Admission Appeals

You have the right to lodge a formal appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel if you have been refused a place at your preferred Staffordshire school and you are dissatisfied with the school place offered.

On the 24 April 2020 the Department for Education/Central Government issued new regulations for the handling of school admission appeals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency, as social distancing requiremens have meant that it is not possible to hold appeal hearings 'in person'.

Under those regulations we introduced a new system which involves appeal panels meeting virtually (online) and considering all appeals on the basis of written information only.

We have carried out regular reviews of this approach and have concluded that it continues to provide the most reliable for considering admission appeals, taking into account the need for consistency, reliability, fairness and confidentiality.

There are two types of appeal:

Ordinary

For all secondary and middle schools and some primary schools.

Infant class size

For reception, year 1 and year 2 in primary schools where a place has been refused as, by law, the class may not contain more than 30 children with a single qualified teacher. For further guidance on infant class size please see the infant class size page information. 

Please note: There is no right of appeal for admission to a maintained nursery. 

When we receive your appeal, we will contact you with more details about when it will be heard. In the meantime, the FAQs explain the appeals process in detail. Please ensure that you read these before appealing.

Further information

If you are appealing for a reception, year 1 or year 2 place we suggest that you research 'infant class size initiative' so you are aware of the restrictions or take a look at our infant class size guidance.

You can only appeal for a place if you have had a refusal. If you have not received a school offer, please speak to the Admissions Team on 0300 111 8007 who will be able to tell you which schools may have availability in your area.

Admission policies

We recommend you take a look at the admission policy for the school you are appealing for so you are familiar with their admissions criteria - these can usually be found on the school's website or on our lists of arrangements:

• primary, first, infant, junior and middle schools

• high or secondary schools

Waiting lists

For information on where you child is on the waiting list, please contact the Admissions Team on 0300 111 8007

Correspondence

All correspondence concerning your appeal will be sent via email so please make sure that the email address you give us is for an account that you have access to and monitor.

Appeal date

You will be given at least 14 calendar days’ notice of your appeal date.

Supporting information

Start to gather any supporting information you would like the independent appeal panel to see and submit either with your appeal form or by the deadline that we will give you when we notify you of the details for your appeal hearing.

Refusals

We will send you a statement from the relevant admission authority as to why the refusal was made at least seven days before your appeal hearing date. We will give you the opportunity to submit questions/receive answers about that statement. Copies of the questions/answers will also be forwarded to the panel.

Decisions

Decisions are sent within seven calendar days of the appeal date. We are not able to give the outcome over the telephone.

Withdrawing an appeal

Should you wish to withdraw your appeal at any point, you will need to notify us in writing to schooladmissionappeals@staffordshire.gov.uk

For further information on appeals for the School Admissions and Transport Service please call 0300 111 8007

How do I appeal?

Please note that you will need to complete one form per school appealed. 

For September admission appeals, please submit your appeal no later than 31 March 2021 for secondary schools and 18 May 2021 for middle and primary schools.

For further information on how we collect, use and store your personal information, please take a look at our privacy notice.