Making an appeal | Timetable | Late applications | Mid-term applications
Before you can appeal, you must have already received a decision letter explaining that your child has been refused a place – please wait until you have received a refusal letter or email before you submit your appeal.
Before making an appeal
Please check who organises your appeal, as this is not always Leicestershire County Council – you can check the school’s website to find out who to lodge your appeal with.
What you should know before appealing for a school place
You cannot appeal against a school you have been given a place at, only one of the preferences you weren't given.
You should keep the school place you have been offered in case your appeal isn’t successful, otherwise you risk having no school place for your child.
The appeals process is run by the Legal Services Team who are a separate department and independent of the Admissions Team.
When we have received your appeal we will arrange your appeal hearing as soon as we can. It may be a while before we contact you as it takes time to set up a hearing. Deadlines and the school appeal timetable is shown further down this page.
The appeal panel
Your appeal will be heard by a panel of three or five members (the appeal panel). They will look at how the places at the school were given and why you could not be offered a place, including any relevant law (the admission authority’s case). The appeal panel will also consider your individual circumstances (your case).
Decision
The decision of the appeal panel is binding on both parties which means that this is your only appeal against the original decision. The decision of the appeal panel will be final.
Appealing for more than one school
You may want to appeal for more than one school. Please submit an appeal form for each school you are appealing for. You will get a different appeal hearing for each appeal which may be on different days sometimes a few weeks apart.
Making an appeal
Appeal guidance
When making an online appeal on our system, if the school you want to appeal for isn’t on the drop down list it means we don’t run the appeals for them and you should contact the school directly.
- Your completed appeal form is your case to the appeal panel for wanting a place at the school, so everything you include on it will be seen by those at the appeal hearing.
- You will be asked how you would like to attend your appeal – via video call / face to face / not attend (heard as a written appeal). If, during the process, you change your mind about how you would like to attend your appeal, we may need to rearrange your appeal hearing to a later date.
- If you move home during the appeal process remember to let both the Education Appeals Team and the Admissions Team know: school.appeals@leics.gov.uk
- There is space in the form for you to tell the appeal panel why you want a place for your child at the school. Include anything you think the appeal panel should know about. You can upload supporting documents if you have any, for example a doctor’s letter.
Download and read our full guidance on how to appeal:
Supporting information
Have ready all the information you need and any files for uploading before starting the form, as you can’t save it.
We encourage you to provide all supporting information in your original appeal application, however if you have further evidence which was not included with your initial appeal form you must make sure that it is received at least 5 clear school days before your appeal hearing date.
This can be submitted to school.appeals@leics.gov.uk Any additional evidence or information received after this date might not be considered at the appeal hearing.
Submit the appeal online
When ready, complete the school admissions appeal form online:
School admissions appeal form
We expect all appeals to be submitted online. If you’re finding this hard, please ask a relative or friend to help you (your local school may also be able to help).
If you need access to a computer or scanner, you can book a library computer.
If you’re not already a member you’ll need to join the library which you can do online or by visiting the library.
Find a library
What happens next
- We will let you know when your appeal hearing will take place (at least 10 school days in advance of your hearing). You are encouraged to attend the appeal hearing yourself or with a friend. You may ask a representative to speak for you or you can send a written submission
- You will also be sent a copy of the school’s case at least 7 school days in advance of your hearing.
- Your appeal will be considered by an Independent Appeals Panel, that is independent of the school and Leicestershire’s Children and Family Service
- Appeal decision letters will be sent within 5 working days of the last appeal heard, wherever possible.
Please note: Repeat appeals in the same academic year will not be allowed unless there has been a significant change in your circumstances, eg a house move.
The panel can only allow an appeal for a place in an infant class that already has 30 children if:
- an error was made in the processing of your application form
- the policy or admissions arrangements were applied incorrectly or
- the decision to refuse the place was unreasonable – see the School Appeals Guidance for more information.
School admission appeals timetable 2025/2026
September 2025 entry
Appeals for first time primary admissions (Reception) or transferring to secondary school (Year 7) applications for admission in September 2025 will be heard according to the following timetable where the appeal is submitted on time:
Timetable for on-time appeals
| |
Primary school |
Secondary school |
| Offer date |
Wednesday 16 April
|
Monday 3 March 2025 |
| Appeal submission deadline |
Tuesday 3 June 2025 |
Monday 31 March 2025 |
| Hearing period* |
17 June 2025 to 12 September 2025 |
28 April 2025 to 17 June 2025 |
Appeals will be heard
by |
Friday 12 September 2025
(40 school days) |
Tuesday 17 June 2025
(40 school days) |
*You will receive notification of your hearing date during this time. If there's any changes we'll let you know before your hearing.
Late applications and appeals received after the deadlines
For first time admission to primary school or transferring to secondary school
Applications for a school place received after the closing dates are classed as late.
If your application was late, and you want to appeal the decision, you should appeal within 20 school days of being refused the place. Your appeal will be heard within 40 school days of the submission deadline or within 30 school days of the deadline for submitting appeals (whichever is later).
Appeals when moving school mid-term
If you have applied for a school place outside the normal round, such as mid-term, and been refused, then you should lodge an appeal within 20 school days of being notified that your application was unsuccessful.
Your appeal will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged.
Schools that have their own appeals process
Leicestershire County Council does not manage the appeals process for the following schools:
Schools to be contacted directly
Primary schools
- All Saints Church of England Primary School Sapcote
- All Saints Church of England Primary School, Wigston
- Arnesby Church of England Primary School
- Barlestone Church of England Primary School
- Bishop Ellis Catholic Primary School, Thurmaston
- Blackfordby St Margaret's C of E Primary School
- Church Langton Church of England Primary School
- Claybrooke Primary School
- Croxton Kerrial Church of England Primary School
- Dunton Bassett Primary School
- Gilmorton Chandler Church of England Primary School
- Higham-on-the-Hill C Of E Primary School
- Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, Whitwick, Leicestershire
- John Wycliffe Primary School
- Kilby St Mary's Church of England Primary School
- Loughborough Church of England Primary School
- Oakthorpe Primary School
- Queniborough Church of England Primary School
- Redmile Church of England Primary School
- Richard Hill Church of England Primary School
- Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy
- Saint Charles' Catholic Primary School, Measham, Leicestershire
- Saint Clare's Catholic Primary School, Coalville, Leicestershire
- Saint Francis Catholic Primary School, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
- Saint John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy, Wigston, Leicestershire
- Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School Market Harborough Leicestershire
- Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School, Loughborough
- Saint Peters Catholic Primary School, Earl Shilton, Leicestershire
- Saint Peter's Catholic Primary School, Hinckley, Leicestershire
- Saint Winefride's Catholic Voluntary Academy Primary School
- Sharnford Church of England Primary School
- Sir John Moore Church of England Primary School
- Snarestone Church of England Primary School
- South Kilworth Church of England Primary School
- St Margaret's Church of England Primary School
- St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bitteswell, Lutterworth
- St Mary's Church of England Primary, Melton Mowbray
- St Michael and All Angels Church of England Primary School
- St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary School
- St Peters Church of England Primary Academy, Market Bosworth
- St Peters Church of England Primary School, Wymondham
- St Simon And St Jude Church Of England Primary School
- Swannington Church of England Primary School
- Swinford Church of England Primary School
- Thrussington Church of England Primary School
- Thurlaston Church of England Primary School
- Ullesthorpe Church of England Primary School
- Viscount Beaumont's Church of England Primary School
- Waltham on The Wolds Church of England Primary School
Secondary schools
- Brockington College, Enderby
- Hasting High School, Hinckley
- De Lisle Catholic School, Loughborough
- Market Bosworth School
- Redmoor Academy, Hinckley
- Saint Martins Catholic Voluntary Academy, Stoke Golding
Further reading
