Appeal a school offer

If you are unhappy with the school place you've been offered, you can appeal for any of the schools you named in your application.

We recommend you still accept the place your child has been offered. This will not affect your appeal and will guarantee your child has a school place if your appeal is unsuccessful. If your appeal is successful you must remember to tell the school you were originally offered that you no longer want the place.

If you weren't offered your chosen school, this is usually because the school is full and there were other children who more closely met the school’s oversubscription criteria.

If you are unhappy with your child's education, health and care (EHC) plan, contact the SEND Enquiries Hub.

If your child is due to start primary school in September 2025, you can appeal if you are refused a place at one of your preferred schools on National Offer Day (Wednesday 17 April 2025).

You must submit your appeal before Tuesday 20 May 2025 for it to be considered by Tuesday 22 July 2025. Any appeals received after this time will be heard within 40 school days from the deadline, or where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education.

For late applications, appeals should be heard within 40 school days from the deadline for lodging appeals where possible, or within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education.

For any appeals being lodged read the full copy of our privacy notice outlining your rights in relation to your personal data.

Appeal online for primary school

Your appeals clerk will contact you directly to let you know when your appeal will be heard.

Appeal hearing

The hearing lets you explain to an independent appeal panel why you think your child should be given a place at the school and lets the school explain why it could not offer your child a place.

You will be informed of the date of your appeal at least 14 calendar days before it is heard and a complete copy of the appeals paperwork will be sent to you at least 7 calendar days before the hearing.

Decision

The Clerk will normally provide you with the panel’s decision within 7 calendar days of your appeal. If the panel is hearing a large number of appeals, this will be 7 calendar days after the last appeal is considered.

If your appeal is unsuccessful, you can't lodge another appeal to the same school for the same school year, unless you can show your circumstances have changed since the first appeal.

There is a legal maximum class size for reception, year 1 and year 2. This is 30 children per teacher. Your appeal may be unsuccessful if all the classes have already reached their legal limit, unless:

the admission arrangements were unlawful
the admission arrangements weren't correctly and impartially applied
the decision to refuse admission wasn't reasonable.

Get advice

Call 03000 41 42 22 or email appeals@kent.gov.uk for support.

Make a complaint

Make a complaint about the appeals process

Make an appeal

If your child is due to start secondary school in September 2025, you can appeal if you are refused a place at one of your preferred schools on National Offer Day (Monday 3 March 2025).

You needed to submit your appeal before Monday 31 March 2025 for it to be considered by Wednesday 18 June 2025. Any appeals received after this time will be heard within 40 school days from the deadline, or where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education.

For any appeals being lodged, read the full copy of our privacy notice outlining your rights in relation to your personal data.

Appeal online for secondary school

Your appeals clerk will contact you directly to let you know when your appeal will be heard.

Appeal process

An independent appeal panel will decide whether your appeal is successful. The panel is usually made up of 3 people, with at least one person who has experience in education and at least one layperson. They are independent of the school, trust and local authority.

There will also be a clerk in attendance who is independent of the school and will deal with administration for the appeal, keep the official note of what is discussed and give independent and impartial advice on the appeals process and admissions law to the panel members.

Decision

We will write to tell you the panel's decision as soon as possible. We cannot tell you the decision by telephone.

If your appeal is successful, the school must offer your child a place. If not, then the school will not offer your child a place, and you can't lodge another appeal to the same school for the same school year, unless you can show your circumstances have changed since the first appeal.