Your child hasn’t got their first choice of primary school – what next?

When applying for primary school places for your child, if the first choice is not accepted there are appeal processes available to you.

With the deadline for applying for a primary school place in September having now passed, it’s important to go through the right channels to make an appeal if the initial choice has not been achieved.

Firstly, the letter you receive to state the school chosen for your child will also contain details on how to make an appeal.  This will vary depending on the school and whether it will be a council or school board making the decision – you must contact the council in writing if they are dealing with it.  The relevant form can be found on your local council’s website.

Deadlines for appeals are normally around May but, to avoid an issues, please check your council’s website for an exact date.  When it is the school themselves dealing with the appeal, you must contact them to find out all the necessary details such as how it works, the best way to appeal, etc.

Within infant schools, you may find your first choice rejected due to classes already being filled.  There could be some grounds to appealing, however, for example, if the reasons for your child being refused a spot is thought to be unreasonable.

It’s important to note that even if your child has been refused their first choice, it’s very advisable to accept the choice of school they have been allocated.  Your appeal is not affected by this in anyway, it just ensures a place should your appeal be rejected.

For more information on the appeals process for both primary and infant schools on the government website, here.

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