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Statutory guidance

School admission appeals code

Statutory guidance on how schools should organise and run their pupil admission appeals.

Updates to this page

From:
Department for Education
Published:
1 February 2012
Last updated:
20 January 2023
Show all updates

  1. '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.

  2. 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’.

  3. Replaced 'Draft school admission appeals code 2022 (correction)' with an amended version. The changes are listed in correction slip 2.

  4. The 'Draft school admission appeals code 2022' has been replaced with the 'Draft school admission appeals code 2022 (correction)'.

  5. Added 'Explanatory memorandum to the school admission appeals code 2022'.

  6. We have added the 'Draft school admission appeals code 2022' to the page, this guidance remains provisional until it completes the Parliamentary process.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. Changes to the admission appeals regulations during the coronavirus outbreak have been extended until 30 September 2021.

  10. Added guidance about the changes to the admission appeals regulations during the coronavirus outbreak.

  11. First published.

Applies to England

Documents

School admission appeals code 2022

Ref: ISBN 978-1-5286-3460-1

PDF, 277 KB, 32 pages

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:

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

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