Appeal a decision on your school admission

If you are not offered a place at your preferred school, the admissions authority will write to you. The letter will explain:

• why your application was unsuccessful
• how to appeal the decision
• the deadline for submitting an appeal
• who to contact if you need more information

Who manages school admission appeals

The organisation responsible for admitting pupils is also responsible for arranging admission appeals.

For community and voluntary controlled schools, Cumberland Council manages appeals.

For foundation schools, voluntary aided schools, academies and free schools, appeals are managed by the school's governing body or academy trust.

All appeals must be arranged in line with statutory requirements.

When your appeal will be heard

You must be given at least 20 school days from the date you receive your refusal letter to submit an appeal.

Once the appeal deadline has passed:

• appeals for the normal admissions round must usually be heard within 40 school days
• appeals for in-year applications must usually be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being submitted

If you applied by the national closing date, admission authorities will normally aim to hear appeals before the end of the summer term. In some cases, this may not be possible.

Appeals schedule for community and voluntary controlled schools

If you are appealing for a community or voluntary controlled school in Cumberland, you can download the appeal timetable.

Who sits on an appeal panel

Appeal panels are made up of trained volunteers who are independent of the admissions authority. At least one of the three panel members will have a background in education.

A clerk supports the panel by providing legal and procedural advice and keeping a record of the hearing.

You can attend the hearing yourself. If you cannot attend, the panel can consider your appeal using the information you have provided.

What happens at an appeal

The appeal process has three main stages.

At the hearing

The admissions authority explains why your application was refused.

The panel considers whether the admissions arrangements were lawful and applied correctly. It also considers whether admitting another child would have a negative impact on the school.

Your case

If the panel decides the admissions arrangements were applied correctly, it will then consider the reasons for your appeal.

You may be asked questions so the panel can fully understand your circumstances and the impact that not receiving a place would have on your child and family.

Making a decision

The panel balances the impact on the school against the impact on your child and family. If the panel decides that the impact on your child and family is greater, your appeal will be successful and your child will be offered a place.

Read Appealing a school's decision on GOV.UK for more information.