Making an admissions appeal

Before you can submit an admissions appeal, please first read through our appeals guidance pages.

Who can lodge an appeal?

Any parent or guardian who has been refused a school place for their child has the right to appeal the decision.

If you are not allocated a place at a preferred school, you have the right to an independent appeal. You can appeal for more than one school.

If you are not offered a place at your first preference school, we will send you appeal guidance with your allocation letter.

For schools using the local authority's services, appeals must be lodged by the dates shown on the local authority appeal timetable. This is published before offers are made. Other schools will have their own arrangements.

Are there alternatives to making an appeal?

Before making a formal appeal, you should consider the alternatives:

1. Accept the school place you have been offered

   If you are a Southampton resident, you will have been offered an alternative school place. Accepting this place will guarantee that your child can start school in September, even if no places become available at your preferred school. This will not affect your right to submit an appeal or your child's current position on a waiting list.

2. Remain on the waiting list for your preferred schools

   Your child's name will automatically be added to any waiting list where your application has been unsuccessful. When a place becomes available, it will be offered to the child who is at the top of this list at that time. The waiting list is ordered in accordance with each school's admissions policy.

3. Apply for an alternative school

   If you wish to apply for a school that was not on your original application, you can do this by contacting the admissions team.

Appeals for children with an Education, Health and Care Plan

Independent Appeal Panels are not able to consider appeals for children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan which specify provision in a mainstream school. Such appeals should be referred to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability), and can only be made within two months of the issuing of the final Plan.

Primary school places (Year R and Year 3) appeals timeline 2023-24

• School place offers will be sent on 17 April 2023
• Appeals must be lodged by 19 May 2023
• Appeals lodged on time will be determined in accordance with the School Admission Appeals Code 2022
• Appeals lodged after 19 May 2023, that cannot be added to a scheduled hearing, will be determined at a later date

Secondary school places (Year 7) appeals timeline 2023-24

• School place offers will be sent on 1 March 2023
• Appeals must be lodged by 21 April 2023
• Appeals lodged on time will be determined in accordance with the School Admission Appeals Code 2022
• Appeals lodged after 21 April 2023, that cannot be added to a scheduled hearing, will be determined at a later date

General information

• You will receive at least 10 school days’ notice of your appeal hearing date
• You can waive this right if you are late in making your appeal and wish to have your appeal determined at a hearing that is already scheduled
• Case papers will be dispatched to you within a reasonable time before the hearing date
• Once you have received notification of your hearing date, any additional evidence you wish to submit should be sent via email to the Democratic Services Inbox services@southampton.gov.uk in accordance with the date detailed in the notification
• Additional evidence may be submitted up to and including the day of the hearing
• The panel will take its significance into account and whether there is a need to adjourn the hearing to allow all parties time to consider it
• Following the appeal hearing decision, where possible, letters will be sent five school day’s following the hearing's conclusion