Choosing a school - Print version

Choosing a setting for a child is an important decision to ensure that they get the best out of their education, and one that many parents find difficult. When choosing a school, there are a number of things to think about which may or may not have an impact on its suitability for your child. The best way to determine their suitability is by finding out as much information as possible about the school and making your own judgement about it.

One parent's idea of what makes a school ideal, can be very different to another parent. It's a bit like buying a house - you wouldn't buy one because someone said you should, without having a look first! And the things you might not be able to see, might come out in a Surveyor's report (or in this case, maybe an Ofsted report, SEN Information report, exam results tables, or transport details etc) - it's all about what is important to you and your child.

Within these pages you can find a few things to think about when deciding on your preferences. And remember, there is no set timetable for when to start thinking about it - the earlier the better!

The Information, Advice and Support Service can offer parents impartial advice about aspects of the process of applying for school. Parents and carers of children with Special Educational Needs may find the Visiting a New School Checklist [https://www.covsendiass.co.uk/downloads/download/6/choosing-a-school] helpful.

Starting Primary School - Children with a Diagnosis of Autism (ASD)

We have produced a Visiting a New School for parents and carers of children with Autism (ASD) Booklet [https://www.covsendiass.co.uk/downloads/download/6/choosing-a-school] with the Complex Communication Team (CCT) [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/complexcommunicationteam] which you may find helpful when you are completing your Primary School Admissions form (by January 15th of the year they are due to start school).

Transition from Primary to Secondary - Education Health and Care Plans 

The transfer from primary to secondary education is particularly important for children with an Education Health and Care Plan and it is necessary for parents to plan well ahead for secondary transfer. 

The process of deciding on a school for your child, whether it be a mainstream or special school, can seem daunting, but starting your preparation and planning early can help you make a well-informed choice. There will usually be a discussion about school preference for Secondary school at the Annual Review in Year 5 with the plan having to be finalised by February 15th of Year 6.

The SEND IASS leaflet Visiting a New School Checklist [https://www.covsendiass.co.uk/downloads/download/6/choosing-a-school] may be helpful to identify a suitable setting.

The Local Offer

The Coventry Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Local Offer [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/localoffer] brings together information for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their families. The SEND Local Offer will cover services available to the public across education, health and social care:

• Education: such as nurseries, playgroups, schools and colleges and support services like educational psychologists and SEN services
• Health: children's and adult services including GPs, therapists and hospital services
• Social care: such as short break services and children's and adult disability services.

Research

It's impossible for anyone to tell you which school you should send your child to - that decision can only be made by you. By getting as much information about schools, this decision will be easier.

• Read the Local Authority application booklet - This has all the admission criteria for Coventry schools, as well as information about applying for out-of-city schools in Warwickshire and Solihull. If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), you should discuss any change of school as part of the Annual Review process.
• Read school prospectus' - School prospectus' have information about a wide range of issues, such as the curriculum, school meals, and facilities (for use by both pupils and adults). Simply contact schools directly and ask for a copy or most of them will have this information on their websites. They must also have an "SEND Information Report" identifying their offer for children and young people with SEND. There is also a lot of information about schools, and the education system on GOV.UK.
• Check the Ofsted report - The most recent Ofsted reports for Coventry schools are available from the schools' directory [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/directory/10/schools_and_their_contact_details]. It is worth remembering that these reports are a snapshot, and may not accurately reflect all the activities of a school. It may be that significant changes have taken place since the report was published, so check the date it was carried out.
• Visit the school - All schools have open mornings/evenings, where parents can visit the school and look around. Most schools will also be more than happy to show you around during a school day with an appointment. You may want to ask schools specific questions [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/446/choosing_a_school] about how they will make sure your child achieves their potential (particularly if they have additional educational needs or a disability). 

Other things to think about

Criteria

Of the schools you are interested in, think about how you might fit into the criteria of that school. If you are in the catchment area or have a sibling already at the school, you'll stand a good chance of getting a place. If however, you only qualify in the distance criteria for a school, your chances of successfully getting a place may be less, particularly for schools that are regularly oversubscribed.

If your child/young person has an EHC plan, then your preference of school should be named on the plan - and therefore admitted to that setting - unless; it would be unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or SEN of the child or young person, or the attendance of the child or young person there would be incompatible with the efficient education of others, or the efficient use of resources. This is true for ANY of the following qualifying institution:

• maintained nursery school
• maintained school and any form of academy or free school (mainstream or special)
• non-maintained special school
• further education or sixth-from college
• independent school or independent specialist colleges (where they have been approved for this purpose by the Secretary of State and published in a list [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-special-schools-and-colleges] available to all parents and young people) 

Distance and travel

It's important to think about how your child will get to the schools that you choose.

• Will they be able to walk to the school?
• Is there a regular bus route that can be used?
• What would happen if your child missed a bus? 

If you are considering applying for home to school travel assistance, the Local Authority will take parental preference of school into account in determining whether they can offer assistance. For example, if you choose a school which is not considered to be the nearest suitable school, then the Local Authority may have no duty to provide transport. Full details and copies of the home to school transport policy [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/travelassistance] are available. 

Curriculum

Schools and colleges are able to offer a wide range of subjects to suit individual learning, with the likes of foundation vocational courses and BTECs being offered alongside more traditional GCSE/A level courses. To find out about a school or colleges current curriculum offer, details are available on their websites or from the institution themselves.

Social

An educational setting is often at the centre of most children and young people's socialising. Many parents worry about their children being apart from friends made in previous settings; alternatively, they may wish to be kept apart from other children they met at a previous setting! If your child's friends are going to a setting which may not suit your child/young person in other ways (e.g. curriculum, extra-curricular activities, environment etc), remember they may make new friends in a setting they feel more comfortable in.

Another thing to remember is that although someone might say they are going to a particular school/college, there is no guarantee that they will be successful in getting a place there.

Applying

For full details about how to apply for a school place, school admission policies and criteria, and details of school performance go to www.coventry.gov.uk/admissions [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/admissions] 

Early Years

Applications to most Early Years providers will normally be made direct to the setting, including those based within maintained schools. For full details of how to apply to specific settings, either speak to the setting directly or consult their website.  

Schools

Make three choices

The application form has space for you to make three preferences of school. You should aim to identify three schools that you would be happy for your child to attend. Each preference is viewed equally against the over-subscription criteria for the school. If you can be offered a place at all your preferences, you will be allocated a place at your first preference school. Important - you are not more likely to get a place at a school if you only make one preference, or put the same school into all three boxes. By doing this, you simply limit your choice.

Supplementary forms

Some schools may require a supplementary forms, including a form to be completed by the minister or official at your place of worship. 
 

EHC Plans

If your child has an Education Health and Care plan, any changes to the setting your child attends should be co-ordinated through the Annual Review process. This is for any transition points - e.g. going from an early years setting into school; moving from primary school to secondary school - and for any in-year changes. If you have any queries about this, contact your EHC co-ordinator on 024 7683 1614 or email send@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:send@coventry.gov.uk].  

If you have an EHCP, you will not have to apply through the usual admissions process. You will be asked by the Statutory Assessment and Review Team (START) for a preference of school/s instead. 

School places - Myth busters

There are always a lot of rumours or myths spread about the admission process, and a lot of parents find it hard to find out what is true and what is false, particularly if you hear it from what may seems to be a reliable source. So what to believe and what not to believe, that is the question.

Here are some answers to some of the top rumours that are regularly heard around playground gates!

"If I live in the catchment area for the school, I'm guaranteed a place"

To be offered a school place at ANY school, you MUST complete an application form. In the vast majority of cases, parents who want their catchment area school will be eligible for a place, as long as they include it as one of their preferences on their application form. However in certain areas of the city, there may be more children living in the catchment area for a school than there are places. Therefore, it is always worth putting at least one other school down as part of your preferences.

"If I put my catchment area school down as my 3rd preference, that's what I'll get"

This is not necessarily true. If there are more applications received than places at a particular school, places are allocated for each school based on a set of over-subscription criteria (you'll find this in the School Admissions booklet).

Here's an example of how it could work; You've selected School A, School B and School C (your catchment area school) on your application form.

• School A is oversubscribed (more applications than places). The admissions authority can only offer places to those in the catchment area of the school - therefore, as you are not in the catchment area, they cannot offer you a place.
• School B is also oversubscribed, and can offer places down to the distance criteria. The furthest distance they offer a place to is 1.8 miles, but you live 2.3 miles away - therefore they cannot offer you a place.
• School C (your catchment area school) is also oversubscribed, but they can also offer places down to the distance criteria.

Therefore, as you are in the catchment area, you will be offered a place there. So yes, you've been offered a place at your catchment area school, but it is not simply because you put it as one of your preferences. If you had lived 1.7 miles from School B, you would have been offered a place there. All preferences are looked at equally.

"If I only put down one preference, I'm more likely to get it"

No. All places are allocated depending on how you meet the criteria for that school. Only putting down one school will not increase your chances of getting a place there - if you can't be offered a place there, you won't be considered for any other schools. The same can also be said for anyone including a school more than once on your form - it will not increase the chances of you getting a place.

"My daughter goes to the feeder school for Caludon Castle"

There are no "feeder" schools for any schools in Coventry, except for the three Catholic Secondary schools (Bishop Ullathorne, Cardinal Newman and Cardinal Wiseman). Your child may attend a Primary school next door to a Secondary school, but the only thing that is used to allocate places is the child's permanent home address. Therefore, you will only get catchment area status if this address is in the catchment area of the school. You can check your catchment area [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/catchmentareas] on the main admissions website.

"I don't want my child to go to a 'bad' school"

Each school has pupils who achieve to very high standards academically. However, a good or a poor reputation can often be gained by schools based on evidence/memories from many years ago. Things can change in schools very quickly, so a school that you went to 20 years ago, may be very different to the school as it is today! Also, many people look at SATS/GCSE results tables to see how well a school is performing - however, this is only an indicator of a school's performance and may not give the complete picture. Unless you have personal experience (and even if you have!), go and visit the schools. You may be surprised at what you find.

"Some schools don't accept applications from certain areas of the city"

You can apply to any school within or outside of Coventry. Schools cannot refuse to offer a place to someone because of where they live. Your application can only be refused if the school is oversubscribed and more people meet the oversubscription criteria better than you.

"Catholic schools are only for Catholic children"

This is not true. Baptised Catholic children do get priority for places in Catholic Secondary schools, but if there are places still available then non-baptised children can be offered a place. Places have been allocated to non-Catholic children on a regular basis over the past few years.

"I handed my form in on time and now they're saying it was late"

A form is considered on time if it is received by the closing date (for 2022 admissions this is 31 October 2021 for Secondary school and 15 January 2022 for Primary school applications) either completed online or at your child's primary school or by the admissions team at Civic Centre 1. You will receive a receipt to confirm its arrival (the email should arrive within 1 day). If you do not receive one within 21 days, then contact the admissions team on 024 7697 5445.

"People lie on their application forms to get a place"

The process tries to be as fair as possible to all parents, which obviously can be affected by people putting false information on their application forms. Each form is carefully monitored when it is received to look out for any of these issues, including investigating false addresses. If someone is found to have provided false information to gain entry to a specific school, then that offer of a place will be withdrawn and given to somebody else.

"I don't have to fill in a form as she's going to independent school"

Even if you intend to send your son/daughter to a private school, it is still recommended you complete a Common Application Form for an Academy / Church / Trust / Free school. If you subsequently decide not to send them to the private school, you will have a better chance of getting the school you want by applying before the closing date. If you remain intent on going to the private school, you can simply decline any place you are then offered by the Local Authority.

"My child has an Special Educational Needs plan, so I don't have to apply"

A "final" Education Health and Care Plan (EHC) will name a school setting in section I, and preferences will be asked for by the EHC co-ordinator as part of this process. Therefore, you would not have to apply through school admissions. However, this is only the case where there is an EHC Plan in place.

If your child is having an Education Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) this does not mean that there will be an EHC plan at the end of the assessment - therefore, you should still apply as normal for a school place through school admissions. If an EHC plan is produced, then the plan will then confirm the school place (and this can be different from any place applied for/allocated by school admissions. For example, if you had initially applied for a mainstream secondary school through school admissions, but on receipt of your EHCP, decided that you wanted a special school placement, the school named on the EHCP would become the allocated placement.

These arrangements only apply to children who have an EHC plan. Schools may also use "My Support Plan" for youngsters with special education needs and disabilities (SEND), but this does not mean anything when applying for a school placement. You will still have to apply through school admissions for a new school place.

Appeals

If you are unsuccessful in getting the school that you want, you might want to appeal for a place. Every parent has a right to appeal for the school of their choice, but this does not guarantee success - currently about 1 in 5 appeals are successful in Coventry, although this can vary greatly between schools. There is, unfortunately, no magic formula to winning an appeal, but there are some things you can do to give yourselves the best possible chance.

How do appeals work?

In this section, you can find out important information about appeals, how they work, and hopefully get some guidance about how you should go about it.

• Key Stage One (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) [https://www.covsendiass.co.uk/advice-support/choosing-school/7]
• Primary to Secondary Transfer/In-Year transfers (Year 3 - Year 11) [https://www.covsendiass.co.uk/advice-support/choosing-school/10]

Once you have looked at all this information, hopefully you will have a better idea of what is involved in appeals and whether you think it is worthwhile to proceed with your application.

Will legal representation help me?

If you wish, you can have legal representation. However, the appeal is not a court and the panel are not there to debate the law - they are there to make a decision based on the reasons given by yourselves and the admission authority. There are also some firms who advertise their services to present appeals, normally at a high financial cost. Be aware that this is no guarantee of success and could be wasted money - you should be able to present just as good a case by yourself with good preparation.

Education Health and Care Plans

If you have an Education Health and Care Plan and you are not in agreement with the educational setting named in Section I, then you can appeal this decision. However, this is not done through the school itself but through the First-Tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability). 

Full details can be found in our Resolving Disagreements [https://www.covsendiass.co.uk/advice-support/resolving-disagreements] section.

Reception/Key Stage One appeals

Appeals made for places in Reception/Year 1/Year 2 (Key Stage 1) in Primary schools are the least likely to succeed. This is because there is a legal limit of 30 children per class for these years.

The only areas a panel can consider in this type of appeal are:

• Whether the admission of an additional child would breach class size limit
• Whether the admission arrangements comply with the mandatory requirements of the School Admissions Code and Part 3 of the Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998
• Whether the admission arrangements were correctly and impartially applied in the case/s in question;
• Whether the decision to refuse admission was one, which a reasonable admission authority would make in the circumstance of the case.

It's important to think carefully about whether your reasons for appealing fit any of the statements above - if not, you may also need to think about looking at alternative schools (although you can of course still appeal).

When you first register your appeal, you'll be sent a form to give your reasons for appealing. Think carefully about your reasons - the panel can only uphold the appeal (you win!) if you can prove one of the statements above.

Reception/Key Stage One appeals: preparing for an appeal

If you think that the circumstances of the case are exceptional (that the Admission authority acted unreasonably), be as detailed as possible to show this - successful appeals tend to be the ones where there are specific reasons why it is important that your child has a place at that school above any other. In this respect, it might be worthwhile considering these questions;

• Why does my child need a place at THAT school?
• What might happen if my child doesn't get a place at that school?

Remember that the panel will be looking for very strong reasons if they are going to uphold your appeal. Things such as your child having attended the nursery at the school, or being in the catchment area for the school for example, would not be deemed as exceptional; there may be a number of children in a similar position and the Authority will have made it clear in their Primary Education in Coventry booklet, that these do not guarantee a place at a school.

Reception/Key Stage One Appeals: The appeal

Who will be at an appeal?

Appeals will be held in a variety of different locations, depending on the school being applied for. 

The Appeal panel will normally consist of three people, all of whom are volunteers and independent of the Admission Authority. There will also be the Appeals Clerk who ensures that the appeal process is followed, the facts are clearly established and that the appeal is fair. The clerk does not play any part in the decision making process. An officer representing the school will also be there to present the reasons why a place could not be offered at your preferred school. This might be an officer of the Local Authority, a school governor or member of school staff. Other than these people, the appeal is held in private and what is said is treated as strictly confidential.

Please note, it is not recommended that children attend the appeal, although the final decision rests with the panel itself.

What happens in an appeal for Reception/Key Stage One places?

The Clerk will meet you and explain what is going to happen in the appeal.

The normal procedure is as follows:

• The Chair of the Appeal Panel will introduce everyone.
• The Chair then asks the representative for the school to present his/her case. This will be about the reasons why you have not gained a place at the school. i.e. the admission arrangements and information about the school itself - the size, numbers of children, problems it may have etc.
• The Panel and Parents can then ask questions/make comments, on what the representative has said.
• You will then give your reasons for appealing. If there is more than one set of parents appealing for the school, each is heard separately. If you have any further evidence that was not available when sending in your appeal form, then this is when to produce it.
• Once you have finished presenting your case, the chair will ask you and the officer leave.

And that's it! The panel will then make a decision. With an infant class size appeal, the panel will make its decision bearing in mind the restrictions mentioned earlier.

Reception/Key Stage One Appeals: Appeal timetable

I know why I haven't been offered a place, I know how the process works, and think that my reasons for appealing are worthwhile, what do I do next?

1. The School Appeals Team (schoolappeals@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:schoolappeals@coventry.gov.uk] or tel 024 7697 2647) is responsible for administering the arrangements for appeals for Community Schools and ensuring that they are heard by an Independent Appeal Panel made up of people who have no connection at all with the original decision. The responsibility for appeals for Academy, Trust and Voluntary Aided Schools rests with the individual schools. Parents who are refused places will be advised of the arrangements for making an appeal or should contact the school.
   Some schools make arrangements for their own appeals and you should contact the school for details. You can find out a list of these schools and more about school appeals [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/schoolappeals].
2. Complete the appeals form (or ask for help to do so) and return to the School Appeals team)/school at the address on the letter. Include any documentation that may support your case and indicate whether you are going to attend the appeal in person (and if you require an interpreter). If you do not intend to be present, your case will be heard based on what you've written in your statement and any supporting documentation.
3. You will be informed of the time and date of the appeal at least 10 working days before it is heard. If you cannot attend this date (it is important to contact the appeals department as soon as possible if this is the case), you can either send someone to represent you, have the appeal heard based on your written statement, or withdraw your case until the next round of appeals.
4. Five working days before the appeal hearing, all parties (yourselves, the Admission Authority and the Appeal panel) will receive the paperwork for the case, including (most importantly) the reason why the Authority cannot offer a place at the school.

For full details please see the School admissions website with information about appeals, including relevant dates for this year [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/schoolappeals].

Key Stage 2/Secondary school appeals

Although there is no class size legislation to contend with in these year groups, it's worth remembering that according to the Published Admission Number (the number of children that the school should admit for each year group), each school will be 'full'. Therefore, in order to win the appeal, you will have to demonstrate that the reasons for admitting your child, are sufficient to outweigh the 'prejudice' to the school of taking an extra pupil (i.e. would taking an extra pupil have a negative impact on the education of other children at the school?)

Key Stage 2/Secondary school appeals: Preparation

When you first register your appeal, you'll be sent a form to give your reasons for appealing. Think carefully about your reasons - successful appeals tend to be the ones where there are specific reasons why it is important that your child has a place at that particular school.

In this respect, it might be worthwhile considering two questions;

1. Why does my child need a place at THAT school?
2. What might happen if my child doesn't get a place at that school?

Try to be as detailed as possible. Simply saying "it's a good school" will not be too persuasive - why is it a 'good' school for your son/daughter?

Other popular reasons include:

• Friends attend the school - Lots of children go to schools without their friends. Is it important they know somebody at the school?
• The school is close to the child's residence - Coventry is quite a small city and alternative schools may be just as close and may have places available
• "It's ideal for me in terms of work/child care" - Although the panel may recognise the difficulty this may present for parents, it would not generally be seen as a reason to award a place by itself.

These are just a couple of examples of what you might use in your appeal. But it is all about you and your child - there may be lots of reasons why you feel you need a place at that particular school.

Once you're prepared, you're ready to head to the appeal.

Key Stage 2/Secondary school appeals: The appeal

Who will be at the appeal?

The Appeal panel will consist of three people, all of whom are volunteers and independent of the Admission Authority. There will also be the Appeals Clerk who ensures that the appeal process is followed, the facts are clearly established and that the appeal is fair. The clerk does not play any part in the decision making process. An representative for the school will also be there to present the reasons why a place could not be offered at your preferred school. Other than these people, the appeal is held in private and what is said is treated as strictly confidential.

Please note, it is not recommended that children attend the appeal, although the final decision rests with the panel itself.

What happens at an appeal?

Appeals will be held in a variety of different locations, depending on the school being applied for.  

Once you have been introduced to the appeal panel by the appeal clerk, the normal procedure is as follows:

• Stage 1: The school representative will explain why a place could not be offered. When this is completed, you (and the panel) may ask him/her any questions you think might be important.

The Chair will then ask yourselves and presenting officer to leave whilst they decide if it would cause "prejudice" to allow any other children into the school, i.e. would the addition of another child affect the education of children already at the school and the use of resources. Everyone is then invited back in and the decision is given. If the Panel has decided it would not prejudice the school then the appeal would end here and your child would have a place. If prejudice is found then the appeal moves on.

• Stage 2: If "prejudice" is found, you will then get the opportunity to explain your reasons to the panel. The panel or the school representative may ask you questions at this point. If you have any supporting evidence that had not been available when making your appeal, you can also give this to the panel at this point.

When this is over, the clerk will again ask yourselves and the presenting officer to leave the room.

And that's it! The panel will then make a decision. They have to decide if the reasons you have given outweigh the prejudice caused to the school in admitting another child.

Key Stage 2/Secondary school appeals: Appeal timetable

"OK. I know why I haven't been offered a place, how the process works, and think that my reasons for appealing are worthwhile. How do I register my appeal and how does it work?"

1. The School Appeals Team (schoolappeals@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:schoolappeals@coventry.gov.uk] or tel 024 7697 2647) is responsible for administering the arrangements for appeals for Community Schools and ensuring that they are heard by an Independent Appeal Panel made up of people who have no connection at all with the original decision. The responsibility for appeals for Academy, Trust and Voluntary Aided Schools rests with the individual schools. Parents who are refused places will be advised of the arrangements for making an appeal or should contact the school. Some schools make arrangements for their own appeals and you should contact the school for details. A full list of schools and other information about appeals [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/schoolappeals].
2. Complete the appeals form (or ask for help to do so) and return to Legal Services (appeals) or the school at the address on the letter.
3. Include any documentation that may support your case and indicate whether you are going to attend the appeal in person (and if you require an interpreter). If you do not intend to be present, your case will be heard based on what you've written in your statement and any supporting documentation. You will be informed of the time and date of the appeal at least 10 working days before it is heard.
4. If you cannot attend this date (it is important to contact the appeals department as soon as possible if this is the case), you can either send someone to represent you, have the appeal heard based on your written statement, or withdraw your case until the next round of appeals.
5. Five working days before the appeal hearing, all parties (yourselves, the Admission Authority and the Appeal panel) will receive the paperwork for the case, including (most importantly) the reason why the Admissions Authority cannot offer a place at the school.

For full details please see the School admissions website with information about appeals, including relevant dates for this year [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/schoolappeals].

Guidance, links and contacts

Admissions advice

Advice on the admission of summer born children

Advice for Local Authorities, school admission authorities and parents.

This is advice from the Department for Education. It is non-statutory, and has been produced to help local authorities, admission authorities and parents understand the framework within which admission authorities must operate when responding to parental requests for summer born children to be admitted out of their normal age group. It will help local authorities and admission authorities fulfil the duties imposed on them by the statutory School Admissions Code.  

School Admission Code

This statutory guidance [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code--2] is for:

• headteachers and school leaders
• school staff
• governing bodies
• local authorities
• admission authorities of maintained schools as defined in section 88(1) (a) and (b) of the School Standards and Framework Act (SSFA) 1998 [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/31/contents]
• schools adjudicators
• admission appeal panels

It applies to:

• maintained schools
• academies and free schools

It covers:

• admission arrangements
• applications and offers
• ensuring fairness and resolving issues
• relevant legislation

It also features an admissions timeline.

It should be read alongside the ‘School admission appeals code’ [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-appeals-code].

School Admissions Appeals Code

This statutory guidance [https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/275897/school_admission_appeals_code_1_february_2012.pdf]is for:

• headteachers and school leaders
• school staff
• governing bodies
• local authorities
• admission authorities of maintained schools as defined in section 88(1) (a) and (b) of the School Standards and Framework Act (SSFA) 1998 [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/31/contents]
• schools adjudicators
• admission appeal panels

It applies to:

• maintained schools
• academies and free schools

It explains:

• the statutory basis for the school admission appeals code
• how schools should conduct appeal hearings with regard to:
  • constitution of appeal panels
  • reaching decisions on appeals
  • infant class size appeals
  • further appeals and complaints about appeals
• appeals by governing bodies against local authority decisions to admit twice-excluded children
• the role of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
• complaints about appeal panels

It should be read alongside the ‘School admissions code’ [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code].