London Borough of Croydon

School admissions - appeals

If it has not been possible to offer a place at your preferred school, you have the right, by law, to appeal to an independent appeal panel.

Deciding to appeal and going through the appeals process can be a worrying and anxious time. We hope this information will clarify the appeals system and answer you questions.

Your appeal will be heard by a panel of three members. The panel members are not paid for this work and, most importantly, they are completely independent of Croydon Council and impartial. Also, they will have no connection with the school your are appealing for. They will be lay and education members.

A lay member is someone without personal experience in the management of any school or the provision of education in any school (disregarding experience as a school governor or in another voluntary capacity). An education member is someone who has had experience in education, who is acquainted with educational conditions in the Local Authority’s area, or who is a parent of registered pupils at a school.

They are two types of appeals: Key Stage 1 (KS1). These cover children in reception, year 1 and year 2. The powers of the panel in deciding these types of appeals are limited. There are only two grounds on which the appeal can be upheld.

Appeals for pupils in year 3 - year 11: these appeals go through a balancing process. Please see guidance notes at the end of this page, for full information.