Education Admission Appeals

A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents

Making an Appeal

If your child is not offered a place at the school of your choice, you have a right to appeal against this decision to an Independent Appeal Panel.

A Guide for Parents on making an appeal is available at the bottom of this page. 

If your appeal is for a place in an infant class (Reception, Year 1 or Year 2) please make sure that you read the section on infant class size appeals as the legislation regarding infant class size may affect your appeal.

A copy of the Education Admission Appeal form is at the bottom of this page. You will need to print off, complete and return to the Clerk to the Appeal Panel at the address shown on the form. Please contact the Clerk directly using the contact details below if you would prefer to have a copy of the form posted to you.

Alternatively, if you would like to submit your appeal online please click here.

If you need further help or information please contact:

• Clerk to the Appeals Panel, using the contact details below.
• Admissions Team, Civic Centre, Reading, RG1 7AE, using the contact below.
• Advisory Centre for Education (ACE), 1c Aberdeen Studios, 22 Highbury Grove, London N5 2DQ. Please see the link below.

What is an Appeal Panel?

The Appeal Panel is independent of the Local Education Authority. It will be made up of three or five people who will hear your appeal. They are either lay people or people with experience of education in the local area. No-one on the Appeal Panel will have any connection with the school for that you are appealing for. They will not have been involved with the original decision.

Can I come to the Appeal Hearing?

Yes, you have the right to come to the hearing and present your case. It is important to attend if you can, as it can help the Appeal Panel understand circumstances of your case. However, if you are not able to attend the hearing your appeal will be decided on the information you and the Local Education Authority have provided. Whether you attend or not, the Panel will carefully consider any written evidence you submit.

You will be given 10 school days notice of the date, time and location of the appeal hearing.

Can I bring someone with me?

Yes. You can bring someone with you to help you present your case, or someone to present your case for you. If you do ask someone else to present your case, please let the Clerk to the Appeal Panel know before the hearing.

Will there be anyone else there?

A representative of the school will be at the hearing. The Clerk to the Appeal Panel will also be at the hearing to give independent advice and to record what happens.

What happens at the Appeal Hearing?

We try to make the appeal hearing as informal as possible.

The school's representative will explain the reason for your child not being offered a place at your preferred school. You and members of the Panel will be able to ask questions on the reasons for this.

You will then be given the chance to put your case in support of your appeal. The Appeal Panel will already have all the written information which you have submitted.

The Appeal Panel members and the school's representative can then ask you questions if they need any further information on your case.

There will then be a summing up stage, where you and the school's representative will be give the oppourtunity to sum up the main points of what you have said.

The Chair of the Appeal Panel will then ask you and the school's representative to leave the appeal hearing.

How will the Appeal Panel make their decision?

Your appeal will be considered on its own merits. When they make a decision the Panel will consider:

1. If allowing your child a place at the school will have a significant impact on resources - for example the amount of teaching space available, classroom organisation and the number of pupils per teacher.
2. If the procedure for allocating your child a place was followed correctly.
3. The reasons why you want your child to attend the school you are appealing for.
4. Any special circumstances for over-riding the Local Education Authority's decision.

If the Panel agrees with your appeal, you will be offered a place at the school you would like to send your child to.

When the Panel make a decision they will normally follow a two-stage decision making process. More details of this are available at the bottom of the page.

However, if your appeal is for Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 it may be affected by Class Size legislation, which limits the number of pupils in a class to 30. If this is the case, the Panel will have to make their decision differently. More information on this is available Guide for Parents which is available at the bottom of this page, but if you have any further queries please contact the Clerk to the Appeal Panel.

How will I find out the result of my appeal?

You will be sent the Appeal Panel's decision in writing, normally within 5 school days of the appeal hearing.

If your appeal is not successful and you do not want the place offered to you at another school, please contact the Admissions Team to find out what other schools have places available.

You cannot appeal against the Appeal Panel's decision, but if you feel that the appeals procedure has not been carried out properly you can complain to the Local Government Ombudsman. Please contact the Clerk to the Appeal Panel for more information.

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