Making an admissions appeal

Before you can submit an admissions appeal, please first read through our appeals guidance pages.

Who can lodge an appeal?

Any parent or guardian who has been refused a school place for their child has the right to appeal the decision.

If you are not allocated a place at a preferred school, you have the right to an independent appeal. You can appeal for more than one school.

If you are not offered a place at your first preference school, we will send you appeal guidance with your allocation letter.

For schools using the local authority's services, appeals must be lodged by the dates shown on the local authority appeal timetable. This is published before offers are made. Other schools will have their own arrangements.

Are there alternatives to making an appeal?

Before making a formal appeal, you should consider the alternatives:

Appeals for children with an Education, Health and Care Plan

Independent Appeal Panels are not able to consider appeals for children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan which specify provision in a mainstream school. Such appeals should be referred to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability), and can only be made within two months of the issuing of the final Plan.

Primary school places (Year R and Year 3) appeals timeline 2024-25

• School place offers will be sent on 16 April 2024
• Appeals must be lodged by 17 May 2024
• Appeals lodged on time will be determined in accordance with the School Admission Appeals Code 2022, before the end of the summer term
• Appeals lodged after 17 May 2024, that cannot be added to a scheduled hearing, will be determined at a later date

Secondary school places (Year 7) appeals timeline 2024-25

• School place offers will be sent on 1 March 2024
• Appeals must be lodged by 19 April 2024
• Appeals lodged on time will be determined in accordance with the School Admission Appeals Code 2022, during the summer term
• Appeals lodged after 19 April 2024, that cannot be added to a scheduled hearing, will be determined at a later date

General information

You will receive at least 10 school days’ notice of your appeal hearing date. You can waive this right if you are late in making your appeal and wish to have your appeal determined at a hearing that is already scheduled. Case papers will be dispatched to you within a reasonable time before the hearing date.

Once you have received notification of your hearing date, any additional evidence you wish to submit should be sent via email to the Democratic Services Inbox in accordance with the date detailed in the notification. Additional evidence may be submitted up to and including the day of the hearing. The panel will take its significance into account and whether there is a need to adjourn the hearing to allow all parties time to consider it.

Following the appeal hearing decision, where possible, letters will be sent five school day’s following the hearing's conclusion.

Next steps

Find out more about the types of appeal.