About admission appeals

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Changes to school appeals

School appeals cannot currently take place face to face. Temporary Changes to the admission appeals regulations during the coronavirus outbreak have therefore been made by the Government.

The changes are applied between 24 April 2020 and 31 January 2021.

Department for Education advice

Where possible, appeal hearings should be conducted by telephone or video conference.

Where telephone or video conference is not possible, appeals can be conducted entirely on the basis of written submissions.

How we will conduct appeals

We have been developing a new process for all appeals that will allow the council to hear appeals in a safe, fair and appropriate manner following extensive investigations and testing. We are currently hearing high school appeals for admission in September.

We will:

  • continue to undertake a written process for the first stage of the appeal hearings for high school appeals.
  • follow this with a remote hearing for the second stage.

We are now in a position to start the primary school appeals. These will be heard entirely as a remote hearing. Telephone calls are currently being made to all parents who have submitted a primary, junior or middle school appeal to discuss this process with you.

We will continually review the progress and success of this new way of hearing appeals, as well as closely monitoring and responding to any Government updates.

We will contact you

Every family will be contacted in due course by telephone to talk them through the process for hearing their school appeal. You will also receive a written explanation of the process before receiving a copy of your appeal paperwork.

More information

Thank you for your patience and understanding during these unprecedented times. If you have any further queries, please contact us:

If you are not offered a place at your preferred school

Community and voluntary controlled schools

If we refuse a place at your preferred school or if you are not happy with the school we have offered your child, please complete the online appeal on the link below.

If we had to refuse all three of your preferences you could appeal for each of them. There would be a separate hearing for each school for which you are appealing.

The right of appeal is suspended for children who have been permanently excluded from two schools.

Voluntary aided schools, free schools, trust schools and academies

If we refuse a place at your preferred voluntary aided school, free school, trust school or academy on behalf of the governing body, you should contact the school to enquire about the appeal process.

Kirklees Pupil Admissions processes the appeals for some voluntary aided, trust schools and Academies. A full list is provided below under types of appeal.

Schools outside Kirklees

If we refuse a place at your preferred school on behalf of another local authority, you should contact the other local authority to enquire about the appeal process.

How to appeal

Appeal your school place offer

You must complete one appeal form per child

Clock Completing this form takes around 10 minutes

Paperclip To complete this form you will need; a valid email address and your childs name and date of birth.

Appeal online

If you are having problems in appealing online, please contact Pupil Admissions on 01484 225007 or by emailing pupiladmissions@kirklees.gov.uk.

Digital Kirklees transaction logo

Types of appeal

For school admission appeals up to and including year 2 there are two types of appeal, Key Stage 1 Class Size Appeals (CS) and General Issue Appeals (GI). The type of appeal depends on how the school arrange their classes and the year group your child is in.

For appeals for year 3 onwards in primary school and year 7 in secondary schools, these are always General Issue appeals (GI).

In year admission appeals

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The coronavirus (COVID-19) will impact upon the timescales involved in hearing school admissions appeals. GOV UK: Coronavirus - school admission appeals

The appeals process

Pupil admissions appeal process

Notice of admission appeal

It is very important for you to stay within any timetable given for your appeal process and that you state all the information on which your appeal is based in your written statement of appeal. If you miss the last date to ask for an appeal it may result in a delay in hearing your appeal.

Appeals timetable

Appeals timetable
Appeal type Appeals received by Appeals will be heard by
Starting school for the first time Monday 17 May 2021 Monday 19 July 2021
Transfer to junior/middle school Monday 17 May 2021 Monday 19 July 2021
Transfer to high school Monday 12 April 2021 Tuesday 15 June 2021
When appeals will be heard by

The coronavirus (COVID-19) will impact upon the timescales involved in hearing school admissions appeals. GOV UK: Coronavirus - school admission appeals

Please ensure any additional evidence you wish to submit in support of your appeal is received by the Pupil Admissions Team at least four working days before your appeal. Any material not submitted by the specified deadline may not be considered by the Independent Appeals Panel.

You must also let us know if you intend to call any witnesses or be represented at the appeal hearing.

Appeal hearing

The clerk of the appeal panel will write to you about the appeal hearing and explain the procedures. An independent appeal panel hears appeals.

It is made up of three people, including:

  • At least one 'lay' member (a member of the public with no specialist education experience)
  • At least one 'independent' person who has experience in education and who is familiar with educational conditions in our area or who is a parent of a registered pupil at a school.
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