Coronavirus

The Department for Education (DFE) guidance states that no face to face appeal hearings can take place due to COVID-19. This guidance has been extended until September 2021, therefore until advised otherwise all admission appeals will be conducted by conference call or written submission.

Primary school appeals

If you wish to appeal, please read the guidance notes below.

Appeal online

You must complete the appeal form by:

Friday 14 May 2021 for community and voluntary controlled schools
the schools' deadline for voluntary aided, foundation schools, academies and free schools - these schools may have their own closing date for appeal forms, please contact the school directly for this deadline

If once you have read all the guidance notes you have any further questions, or are unable to complete the form online please contact your local area education office.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) format of your school appeal

All our Independent Appeal Panel members and Clerks have now undertaken training on virtual hearings, to allow them to access and listen to hearings under the revised Department for Education rules covering appeals hearings under COVID-19 restrictions.

Information in other languages

If English is not your first language, you can download additional information in Arabic, Bulgarian, Gujarati, Italian, Polish, Spanish or Urdu.

Schools that have their own appeal form

For the following schools please contact the school direct as they have their own appeal form:

The Maharishi Free School - please see the school website for more information
The Olive School, Preston - you can download The Olive School appeal form (PDF 159KB), further guidance is available on the school website.

Infant class size appeals

When a place in an infant class (reception, year one or year two) has been refused on the grounds that the class would have more than 30 pupils, the process is different. You should note that the Independent Appeal Panels cannot allow such appeals unless they are satisfied that:

Your child would have been offered a place if the admission arrangements had been applied properly
Your child would have been offered a place if the admission arrangements had complied with the mandatory provisions in the School Admissions Code and the School Standards and Framework Act 1998
The decision to refuse your child a place was not one which a reasonable admission authority would have made in the circumstances of the case.

This means that your personal circumstances are not as strong a focus for appeals where class size issues are relevant. You should be aware that nationally few infant class size appeals are successful.

Guidance notes:

If you are not sure which guidance applies to you, please contact your local area education office.