On 1 March, families of Year 6 pupils found out which secondary school
offered them a place for September 2023. But what happens if
your child wasn’t offered a place at their top choice school?
Here we talk you through everything you need to know about
appealing a secondary school’s
offer decision.
When can I appeal a decision?
You have the right to appeal a decision if you applied to a
school and it didn’t offer your child a place.
Local authorities set their own deadlines for appeals, but they
must allow you at least 20 school days from the day the offer was
given to prepare and submit an appeal.
Visit your local council’s website to find out how long you have
to submit an appeal. Find your local council - GOV.UK
(www.gov.uk).
How do I appeal a school admission decision?
If your child is refused a place at one of their three top choice
schools, you can appeal against the decision.
However, even if you're appealing a decision, we recommend
accepting the offer your child did receive so that they have a
school place if the appeal is unsuccessful. Accepting another
offer won’t affect your appeal or limit other options available
to you.
The letter which contains the decision about your child’s school
place will tell you why your application was refused, where to
send your appeal, how to appeal, and the appeal deadline.
You’ll usually need to complete an appeal form and submit it by
the deadline.
You’ll then be invited to an appeal hearing with an admissions
panel. The panel is independent and will look at the case
presented by both the school’s admission authority and the
parent, before deciding whether the school should admit the
child. The panel will have seen the form you completed before the
hearing.
Admission authorities and appeal panels must comply with the
statutory School Admission Appeals Code, available here.
What information do I need to include in my appeal
letter?
The appeal letter is an opportunity for you to show why you think
your child should attend the school in question. If you think
your application has been treated incorrectly, you should explain
why.
You can make an appeal because you want your child to attend a
particular school, but the stronger your reasons, the better
chance you have of your appeal being successful.
For example, wanting your child to go to a particular school
because it’s the best in the area is
not likely to convince the panel that your child should get one
place over another.
Instead, you should focus on how the school meets your child’s
needs, stating what this school can offer that the other can’t,
and what the impact will be on your child if they don’t attend
the school of your choice.
Where possible, you should include other documents that support
your appeal, such as letters or written reports. For example, if
there are medical or social factors that contribute to your
reason for appealing, these should be supported by a letter from
a professional like a doctor or social worker.
Coram Children’s Legal
Centre may be able to give you advice about appeals.
When will the hearing take place?
The admission authority must give you at least 10 school days’
notice of the hearing.
Appeals must be heard within 40 school days of the deadline for
making an appeal.
What can I expect from a hearing?
First, the clerk or the chair of the panel will introduce
everyone to the hearing. They will explain everything that will
happen during and after your hearing. Your appeal may take place
in person, remotely by video call, or via a hybrid of the two,
and the chair will explain the process depending on how the
appeal is taking place.
The panel will then usually hear the appeal in two stages.
First, the presenting officer will explain the admission
authority’s reasons for refusing to admit another child at the
school. Then, the panel will ask you to present your reasons as
to why you believe the school should admit your child.
When the panel believes it has enough information to make a
decision, the hearing will end. The panel will then discuss and
decide to either uphold or dismiss your appeal in private. If the
panel finds that the negative impact on your child of not
attending your preferred school is stronger than the case put
forward by the school, it will uphold your appeal.
Your appeal will also be upheld if it finds that the admission
arrangements weren’t properly applied when taking a decision on
whether your child should be offered a place.
When will I find out whether my appeal has been
successful?
After an appeal, you will usually find out in writing whether you
have been successful within 5 school days. There may be a delay
if the panel has received lots of appeals.
If you are making an appeal, we recommend you visit the full
guidance at this link.
