diff --git a/backend/app.py b/backend/app.py
index 2f6536c..c2e3de4 100644
--- a/backend/app.py
+++ b/backend/app.py
@@ -635,6 +635,9 @@ async def reload_data(
     return {"status": "reloaded"}
 
 
+_reimport_status: dict = {"running": False, "done": False, "error": None}
+
+
 @app.post("/api/admin/reimport-ks2")
 @limiter.limit("2/minute")
 async def reimport_ks2(
@@ -643,19 +646,45 @@ async def reimport_ks2(
     _: bool = Depends(verify_admin_api_key)
 ):
     """
-    Re-run the full KS2 CSV migration (drop + reimport schools and results).
-    Use when the database has been wiped and needs repopulating from the CSV files.
+    Start a full KS2 CSV migration in the background and return immediately.
+    Poll GET /api/admin/reimport-ks2/status to check progress.
     Pass ?geocode=false to skip postcode → lat/lng resolution.
-    Runs synchronously — expect this to take several minutes.
     Requires X-API-Key header with valid admin API key.
     """
-    loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
-    success = await loop.run_in_executor(None, lambda: run_full_migration(geocode=geocode))
-    if not success:
-        raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail="Migration failed: no CSV data found in data directory")
-    clear_cache()
-    load_school_data()
-    return {"status": "reimported"}
+    global _reimport_status
+    if _reimport_status["running"]:
+        return {"status": "already_running"}
+
+    _reimport_status = {"running": True, "done": False, "error": None}
+
+    def _run():
+        global _reimport_status
+        try:
+            success = run_full_migration(geocode=geocode)
+            if not success:
+                _reimport_status = {"running": False, "done": False, "error": "No CSV data found"}
+                return
+            clear_cache()
+            load_school_data()
+            _reimport_status = {"running": False, "done": True, "error": None}
+        except Exception as exc:
+            _reimport_status = {"running": False, "done": False, "error": str(exc)}
+
+    import threading
+    threading.Thread(target=_run, daemon=True).start()
+    return {"status": "started"}
+
+
+@app.get("/api/admin/reimport-ks2/status")
+async def reimport_ks2_status(
+    request: Request,
+    _: bool = Depends(verify_admin_api_key)
+):
+    """Poll this endpoint to check reimport progress."""
+    s = _reimport_status
+    if s["error"]:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=s["error"])
+    return {"running": s["running"], "done": s["done"]}
 
 
 # =============================================================================
diff --git a/integrator/flows/ks2.yml b/integrator/flows/ks2.yml
index e8c72c1..646c785 100644
--- a/integrator/flows/ks2.yml
+++ b/integrator/flows/ks2.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ tasks:
     uri: http://integrator:8001/run/ks2?action=load
     method: POST
     allowFailed: false
-    timeout: PT20M   # full migration takes ~10 min; give headroom
+    timeout: PT2H    # polls backend every 30s; geocoding 15k schools takes up to 1h
 
 errors:
   - id: notify-failure
diff --git a/integrator/scripts/sources/ks2.py b/integrator/scripts/sources/ks2.py
index 4961585..21a9f7a 100644
--- a/integrator/scripts/sources/ks2.py
+++ b/integrator/scripts/sources/ks2.py
@@ -10,10 +10,14 @@ The CSV files must already be present in the data volume under
   /data/{year}/england_ks2final.csv
 (populated at deploy time from the repo's data/ directory).
 """
-import sys
+import time
 import requests
 from config import BACKEND_URL, ADMIN_API_KEY
 
+HEADERS = {"X-API-Key": ADMIN_API_KEY}
+POLL_INTERVAL = 30   # seconds between status checks
+MAX_WAIT = 7200      # 2 hours
+
 
 def download():
     """No download step — CSVs are shipped with the repo."""
@@ -22,18 +26,33 @@ def download():
 
 
 def load():
-    """Trigger full KS2 re-import via the backend admin endpoint (with geocoding)."""
-    url = f"{BACKEND_URL}/api/admin/reimport-ks2?geocode=true"
-    print(f"POST {url}")
-    resp = requests.post(
-        url,
-        headers={"X-API-Key": ADMIN_API_KEY},
-        timeout=900,  # migration can take ~10 minutes
-    )
+    """Trigger full KS2 re-import and poll until complete."""
+    start_url = f"{BACKEND_URL}/api/admin/reimport-ks2?geocode=true"
+    status_url = f"{BACKEND_URL}/api/admin/reimport-ks2/status"
+
+    print(f"POST {start_url}")
+    resp = requests.post(start_url, headers=HEADERS, timeout=30)
     resp.raise_for_status()
-    result = resp.json()
-    print(f"Result: {result}")
-    return result
+    print(f"Started: {resp.json()}")
+
+    print(f"Polling {status_url} every {POLL_INTERVAL}s (max {MAX_WAIT // 60} min)...")
+    elapsed = 0
+    while elapsed < MAX_WAIT:
+        time.sleep(POLL_INTERVAL)
+        elapsed += POLL_INTERVAL
+
+        sr = requests.get(status_url, headers=HEADERS, timeout=15)
+        sr.raise_for_status()
+        state = sr.json()
+        print(f"  [{elapsed // 60}m] {state}")
+
+        if state.get("done"):
+            print("Re-import complete.")
+            return state
+        if not state.get("running"):
+            raise RuntimeError(f"Re-import stopped unexpectedly: {state}")
+
+    raise TimeoutError(f"KS2 re-import did not complete within {MAX_WAIT // 60} minutes")
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":