Admission appeals

If it has not been possible to offer your child a place at your preferred school, you have the right, by law, to appeal to an independent appeal panel. We understand how important making decisions about your child's education and schooling are to you. We know that deciding to appeal and going through the appeals process can be a worrying and anxious time.

Before appealing a school place

When considering whether to appeal, it is important you are aware that:

• although the law allows you to have the opportunity to appeal against admission decisions, it does not give your child the right to a place at a particular school
• there is no guarantee that your appeal will be successful; therefore, if you are appealing for a place at a particular school, you should make arrangements for a place at an alternative school in case your appeal is unsuccessful
• accepting a place at another school does not affect your right to appeal for a place at the school you would prefer.

Appeals when an infant class already has 30 pupils

The law states that there must be no more than 30 pupils in an infant class (reception, year 1 and year 2). Therefore, in the case of most appeals for infant schools, an appeals panel can only allow more children into a class if they decide that either the:

• admission arrangements did not comply with admissions law and the child would have been offered a place if the arrangements had complied
• admission arrangements were not correctly and impartially applied and the child would have been offered a place if the arrangements had been correctly and impartially applied
• decision to refuse admission was not one that a reasonable admission authority would have made in the circumstances of the case.

Appeals when a class has fewer than 30 pupils or a junior or secondary school place

If an appeal is heard for an infant class that has fewer than 30 pupils, or for a class in the junior or secondary phases of education, the appeal panel will allow an appeal if they decide that either the:

• admission arrangements did not comply with admissions law and the child would have been offered a place if the arrangements had complied
• admission arrangements were not correctly and impartially applied and the child would have been offered a place if the arrangements had been correctly and impartially applied
• admission of additional children would not prejudice the provision of efficient education or efficient use of resources.