About making a primary school admission appeal
You should read all the guidance on these pages before you submit an appeal.
Appeal hearings are held online using Zoom. You’ll need access to a computer, tablet or phone with microphone and camera facilities to join the hearing remotely. You don’t have to attend the hearing, in this case the appeal can be heard using your written application.
You’ll be contacted about your appeal by email.
Why hasn't my child been given a place?
The appeals process can be challenging for all involved, so admission authorities do not take lightly the decision to refuse a child a school place and consider each application carefully.
Key Stage 1 (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2)
When allocating places in Key Stage 1, the school must consider what the law says about the sizes of infant classes (Infant Class Size Legislation). In most schools in the borough, if any additional child was admitted above the school's published admission number, the school would not be able to comply with the law regarding infant class sizes without making accommodating measures, such as employing an additional teacher.
Key Stage 2 (Years 3–6)
The number of places available for Key Stage 2 classes is based on each school's physical size, the number of classrooms and what they're used for. This determines the Published Admission Number (PAN), the number of students that can properly be accommodated within the constraints of the school buildings. Exceeding this number would damage the quality of education received by all students and could be unsafe. It would also cause what is known as prejudice to the provision of an efficient education and the efficient use of resources.
Admission to the September intake of reception
If your child has not been allocated a place at your preferred school, it's because the school received more applications than the places available and when the school applied the oversubscription criteria, other children had a higher priority for the available places. The school can’t offer another place because it would take the class over the maximum number of children they can admit.
Admission during the school year (in-year transfers)
If your child has not been allocated a place at your preferred school, it’s likely that the school wasn’t able to offer a place because the year group is already full and there are no places available. The school can’t offer another place because it would take the class over the maximum number of children they can admit.
How school places are allocated
You may find it helpful to read the school’s admission arrangements to understand how places are allocated, these are available on the school’s website.
Our Allocation and Appeals guide also provides information about how the available places for the September in-take were allocated and provides further information and guidance about the appeals process.