Appeal a school place refusal

Admission appeals timetable for entry in September 2025

School Admission Appeals will be processed in line with the requirements set out in the School Admissions Appeals Code. Below is a timetable that sets out key dates for the appeals process, focussing on September 2025 entry. Key information has also been provided that sets out how in-year appeals will be dealt with.

Please ensure that you read this information carefully before lodging your appeal.

Please be aware that:

• appeals lodged after these dates will be heard within 40 school days of the appeal deadline or 30 school days of being lodged, whichever is the later date
• you will receive at least 10 school days’ notice of your appeal hearing date. School days do not include school holidays, inset days, bank holidays or weekends
• appeals are heard during the daytime on weekdays and are not normally heard during school holidays. Where there are multiple appeals for places at the same school, the hearings may go over a number of days
• the school’s case will be made available to parents and Panel members at least 5 school days before the start of the appeal hearing
• additional evidence may be submitted up to 5 working days before the hearing
• any additional evidence received after this date might not be considered at the appeal hearing. The Appeal Panel must decide whether it should be considered, taking into account its significance and the effect of a possible need to adjourn the hearing
• following the hearing, decision letters will be sent, where possible, within 5 school days of the end of the hearing. During busy periods, such as main entry, full decision letters may take longer than this, so the Clerk will send a brief decision summary email in the interim
• appeal hearings for in-year places will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged