School Admission Appeal Guides
Free guides to understanding what actually counts in an England school admission appeal, and how to put it in writing. England ordinary admission appeals only — see our EHCP vs admission appeals guide if you’re not sure that applies to you.
Start hereHow to Appeal a School Admission Refusal
A step-by-step guide to appealing an England school admission refusal: what an Independent Appeal Panel actually decides, deadlines, and how to build an evidence-led case.
Grounds and process
Infant Class Size Appeals
Why Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 admission appeals are decided on much narrower grounds than other year groups, and what can actually succeed.
Distance & Catchment Appeals
How schools measure home-to-school distance, what can go wrong, and how to check whether a distance-based refusal was correctly calculated.
Sibling Priority Appeals
How schools define a 'sibling' for admissions purposes, where disputes usually arise, and how to check the definition against your own circumstances.
Medical & Social Needs Appeals
What actually counts as a medical or exceptional social circumstances ground, the evidence that helps, and where general preference falls short.
Procedural Error Appeals
How to spot a genuine administrative or procedural error in how your application or appeal was handled, and how to evidence it.
Faith School Appeals
How faith-based supplementary criteria work, what evidence of practice is usually required, and where faith-criteria appeals tend to succeed or fail.
Grammar School Appeals
The two situations where a grammar school appeal can succeed — a test-administration issue, or evidenced exceptional circumstances alongside a narrow miss.
EHCP vs Admission Appeals
Why a child with an Education, Health and Care Plan follows a different process from an ordinary oversubscription appeal, and which route actually applies to you.
The Appeal Hearing Process
The two-stage hearing structure, who's in the room, what the school presents, and how to prepare for the panel's questions.