School admissions appeals

School admissions appeals

Primary and secondary information

Primary
Can I appeal if my child is refused a place?

If you are refused a place at one or more of your preferred primary schools, the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 gives you the right to appeal against the decision. There is no right of appeal for applications to nursery schools or nursery classes. The law states that infant class sizes cannot be above 30 pupils, so appeals panels can only allow an additional pupil into reception in exceptional circumstances, ie if they decide that:

• your child would have been offered a place if the admission arrangements had been properly implemented;
• the admission policy for the school was not compliant with the government’s School Admissions Code and this meant that your child was not offered a place; and/or 
• the decision to refuse admission was not one which a reasonable admission authority would have made in the circumstances of the case.

You can pick up the appeal form for Hammersmith & Fulham community schools by visiting us (contact details on rear cover) or direct from the school. We must receive your appeal form by 13 April 2012 at the latest. Failure to appeal by this date may result in your appeal not being heard. For any voluntary aided school, free school or academy appeal you will need to contact the school direct to find out its own appeal arrangements.

If you decide to appeal, it is vital that you still accept an offer of a place at another school, as there is no guarantee the appeal will succeed. Accepting this place will not prejudice the outcome of your appeal.

See the Starting School booklet for more detail, including the admissions criteria for our community schools, voluntary aided schools and academy. For further information or advice call the admissions team on 020 8753 3643 or 2627 or 3628 or 3664.

Secondary
Under the terms of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, you have the right to appeal to an independent panel for a place at a school where you have been refused a place for your child. If this school is a voluntary aided school, free school or academy, you must contact that school for details of how to appeal. For community schools, contact the admissions section at the local authority. Any places won on appeal are in addition to the published admissions number for the school. 

It is important that you that you visit the individual school websites to see the specific admissions criteria for any voluntary aided school, free school or academy for which you are considering applying.

• More details about community schools admissions criteria