Appeal a school place decision

Read our School admissions privacy notice.

If you're not happy with the response to your application preferences you have the right to appeal the decision(s) and present your case to an Independent Appeal Panel.

An appeal submission form and other information about the appeal process is available below.  If you appeal you will receive an acknowledgement within five working days.  If you require a paper appeal form please contact the admission appeal service using the contact details at the end of this page.

Before you decide to appeal, please take the time to consider:

• the school's admission policy
• your reasons for wanting your child to attend that school
• your child’s opinion about what school they should attend
• how strong a case you have

See the Essential Guide to North Tyneside Schools for information on the appeals process for:

• Key Stage 1 – Reception Class
• All other year groups 
• 6th Form

For academies, trust and voluntary aided schools, the governing body manages pupil admissions.

Any appeals for these schools should be made directly to the Chair of the Governors at the school address.

Infant class size appeals

The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 requires infant classes to be limited to a maximum of 30 pupils with a single teacher.  Therefore an appeal for Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 can only be successful if one of the following apply:

a) the admission of an additional child would not breach the infant class size limit of 30 pupils; or

b) the admission arrangements did not comply with admissions law and the child would have been offered a place if the arrangements had complied with admissions law; or

c) the admission arrangements had not been correctly and impartially applied and the child would have been offered a place if the arrangements had been correctly and impartially applied; or

d) the decision to refuse a place at the school was not one which a reasonable admission authority would have made in the circumstances of the case

In accordance with the School Admission Appeals Code, the Council as the admission authority for community schools must set a timetable for organising and hearing appeals. Trust schools, Voluntary Aided schools and Academies will set their own appeals timetable which should be available on the individual school’s website from the 28 February 2024.

The following timetable will apply to appeals for admission to community schools in the academic year 2024/25. 

Notes

• Appeals in respect of late applications, i.e. those received by the admission authority after the deadline for receipt of applications in the normal round of admissions, will generally be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being received by the Clerk to the Education Appeals Panel (the Clerk). 
• Appeals in respect of in-year applications, i.e. those for admission to a year group which is not the normal year of entry, for example Year 1 or Year 8, or appeals submitted after the start of the school year, will be heard within 30 school days of receipt by the Clerk. 
• Appeals received by the Clerk will be acknowledged in writing within 5 working days.  If you have not received an acknowledgement within 7 days of submitting your appeal form please contact the Clerk, using the details below.
• Appellants (the person(s) lodging an appeal) will be advised in writing of the date, time and venue of the appeals panel which has been appointed to hear their appeal at least 10 school days before the hearing.
• Appellants and the admission authority must provide the Clerk with any documents they wish to submit to the panel no later than 6 working days before the date of the appeals panel hearing.
• At least 5 working days before the hearing all the documentary evidence to be considered at the meeting will be sent to all parties.
• All parties will be advised, wherever possible, of the panel’s decision in writing within 5 school days of the conclusion of the appeals panel hearing.

For further information and queries please contact us at:

Email: education.appeals@northtyneside.gov.uk

Telephone 0191 643 5316/3622/3681/5359