A parents guide to school admission appeals

What happens next?

When your completed form is received an acknowledgement letter will be sent to you by email.
The admission authority is informed that your appeal application has been received and appeal hearing dates are agreed.
If there is more than one appeal for the school in question, all appeals will be heard at the same appeal hearing if possible.
Once a date is agreed an independent appeals panel will be organised, together with a clerk.
All appeals are being held remotely on Microsoft Teams. MS Teams is free to use, and so long as you have a computer, tablet or phone you will be able to take part remotely. Guidance will be provided on how you can access your appeal hearing. If you are unable to take part in a remote hearing, please advise us of this as soon as possible by emailing educationappealsadmin@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window), so we can discuss how to facilitate your appeal.
You will receive a letter by email at least 10 school days before the hearing advising of the date and time of your appeal hearing. Given the number of appeals received and other factors it may not always be possible to take into consideration any dates which you have indicated as inconvenient. The letter will give you a deadline by which additional supporting evidence can be accepted. The deadline is necessary because paperwork has to be sent to all parties within a statutory timeframe.
You will receive a pack of information approximately five working days before the hearing date. The pack will include all the paperwork necessary for the hearing to take place. It will include a list of the panel members, clerk and presenting officer from the admission authority; the admission authority's case and your appeal form along with any additional supporting evidence you have provided. If you know any of the panel members listed where there may be a conflict of interest, please contact the democratic services office at Wiltshire Council immediately to discuss. You will also be emailed information on the hearing process that is followed and guidance on how to join the meeting using Microsoft Teams.
If you have indicated on your form that you will be attending the appeal hearing and you subsequently find that you are unable to, let us know as soon as possible.
If you fail to attend when you have indicated you will and we have not heard from you, the panel can decide to consider your case in your absence based upon the written information you have provided.
If you have indicated on your form you will not be attending the appeal hearing and you subsequently find that you can, please let us know as soon as possible so we hear your appeal at the scheduled time.
If you have agreed to waive your rights to 10 school days' notice of your appeal hearing date, it may be possible to hear your appeal earlier. This is because timetables are constantly being amended due to appeals being withdrawn or settled and it may be possible to add other cases to a timetable.