If your child has not been offered a school place following an in-year application, you have the legal right to appeal this decision to an Independent Appeal Panel.
In Havering, we utilise an external company to facilitate all school appeals.
This company is responsible for clerking, timetabling, and arranging independent panels, ensuring the appeals process is entirely independent of both the school and the Local Authority, providing a fair and impartial review.
In line with the School Admission Appeals Code 2022, all admission appeals will be held online.
This approach has been chosen by the admission authority and appeal panels based on positive feedback from previous online hearings.
How to make your appeal
To submit an appeal, please use the relevant online form below.
Do not use any other appeal form or send your form directly to your local authority, as this may delay or invalidate your appeal.
Appeal for a place in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 place
Appeal for a place in Year 3 through to Year 11
Appeal for a place in Sixth Form
Essential guidance before appealing
We highly recommend that you download and thoroughly read the explanatory booklet about appeals on the Education Appeals website before you complete the online form.
The booklet provides vital information to help you understand the process.
If your appeal is for Reception, Year 1, or Year 2 (Key Stage 1), you are strongly advised to pay particular attention to the section on Key Stage 1 appeals in the booklet on page 18.
This section outlines the very specific and limited grounds under which infant class size appeals can be successful, as legal limits apply to these class sizes (typically a maximum of 30 pupils with a single teacher).
Submitting your appeal and evidence
To ensure your appeal is processed without delay, please include the grounds for your appeal when submitting your form. We cannot accept an appeal without these stated reasons.
Supporting documentation
We encourage you to provide any evidence or supporting material that explains your preference for the school or outlines any exceptional circumstances.
This may include:
- official letters or reports
- supporting documents relevant to your case
The online form will ask you to upload two utility bills dated within the last three months.
If you do not have access to a scanner, you can take clear photographs using a mobile phone and upload the photographic files instead.
Please note that for privacy and data protection, do not include photographs of your child.
Important deadlines
All evidence should be uploaded alongside your initial application.
If you need to submit additional information later, it must be received by 12 noon, five working days before your Stage 1 hearing.
Panels have agreed not to accept any late documentation after this deadline.
This policy is strictly enforced to ensure all parties have sufficient time to review the case.
Timing and multiple schools
Secondary and Primary transfers
Hearings typically take place at least two months after your refusal letter.
This allows ample time to gather evidence, provided you begin the process early and account for school holidays.
Multiple appeals
You may appeal for more than one school, but a separate form must be completed for each individual school.
Contacting the Appeal Panel Clerk
Should you need to contact the clerk to the appeal panel, you can do so by emailing clerk@educationappeals.com.