main content Secondary School Admission Appeals

If you are not offered a place at the school you prefer for your child you have the right of appeal under the School Standards & Framework Act 1998.

Voluntary Aided and Foundation Schools

Secondary schools in Bromley are either Foundation or Voluntary Aided. These schools are their own admissions authorities and any appeal should be directed to the individual school. Details of the appeal arrangements and procedures for these schools will be provided by the school at the appropriate time.

Current Procedures

The following is a summary of current procedures:-
1) An appeal must be submitted in writing setting out the grounds on which it is made.
2) An Appeal Panel must give parents an opportunity of attending and speaking at the meeting.
3) An Appeal Panel will weigh the case submitted by the parent against the case made by the school (which is normally that the school is full and to admit more pupil would cause prejudice).
4) The conduct of Appeals Panels will be governed by the DCSF Code of Practice on School Appeals.
5) The appeal will be held in private, and be conducted in an informal atmosphere.
6) The Appeals Panel’s decision is binding on the Authority and the School.

Appeals will be heard by an independent appeals panel, during the summer term 2010, and each case will be considered individually on its merits. Appeals can only be held when a school is full, that is when it has reached its published admissions number.  If an appeal is successful the school is required to take more pupils than it has places. This means that appeals are normally only upheld where there are exceptional circumstances.  It is necessary, therefore,  to consider the grounds under which an appeal is lodged very carefully.

The decision of an appeal panel is binding on the Local Authority, the school and yourself. If you consider that the panel acted improperly or unreasonably in handling your case you can make a complaint to:-

The Local Government Ombudsman
Commission for Local Administration in England
2 The Oaks
Westwood Way
Westwood Business Park
Coventry
CV4 8JB

Telephone:  024 7682 0000
Public Advice Line:  0845 602 1983
www.lgo.org.uk

Contact Details

Telephone:  020 8461 7566
Fax:  020 8290 9608 

Address:
Legal and Democratic Services, London Borough of Bromley, W86 Civic Centre, Stockwell Close, Bromley, BR1 3UH