Make an admissions appeal

1 Overview

If we cannot offer your child a place at any of your preferred schools, we will offer a place at your catchment school, if available. 

Or, if the catchment school is full, you will be offered a place at the nearest school to your home address with a place available.

You have the right to appeal against a decision not to offer your child a place at your preferred school and to place them on a waiting list. The process is explained on the next page.

2 Before you appeal

Read the following information to find out what you can do if you have not been offered a place at the school you want:

• How school places are allocated 
• School waiting lists 

Please note that appealing for a school place does not give priority on a waiting list.

If you were refused a school place outside of West Sussex then you need to contact the admissions authority for the school refused for information on their appeal process.

A provisional schedule for community and controlled school appeals is available below. Please note that these dates may change. You will be notified by the Appeals Administrator of the actual date of your appeal.

• Secondary provisional schedule for community and controlled schools (PDF, 46KB)
• Starting school provisional schedule for community and controlled schools (PDF, 87KB)

3 How to appeal

Read the following information to find out how to make an appeal:

• School admission appeals - a guide for parents (PDF, 539KB)
• School admission appeals code (PDF, 277KB)

Please complete a separate appeals form for each school:

Online school appeals form

You can find out more about appeals for infant class sizes on GOV.UK.

All appeals are heard by an independent panel and its decision is binding. If you decide to appeal, you will be sent a letter with the appeal hearing date. You will be invited to attend the appeal and you may take someone with you for support. The hearing will be conducted as informally as possible and you will have the opportunity to put forward your case and ask questions.

If your appeal is refused, the relevant local admissions authority will not consider a further application or appeal for a place at the same school, in the same academic year, unless there is a significant material change in your circumstances or those of the school.