In-Year Appeals

Appeal Dates & Information Academic year 2025/2026

If you have not been offered a place following an in-year application, the law entitles you to appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel. This panel is completely independent of the school and the Local Authority. In accordance with the 2022 School Admission Appeals Code Appeals, the admission authority and panels have elected for all admissions appeals to be held online.

If you wish to appeal, please use this link to complete your appeal online. Please do NOT use ANY other appeal form or send your form to your local authority. It is highly recommended that you download the explanatory booklet about appeals which you should read before you complete the appeal form. Booklet Link

You should include any evidence or supporting material with your appeal form (photos of your child will not be accepted). You MUST state the grounds of your appeal at the time you lodge your appeal form. Your appeal form will not be accepted unless you give the grounds of your appeal. You may appeal for more than one school, but a separate form must be completed for each school you wish to appeal a place at. If you are appealing for more than one child, a separate form must be completed for each child.

Please note that the online form will ask you to download two utility bills dated in the last THREE months. If you do not have access to a scanner, please take two photographs using a mobile phone and upload the photographic files.

If you wish to contact the clerk – email : clerk@educationappeals.com

Information about Secondary Transfer appeals will be posted on this website before 28 February 2026.

The timetable for ‘in-year’ appeals is as follows: –

The timetable for ‘in-year’ appeals
Last day for lodging appeal forms	20 School days after the decision letter informing you that you had not been offered a place.
Invitation letter giving details about your hearing will be sent by the Clerk to the Independent Appeal Panel	At least 10 school days before the hearing. This MAY be emailed. All in-year appeals will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal form being lodged.
Closing date for any additional supporting evidence	FIVE school days before your hearing – by 4pm latest. You are advised that additional paperwork received on the day of the appeal hearing will not be taken into account. Please email files to clerk@educationappeals.com
Letter from the Clerk informing you of the decision of the independent appeal panel	Due to the high number of appeals, an email is sent a few working days after your hearing with the decision of the panel. This is followed up around 15 school days later with a letter outlining the panels’ reasons.

The timetable for 6^th form appeals
Last day for lodging appeal forms	31 August 2025. For 6^th form appeals only, the appeal form can be completed by a student or parent.
Invitation letter giving details about your hearing will be sent by the Clerk to the Independent Appeal Panel	In order to facilitate a hearing as soon as possible, an email will be sent at very short notice. However, if a student or parent wishes to have 10 school days notice, this needs to be indicated on the appeal form.
Date(s) of hearings	Please insert if known, Or Late August/September 2025.