DocMuse is a private, paid service run by The Muse Technology EOOD (Bulgaria). It is not a UK government website and is not connected with GOV.UK, HM Courts & Tribunals Service or any other public body. It is not a law firm and is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or any other legal regulator, so the Legal Ombudsman cannot consider complaints about it; its documents are not legal advice.
Appeal against a refused school place (England)
England · in English · for parents
€2.00Fill it in online free — pay only to download
17 questions · about 7 min
Made for use in England
Fill in the form
Your answers stay on this device for 7 days, or until you clear them.
- Instant download after payment
- Backup link emailed to you
- No account needed
For a parent in England whose child has been refused a place at a school they applied for, in the normal admissions round or during the school year. An appeal under section 94 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 and the School Admission Appeals Code 2022, to the clerk of the independent appeal panel: it identifies the decision, sets out your grounds, asks for the place and for the hearing papers in good time. Posted first class, with the decision letter and your evidence; many councils also take appeals online.
- Made for use in England
- Last updated October 28, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- Your child did not get any of your school choices in England and you want to appeal.
- The council offered a school miles away and you want the place at the local one instead.
- You moved house during the school year and the new school says it has no room.
- You want to send a written school appeal letter and ask for the hearing papers in time.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Sender
- Sender's address
- Town or city
- Sender's postcode
- Date
- Recipient
- Recipient's address
- Recipient's postcode
- Child's name
- Child's date of birth
- Admission application reference (if any)
- Date of the decision
- School
- School year
- Grounds
- Attachments
Common questions
- How long do I have to appeal against a refused school place in England?
- The deadline is in the decision letter and must give you at least 20 school days from the date you were told. For a place in the normal admissions round the hearing must take place within 40 school days of the appeal deadline; for an in-year application, within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged. Many councils and academy trusts take appeals free online; this letter can be sent instead, or attached.
- What does a school admission appeal panel decide?
- An independent panel first checks whether the admission arrangements were lawful and correctly applied, and whether admitting another child would prejudice the school. If it would, the panel weighs that prejudice against your reasons for wanting the place. Infant class size appeals, for classes of five-, six- and seven-year-olds limited to 30, have narrower grounds. Evidence such as a letter from a doctor or a social worker can be enclosed with the appeal.
- Can I complain if my school admission appeal was handled unfairly?
- The panel's decision binds the admission authority and cannot itself be appealed. If the appeal was badly run, complain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman for a council-maintained school, or to the Department for Education for an academy or free school. Both are free. Neither will rehear the case on its merits, but either can recommend a fresh appeal before a new panel.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
Related documents
- Request for term-time leave of absence for your child (England)
For a parent in England who needs their child to miss school days in term time. A request to the head teacher under regulation 11 of the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024: it gives the dates and the day of return, explains the circumstances you believe are exceptional, and asks for a written decision before the leave starts. Leave is granted only in exceptional circumstances, and unauthorised absence can lead to a penalty notice of £80 per parent per child, £160 if paid after 21 days. Sent by email or handed in well in advance.
- Note explaining your child's sickness absence from school (Great Britain)
For a parent in England, Wales or Scotland whose child has been off school ill and whose school asks for a note. A short letter to the school giving the dates of the absence and the day you first told the school, and asking for it to be recorded as authorised absence for illness. It does not describe the illness. In England statutory guidance says schools should not routinely ask for medical evidence. Handed in or emailed. Sold blank, to complete by hand, as it holds health data DocMuse does not collect.
- Request for an EHC needs assessment for your child (England)
For a parent in England who believes their child has, or may have, special educational needs that the school cannot meet from its own resources. A request to the council under section 36 of the Children and Families Act 2014 for an education, health and care needs assessment: it sets out your reasons and evidence, and asks for the decision within six weeks and for your appeal rights if the council refuses. Posted first class; many councils also have a free online form. Sold blank, to complete by hand, as it holds a child's health data.
- Request for your child's school record (England)
For a parent in England who wants to see, or have a copy of, their child's educational record held by a school. A request under regulation 5 of the Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005: the governing body of a council-maintained school must let you see it free and give you a copy, at no more than the cost of supply, within 15 school days. For an academy or free school, the letter asks for the same information under the UK GDPR instead. Sent by email or handed in at the school office.
- Authorisation for someone else to collect your child from school (UK)
For a parent anywhere in the UK who wants a grandparent, a childminder, a friend or another adult to collect their child from school. A signed letter to the school naming each person allowed to collect the child, when the authorisation applies, and how they will prove who they are, which stays in force until you withdraw it in writing. Handed in at the school office. Many schools have their own collection form or app; use it first if yours does.
- Council tax appeal to the council about liability or the amount charged (England and Wales)
For a person in England or Wales who disputes a council tax decision — that they are liable for a property, the amount charged, a refused discount or exemption, or that the property is chargeable at all: the written notice to the council that section 16 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 requires before any appeal to the Valuation Tribunal for England or for Wales. The council has two months to answer. Keep paying meanwhile. Sent first class.