Choosing a school

Who will be at an appeal?

Appeals will be held in a variety of different locations, depending on the school being applied for. 

The Appeal panel will normally consist of three people, all of whom are volunteers and independent of the Admission Authority. There will also be the Appeals Clerk who ensures that the appeal process is followed, the facts are clearly established and that the appeal is fair. The clerk does not play any part in the decision making process. An officer representing the school will also be there to present the reasons why a place could not be offered at your preferred school. This might be an officer of the Local Authority, a school governor or member of school staff. Other than these people, the appeal is held in private and what is said is treated as strictly confidential.

Please note, it is not recommended that children attend the appeal, although the final decision rests with the panel itself.

What happens in an appeal for Reception/Key Stage One places?

The Clerk will meet you and explain what is going to happen in the appeal.

The normal procedure is as follows:

• The Chair of the Appeal Panel will introduce everyone.
• The Chair then asks the representative for the school to present his/her case. This will be about the reasons why you have not gained a place at the school. i.e. the admission arrangements and information about the school itself - the size, numbers of children, problems it may have etc.
• The Panel and Parents can then ask questions/make comments, on what the representative has said.
• You will then give your reasons for appealing. If there is more than one set of parents appealing for the school, each is heard separately. If you have any further evidence that was not available when sending in your appeal form, then this is when to produce it.
• Once you have finished presenting your case, the chair will ask you and the officer leave.

And that's it! The panel will then make a decision. With an infant class size appeal, the panel will make its decision bearing in mind the restrictions mentioned earlier.