Appeal a primary school decision
If a school has refused your child's school place application, you have the right to make an appeal to an independent appeal panel.
Your decision to appeal
A school will usually only refuse a child a place if the school has received more applications than they have places available.
You may decide to appeal because:
- your child has a particular interest in the subjects offered by the school
- your child has medical, social or educational reasons for wanting the place
- you have recently moved house
When to appeal
Make your appeal before midday, 16 May 2022.
We will do our best to ensure appeals submitted by 16 May 2022 are heard by the end of the summer term but regret that some appeals may be delayed due to panel availability and the pandemic.
Appeals made after this date will be heard from September 2022.
For in-year appeals, make your appeal within 28 days of the refusal letter. The appeal will be heard as soon as possible.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
19 April 2022 |
Primary Allocation Day |
16 May 2022, midday |
Deadline for submitting completed appeal forms |
31 May 2022, 5pm |
Deadline for submitting any additional documents or information in support of your appeal |
14 calendar days before your appeal |
Notice of appeal letters sent to parents |
7 calendar days before your appeal |
Case papers sent to parents, the admission authority, school and appeal panel |
June to July |
Primary Admission Appeals heard |
Within 7 calendar days of the appeal decision |
Decision letter sent to parents, admission authority and school |
How to appeal
Preparing your evidence
When you appeal, you'll need to provide evidence on why you want your child to get the place.
You can read more about evidence you can use.
Appeal online
Before you make an appeal, you should:
- prepare your reasons for your appeal and any evidence you wish to upload
- ensure you submit your appeal and evidence within the timelines
- read our guidance on school admission appeals
After you make your appeal, we'll send you an acknowledgement letter with your unique appeal reference number. Refer to this number if you contact us.
If the school you are appealing for is not listed on the appeal form, please contact the school directly to make your appeal.
If you would like a paper form, contact the school admissions team.
Appeal outcome
The panel will come to a decision as to whether your child is admitted based on the case put forward by both:
- the applicant, usually the parent or carer
- the admission authority, which will be the council or the school itself
A decision letter will be sent to you no later than 7 calendar days after the appeal decision is made.
Last year, 91% of appeals were unsuccessful.
This is because in almost all cases the school or admission authority showed that they could not admit additional pupils without harming the education of the existing pupils.
Please think carefully before appealing as appeals can be stressful for parents and are expensive for schools.
If your appeal is unsuccessful, there is no further right of appeal. Find out more about appeal decisions and complaints.
Get help with your appeal
For help and advice on your appeal, contact the education appeals team.