• Home Page
• -
• Education and Learning
• -
• Schools and colleges
• -
• School Admissions
• -
• Admission appeals

Access Tools

Appeal process for primary schools

In the first instance, parents should inform the school / Local Authority's Admission and Exclusions Team that they wish to make an appeal for a school place.

The independent appeal hearings for Community and Voluntary Controlled schools are run by the Council's Democratic Services team. Once you have submitted an appeal form, they will arrange a hearing.

Approximatley two weeks before the appeal is due to take place, parents will be informed of the date, time and venue of the hearing. About a week before the appeal, an agenda and procedural notes will be supplied to assist parents. Parents are encouraged to attend the hearing and can take a friend or representative with them if they wish.

Appeals for Voluntary Aided schools are organised by the Liverpool Archdiocese and the Church of England Diocese. The practical arrangements are very similar to those outlined above and more information can can be found in the Primary Admissions booklet.

The members of an appeal panel are totally independent and will not have had any part in the decision not to offer a place. They can either turn your appeal down, or they can agree to make an extra place available for your child.

Normally the panel will look at how the admission policy has been applied and will consider the school's problems coping with another pupil against the problems you and your child will face if they cannot attend the school. This is a prejudice appeal.

However, parents should be aware that many primary schools have an admission number that complies with the law that infant classes must not have more than 30 children taught by one teacher. At a class size appeal, the panel will be aware that to admit an additional child will result in the school having to take "qualifying measures" which usually means employing a second teacher and / or creating another group.

Please note that if your child has a statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN), you follow SEN procedures rather than the appeals process to decide whether a place can be offered. Parents / carers should speak to their SEN officer if further information is required.