Template for School Admission Appeals
- Joe Pardoe
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
[Parent’s Name]
[Parent’s Address]
[City, Postcode]
[Email Address]
[Phone Number]
[Date]
Admissions Appeal Panel
[Local Authority or School Name]
[Address]
Re: Appeal for a Reception place at [Name of School] for [Child’s Full Name], Date of Birth: [DOB]
Dear Members of the Admissions Appeal Panel,
I am writing to formally lodge an appeal against the decision not to offer my child, [Child’s Full Name], a place at [Name of School] for entry into Reception in [September 2025]. We were disappointed to learn that a place was not allocated, and I would like to outline the grounds for our appeal.
[Now add the personal grounds – choose and adapt as appropriate:]
1. Sibling Link: [Child’s Name] currently has a sibling, [Sibling’s Name], in Year [X] at [Name of School]. Attending the same school would be important for maintaining family stability and for practical reasons, such as drop-offs and pickups. We believe this meets the criteria for sibling priority.
2. Distance and Travel Hardship: The allocated school, [Name of Allocated School], is significantly further from our home (X miles/km) and would present logistical challenges for our family. [Optional: add more detail – public transport issues, disability, etc.]
3. Exceptional Social/Medical Need: [Explain if there is a documented need, such as an Educational Psychologist or GP letter that supports this.] We believe that [Name of School] is uniquely able to meet [Child’s Name]’s needs because [reasons].
4. Mistake in the Allocation Process: We believe there may have been an error in the admissions process. [E.g. “Our home address appears to have been incorrectly measured,” or “we believe our application did meet the published criteria.”] We would be grateful for a review of this.
5. Strength of Connection to the School: [Child’s Name] has attended nursery/pre-school attached to [Name of School] and is familiar with the staff, environment, and routines. We are concerned that moving to a completely unfamiliar setting could be unsettling, particularly at this important stage of development.
We fully appreciate the pressures on local school places and the challenges the admissions team faces. However, we respectfully ask the panel to consider the above reasons and the potential impact on our child’s wellbeing and educational start.
Please find enclosed supporting documents, including [list any evidence – proof of sibling attendance, GP letter, error evidence, etc.]. We are happy to provide further information or attend a hearing if required.
Thank you for considering our appeal.
Yours sincerely,
[Parent’s Name]