School admission appeals

September 2020 Entry

As a result of COVID-19, temporary School Admission Appeal Regulations have come into force, extending the deadline to submit any appeal. The revised appeal timetable can be found below.

Appeals resulting from transfer applications for admission to Year 7 for September 2020 will be heard in accordance with the following timetable:

Appeals lodged after these dates as part of the main admissions round will be determined before the start of the September term wherever possible.

• Appellants will be sent notification of their appeal hearing at least 14 calendar days in advance of the hearing.
• Appellants will be sent a copy of the school's case at least 7 calendar days in advance of the hearing where possible.

Additional supporting information

If an appellant wishes to submit further evidence, which was not included with their initial appeal, they should ensure this is received at least 7 calendar days in advance of the appeal. Decision letters following an appeal will be sent within 7 calendar days of the appeal hearing wherever possible.

What happens when I appeal?

Your appeal will be heard by an independent panel and you will be invited to attend the appeal hearing via video link (further information about this can be found below). The appeal panel's decision is final and binding on the school and the admitting authority. An interpreter can be made available at the appeal on request for those for whom English is not their first language.

Procedure for School Admission Appeals under the School Admissions (England) (Coronavirus) (Appeals Arrangements) (Amendment) Regulations

As it is not possible or appropriate during the current coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak to offer you a face to face hearing, a video conference appeal meeting will be arranged via Microsoft Teams.

In order to participate in the meeting, you will need access to a computer, tablet or mobile phone with a camera and speakers along with a valid email address. You do not need to have any additional software installed on your device to access the meeting.

If you do not have access to the required technology or resources to access the Teams meeting from home; a room can be made available for you at the Civic Offices, please contact the School Appeals Team (schoolappeals@wolverhampton.gov.uk) if you would like to attend the video conference from the Civic Offices.  Strict social distancing measures will be in force at all times throughout the building.

We will send you a link to the meeting at least two days before it is due to take place.

Guidance on accessing a Microsoft teams meeting can be found in the Downloads section of this page.

It is very important that the meeting remain confidential and that only those invited to attend are present and all recording devices are turned off for the duration of the appeal.

If there are reasons why you do not feel able to participate in a video conference, alternative methods are available. These will include a telephone conference option or an appeal based only on written information. Please note that appeals based on written information alone may take longer to be heard.

If you will be attending the appeal from home using Microsoft Teams a test meeting will be sent to you the day before the appeal to ensure that you are able to connect successfully.

For the following Wolverhampton Secondary schools:

• The Royal School, Wolverhampton
• The King's Church of England
• Our Lady and St Chad Catholic Sports College
• St Edmund's Catholic Academy
• St Peter's Collegiate Church of England
• Wolverhampton Girls' High
• Thomas Telford University Technical College

The Governing Body / board of directors of the school concerned is responsible for organising appeals and, therefore, your appeal must be lodged with the Governing Body / Board of directors of the school concerned. Appeal forms are available from the schools direct.

For all other Wolverhampton maintained Secondary schools:

Appeal online

Alternatively, appeal forms can be requested via:

• Email: school.admissions@wolverhampton.gov.uk
• Telephone: 01902 55 1122 (Please Select option 1)
• Or you can find a copy in the Download section on the Appeal Online page 

September 2020 Entry

As a result of COVID-19, temporary School Admission Appeal Regulations have come into force, extending the deadline to submit any appeal. The revised appeal timetable can be found below.

Appeals resulting from transfer applications for admission to Reception (including St Benedict Biscop CE) or to Year 3 (Year 3 for Christ Church CE Junior or Uplands Junior) for September 2020 will be heard in accordance with the following timetable:

Appeals lodged after these dates as part of the main admissions round will be determined before the start of the September term wherever possible.

• Appellants will be sent notification of their appeal hearing at least 14 calendar days in advance of the hearing.
• Appellants will be sent a copy of the school's case 7 calendar days in advance of the hearing.

Additional supporting information

If an appellant wishes to submit further evidence, which was not included with their initial appeal, they should ensure this is received at least 7 calendar days in advance of the appeal. Decision letters following an appeal will be sent within 7 calendar days of the appeal hearing wherever possible.

What happens when I appeal?

Your appeal will be heard by an independent panel and you will be invited to attend the appeal hearing via video link (further information about this can be found below). The appeal panel's decision is final and binding on the school and the admitting authority. An interpreter can be made available at the appeal on request for those for whom English is not their first language.

Procedure for School Admission Appeals under the School Admissions (England) (Coronavirus) (Appeals Arrangements) (Amendment) Regulations

As it is not possible or appropriate during the current coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak to offer you a face to face hearing, a video conference appeal meeting will be arranged via Microsoft Teams.

In order to participate in the meeting, you will need access to a computer, tablet or mobile phone with a camera and speakers along with a valid email address. You do not need to have any additional software installed on your device to access the meeting.

If you do not have access to the required technology or resources to access the Teams meeting from home; a room can be made available for you at the Civic Offices, please contact the School Appeals Team (schoolappeals@wolverhampton.gov.uk) if you would like to attend the video conference from the Civic Offices.  Strict social distancing measures will be in force at all times throughout the building.

We will send you a link to the meeting at least two days before it is due to take place.

Guidance on accessing a Microsoft teams meeting can be found in the Downloads section of this page.

It is very important that the meeting remain confidential and that only those invited to attend are present and all recording devices are turned off for the duration of the appeal.

If there are reasons why you do not feel able to participate in a video conference, alternative methods are available. These will include a telephone conference option or an appeal based only on written information. Please note that appeals based on written information alone may take longer to be heard.

If you will be attending the appeal from home using Microsoft Teams a test meeting will be sent to you the day before the appeal to ensure that you are able to connect successfully.

However, where applicable, before deciding whether to appeal you should be aware that Infant Classes (Reception, Year 1 and 2) are subject to legislation that states that a class size cannot exceed 30 pupils per teacher.

The law restricts the grounds on which Appeal Panels may uphold an appeal for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 where the class size limit is 30. The only three grounds for upholding your appeal are:

• That the admission authority has made a mistake and, if that mistake had not been made, your child would have been offered a place;
• That your child would have been offered a place if the admission arrangements had not been contrary to the mandatory provisions in the School Admissions Code; and/or
• That the admissions authority has acted unreasonably in not offering your child a place.

In this situation, "unreasonable" means that the process followed in your child's case was irrational or perverse given the information that you provided with your application.

For all other Wolverhampton maintained Primary schools:

• The Royal School, Wolverhampton
• Corpus Christi Catholic Primary Academy
• SS Peter & Paul's Catholic Primary Academy & Nursery
• Holy Rosary Catholic Primary Academy
• Holy Trinity Catholic School
• SS Mary & John's Catholic Primary Academy
• St Anthony's Catholic Primary School
• St Luke's CE Primary School
• St Mary's Catholic Primary Academy
• St Michael's CE Primary School
• St Michael's Catholic Primary Academy & Nursery
• St Patrick's Catholic Primary School
• St Paul's CE Primary School
• St Teresa's Catholic Primary Academy
• Nishkam Primary School

The Governing Body / board of directors of the school concerned is responsible for organising appeals and, therefore, your appeal must be lodged with the Governing Body / Board of directors of the school concerned. Appeal forms are available from the schools directly.

For all other Wolverhampton maintained Primary schools:

Appeal online

Alternatively appeal forms can be requested via:

• Email: school.admissions@wolverhampton.gov.uk
• Telephone: 01902 55 1122 (Please Select option 1)
• Or you can find a copy in the Download section on the Appeal Online page

Appeals for children refused a place at a preferred school resulting from an in-year transfer application will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged.

Appeal online

Alternatively appeal forms can be requested via:

• Email: school.admissions@wolverhampton.gov.uk
• Telephone: 01902 55 1122 (Please Select option 1)
• Or you can find a copy in the Download section on the Appeal Online page 

For schools within another Local Authority's (LA) area

You should refer to that LA's secondary/primary school admissions booklet, contact that LA or contact the school direct for information regarding their procedures and closing dates in respect of appeals.

Acceptance of a place at a school does not affect your right to appeal for a place at another school. However, if you decide to appeal for a place at any of your preferred schools, we recommend you secure a place for your child at an alternative school in case your appeal is unsuccessful.

Wolverhampton Local Authority is always willing to discuss alternative schools with places available at any stage in the process.