If your child is starting high school in September you will by now have made your application and will be nervously awaiting the outcome next Monday. Hopefully you will receive good news and you will get your first choice school, or at least a school you are happy with. Sadly for many thousands of families that is not the reality. This is not necessarily the end of the road - you can always look to submit late applications to schools that you would be more happy with, ask to go on the schools waiting list (although you have to be realistic of your chances of getting a place unless you are close to the top of the list) or Appeal. Appeals can be time consuming, emotionally draining and won!
The Appeals Process is a long one; starting in early March and ending in perhaps late June. You certainly do not have to get your appeal in early - and doing so does not give you a better chance of success.
There are three main stages of the process -
Within the first twenty school days (essentially the whole of March) you need to LODGE your appeal - this is an admin task which basically informs the Council / School you intend to appeal. You need to give your brief reasons for appealing but you cannot in this time submit your whole case, you simply won’t have the information you need.
Over the next four - six weeks you can prepare your appeal - typically six/eight pages of evidence as to how the school could manage if your child was admitted and why they need to attend that particular school. Both parts are equally important and an appeal that just focuses on your child stands much less chance of succeeding.
Finally in May or June you will get to appear before the Appeal Panel, either online or in person. You will always get fourteen days notice of the date so you will have plenty of time to make final preparations.
Two Top Tips -
Accept the place you have been offered even if you have no intention of sending your child to that school. It won’t negatively affect your appeal and might indeed help.
Do not attempt to write and submit your whole Appeal in March - it simply cannot be done!