If you did not get your first choice primary school, and in some cases any of your choices, you will naturally feel deflated and anxious as to how your child will cope at what you feel will be the 'wrong' school for them.  Maybe the school you have been allocated is failing, maybe it is too far away from your home and your child will struggle to get there safely, they may face being separated from their friends. These are all valid reasons for challenging your school allocation; but only 50% of your appeal is about your child and your family circumstances.  The other half relates to the school, and what issues they might face if additional pupils are admitted.  In the case of infant class size appeals - which many primary schools are - you will have to prove that the decision not to admit your child is unreasonable, so that a reasonable person would not have made it.  The legal threshold is high but prepared properly infant class size appeals can and do succeed. 

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Unfortunately due to the secondary school allocations coming out first (1st March) we have limited capacity to support primary school appeals; this year we will not be able to support more than six families with their primary school appeal. 

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If you are considering support to secure your first choice school please do not delay in contacting us - possibly even before allocation day. 

 

Essentially the whole process is in three stages –

1. Lodging your appeal – this has to be done within 20 school days of receiving notification of your child’s allocation

2. Submitting your appeal paperwork – this can often be submitted about a week before the hearing.  Do not feel pressurised to submit this too far in advance, you cannot meaningfully do this until much later in the process as it takes several weeks to gather all of your evidence

3. Attend the Appeal Hearing before the Independent Appeal Panel  

 

For more details on our services please visit our Appeals Page.