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Appeal against a refused school place (Wales)
Wales · in English · for parents
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For a parent in Wales whose child has been refused a place at a school they applied for, at the usual starting age or during the school year. An appeal under section 94 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, the Welsh admission appeals regulations of 2005 and the Welsh Government's School Admission Appeals Code, 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 by the deadline in the decision letter.
- Made for use in Wales
- 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 was refused a place at the school you chose in Wales and you want to appeal.
- The council offered a school far from home and you want the place at the nearby school.
- You moved to Wales during the school year and the new school says it is full.
- You want to send a written school admission appeal before the deadline in the refusal letter.
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 for a school place in Wales?
- Until the deadline in the decision letter, which the admission authority (usually the council, or the governing body of some faith and foundation schools) must give you. Many Welsh councils take appeals online, free. The Welsh Government's School Admission Appeals Code, in force since 1 November 2023, sets how panels work and allows hearings in person, remotely or both. There is no right of appeal against the refusal of a nursery place.
- What does an admission appeal panel in Wales consider?
- The independent panel considers whether the admission arrangements were lawful and correctly applied, and whether admitting another pupil would prejudice the school, and weighs that against the reasons you give for wanting the place. Send your evidence with the appeal, or before the hearing if the clerk sets a date for it. You can write and speak in Welsh at the appeal.
- Who can I complain to if my admission appeal in Wales was unfair?
- The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales can look at how an admission appeal panel dealt with your appeal, free, normally within 12 months. It cannot make the council or school offer a place, but if the hearing was improper or unfair it can recommend that your appeal is heard again by a new panel.
How you can sign this document
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