School admission appeals code
Statutory guidance on how schools should organise and run their pupil admission appeals.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
Following consultation and the Parliamentary process, a new school admission appeals code came into force on 1 October 2022. This code applies to admission appeals lodged on or after that date.
This statutory guidance 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
- schools adjudicators
- admission appeal panels
It applies to:
- local-authority-maintained schools
- academies
- 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 ombudsman
- complaints about appeal panels
You should read it alongside the school admissions code.
We also have non-statutory advice on school admission appeals for:
- parents and guardians
- admission authorities
- clerks and panel members
Updates to this page
Last updated 20 January 2023 + show all updates
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'School admission appeals code 2012 (for appeals submitted on or before 30 September 2022)' and 'Changes to the admission appeals regulations during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (for appeals submitted on or before 30 September 2022, if relevant)' have been removed.
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We have published 'School admission appeals code 2022', which applies to appeals from 1 October 2022. This replaces ‘Draft school admission appeals code 2022 (correction)’ and 'Explanatory memorandum to the school admission appeals code 2022’.
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Replaced 'Draft school admission appeals code 2022 (correction)' with an amended version. The changes are listed in correction slip 2.
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The 'Draft school admission appeals code 2022' has been replaced with the 'Draft school admission appeals code 2022 (correction)'.
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Added 'Explanatory memorandum to the school admission appeals code 2022'.
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We have added the 'Draft school admission appeals code 2022' to the page, this guidance remains provisional until it completes the Parliamentary process.
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Updated 'changes to school admission appeals due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic' to reflect that the temporary regulations have been extended until 30 September 2022. The appeals code has not been amended.
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Page updated as the temporary amendments to the admission appeals regulations, which were introduced due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, have been extended until 30 September 2021.
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Changes to the admission appeals regulations during the coronavirus outbreak have been extended until 30 September 2021.
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Added guidance about the changes to the admission appeals regulations during the coronavirus outbreak.
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First published.