Submit a school admission appeal

Submitting an appeal

School Admission Appeals are heard throughout the year and we encourage you to submit your appeal as soon as possible after receiving your refusal letter. 

We also strongly encourage you to upload your supporting evidence when you first submit your appeal as stated below. In addition, please ensure you read the Admissions Guide, to note what can and cannot be accepted by the Appeals Panel.

To make an appeal you will need to login or register for My Account.

Please ensure that you have to hand the following to upload:

  • a full copy/scan of your refusal letter (we are unable to accept a screenshot of part of the letter and require the whole document please).
  • any supporting documentation ready to upload, eg. proof of residency, if moving house is the reason for your appeal.
  • supporting documentation if appealing on medical, social or welfare grounds.
  • a pre-prepared statement outlining your reasons as to why you wish your child to attend your preferred school and the grounds for your appeal.

Please note: We are unable to accept statements/letters of support from schools for individual appeals as per Section 2.14 of the School Admission Appeals Code 2022. You should also not share waiting list positions of your child with the Panel, as this cannot be taken into account or acknowledged during your appeal. 

In-year appeals

School appeals submitted during the academic year are are heard monthly and within 30 school days of the appeal being submitted (excluding bank holidays, weekends and school holidays).

Any school appeal received in late-July and August 2026 would need to be heard when schools re-open from Wednesday 2 September 2026 onwards.

Below is the schedule for in-year appeals during the next academic year 2025-2026, subject to any changes.  These will be held at the Town Hall, St Ives Road, Maidenhead, SL6 1RF.

Appeal dates:

  • Wednesday 19 November 2025.
  • Tuesday 9 December 2025.
  • Thursday 22 January 2026.
  • Thursday 12 February 2026.
  • Thursday 12 March 2026.
  • Thursday 26 March 2026.
  • Tuesday 28 April 2026.
  • Thursday 16 July 2026.

Submit an appeal

Summer appeals

Our main round of appeals is heard primarily during the late Spring and Summer months. These are split into Secondary and Primary school appeals.

The deadlines for lodging appeals for this main round of summer appeals for entry into schools in September 2026, are as follows:

  • Secondary appeals: Wednesday 27 March 2026 at 5pm - Appeals submitted before this date will be heard in the main round by Monday 15 June 2026.
  • Primary appeals: Monday 18 May 2026 at 5pm - Appeals submitted before this date will be heard in the main round by Monday 20 July 2026.
  • You will be notified of the date and time of your appeal at least 10 school days before the appeal.

Appeals received after the above deadlines will be heard within 30 school days of receipt, however this may not be before September 2026 in accordance with the School Admission Appeals Code 2022.

The main round of Secondary School appeals will be heard in the following weeks:

  • Week-commencing: Monday 4 May 2026.
  • Week-commencing: Monday 11 May 2026.
  • Week-commencing: Monday 18 May 2026.
  • Week-commencing: Monday 1 June 2026.

The main round of Primary School appeals will be heard in the following weeks:

  • Week-commencing: Monday 15 June 2026.
  • Week-commencing: Monday 22 June 2026.
  • Week-commencing: Monday 29 June 2026.
  • Week-commencing: Monday 6 July 2026.

Submit an appeal

Infant-class size appeals

If you are appealing for a place in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2, please note that Government regulations limit class sizes to 30 pupils per class teacher in these year groups. Therefore, there are very limited grounds on which appeals to these year groups can be allowed. Examples of how the panel could allow an infant-class size appeal are if:

  • the infant-class size limit would not be breached if your child were admitted to the school.
  • the admissions arrangements were not correctly and impartially applied in your particular case.
  • the decision to refuse your child a place at the school was unreasonable.

Please do carefully consider which of the above apply to your case before submitting an infant-class size appeal.

Submit an appeal