After your school offer

If your child is not offered a place at your preferred school, you can appeal against the decision.

You will receive an email with the appeal hearing date within 30 school days for mid-year appeals and 40 school days for normal admission round appeals.

If you’re thinking of appealing a Reception place for September 2024, watch our video.

Infant size class appeals

This applies to reception, year 1 and year 2 classes where classes are limited to 30 children. If you’re appealing an infant size class limit, your chance of a successful appeal is limited.

An appeal can only succeed if:

• admitting an extra child would not breach the class size limit
• your child would have been offered a place if the admission arrangements had complied with admissions law or were correctly and impartially applied
• the admission authority’s decision to refuse a place was not one which a reasonable admission authority would have made in the circumstances of the case

Appeal a decision

For most schools in Essex, you can appeal online.

If your school is not listed or is outside Essex, you will need to contact the school.

Other ways to appeal

Use the admission appeal form (docx, 43kB) if you’re unable to submit an appeal online.

The appeal hearing

You will be invited to present your case to the Statutory Appeal Panel which is made up of 3 people.

The appeal hearing lets:

• the admission authority explain why they refused your application
• you explain to the panel why you think your child should be given a place at the school

After the appeal hearing

You will receive an email with the panel's decision within 5 school days, however, this may take longer during the summer term. The decision is final and binding on all parties.

If your appeal is successful, your child will be offered a place.

Appeals timetable

For children starting infant, junior or primary school from September 2024

For children starting secondary school in September 2024