concerning the appropriate secondary school for their child. This guidance names one of three School types “Gymnasium”, “Realschule” or “Hauptschule”. This guidance can be given with restrictions. The two other school types “Gesamtschule” and “Sekundarschule” are always given as an appropriate option.
The parents can choose the school they want for their child and present the aforementioned guidance to enrol their child. If the choosen school is not named in the guidance, there will be a counselling for the parents. The choice of the parents is the deciding factor, if the school has the capacity for the child.
Even though the guidance is binding, the choice of the parents is more important.
For further information consult https://www.schulministerium.nrw.de/docs/bp/Eltern/Schule-in-NRW/Schulwechsel_nach_NRW/FAQ04/index.html