Reception Appeals 2024-2025

If your child is due to start Primary school in September 2024, you can appeal if you are refused a place at one of your preferred schools on National Offer Day (Tuesday, 16 April 2024).

You needed to submit your appeal before Tuesday 14 May 2024 for it to be considered by Tuesday 16th July 2024. Any appeals received after this time will be heard within 40 school days from the deadline, or where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education.

For late applications, appeals should be heard within 40 school days from the deadline for lodging appeals where possible, or within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education

For late applications, appeals should be heard within 40 school days from the deadline for lodging appeals where possible, or within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education.


Appeals

You have the right to appeal for any school named on your application that hasn’t been able to offer your child a place. You will need to complete an appeal request form, which will be available after offer day, and return it to the school you’re appealing for addressed to the ‘Clerk to the Independent Appeal Panel’

Remember:

  • Medway Council isn’t involved in the appeal process for any primary/secondary school or academy.
  • You can only appeal for schools named on your application.
  • You can appeal for more than one school at the same time.
  • You must complete a separate request form for each school you’re appealing for.
  • Each school won’t know you have appealed for another school unless you tell them. The appeals for each school are completely independent of each other.

After you submit your appeal

  • After you submit your appeal, a hearing will be set up and you will be invited to attend. You must be given at least 10 school days’ notice.
  • You should be given a deadline to submit any further evidence you wish to provide.
  • Your child’s current school may also provide evidence (e.g. letter from the headteacher) to support your case, but aren’t obligated to. You will need to discuss this with them.
  • Any evidence submitted after the deadline may not be considered at the hearing.

The hearing

  • Your appeal will be heard by an independent panel who have no connection to the school.
  • The panel will decide on whether or not to uphold your appeal and grant your child a place.
  • You will be invited to the hearing to explain why you think your child should be given a place and the school will be invited to explain why a place can’t be offered.
  • There will be a clerk present, who makes sure correct procedure is followed throughout and keeps a full record of proceedings.
  • You have the right to bring a friend or family member to the hearing to support or represent you. However, this person must not have a connection with the school being appealed for (e.g. a member of staff from the school).

What happens at an appeal hearing.

  • The panel will decide on whether or not to uphold your appeal and grant your child a place.
  • The admission authority will explain why they turned down your application.
  • You’ll be able to give your own reasons why your child should be given a place.he appeals panel must decide if the school’s admission arrangements were properly followed and are legal according to the school admissions appeals code.
  • If the arrangements are legal and were properly followed, the panel must decide if they were followed fairly and thoroughly.
  • If the arrangements weren’t properly followed or are illegal, your appeal must be upheld.
  • If your appeal has not already been upheld, the panel will decide if your reasons for your child receiving a place outweigh the school’s reasons for not admitting another child.
  • The panel will send you and the admission authority their decision within 5 school days.
  • A panel’s decision can only be overturned by a court. If there’s a change in your circumstances which could affect the decision, you may be able to appeal again.

The decision

  • The independent panel will make their decision after all appeals have been heard.
  • You will be notified of the decision in writing, usually within five working days of the last appeal.
  • The decision of the panel is final and can only be overturned by a court. Full details of the appeals process and regulations are available in the School Admissions Appeals Code.