School admission appeals

Your right of appeal

If you have not been offered a place for your child at your preferred school you have a right of appeal under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (as amended by the Education Act 2001).

You cannot appeal if you have not yet applied to the school. 

If you need to apply for a school place for your child, you can apply online.

You can find further information on your right of appeal and considerations before appealing:

• school admissions code
• schools admission appeals code
• advice for parents and guardians on school admission appeals
   

How to appeal

Croydon Independent Appeal Service only facilitates appeal hearings for the following Croydon community primary schools, non-community schools and academies.

Croydon community primary schools

• Beaumont Primary School 
• Beulah Junior School
• Downsview Primary and Nursery School
• Elmwood Infant School
• Elmwood Junior School
• Forestdale Primary School
• Greenvale Primary School
• Gresham Primary School
• Heavers Farm Primary & Nursery School
• Howard Primary School
• Norbury Manor Primary School
• Park Hill Infant School
• Purley Oaks Primary School
• Ridgeway Primary School
• Rockmount Primary School
• Smitham Primary School
• The Hayes Primary School
• Winterbourne Nursery and Infants School 
• Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School

Academies and non-community schools

• Aerodrome Primary Academy – REAch2 Trust
• Applegarth Primary – STEP Academy Trust
• Atwood Primary Academy – Pegasus Academy Trust
• Beulah Junior School – Pegasus Academy Trust
• Chestnut Park Primary School – GLF Schools
• Chipstead Valley Primary School – PACE Academy Trust
• Cypress Primary School – Pegasus Academy Trust
• David Livingstone Primary – STEP Academy
• Ecclesbourne Primary – Pegasus Academy Trust
• Fairchildes Primary Academy – Fairchildes Academy Community Trust
• Forest Academy – Inspire Partnership
• Gonville Primary – STEP Academy Trust
• Heathfield Primary – STEP Academy Trust
• Krishna Avanti Primary School – Avanti Schools Trust
• Monks Orchard Primary School – FACT Trust
• New Valley Primary School – PACE Academy Trust
• Oasis Academy Byron
• Rowdown Primary Academy – Fairchildes Academy Community Trust
• The Crescent Primary School Academy
• The Minster Nursery and Infant School
• West Thornton Primary Academy – Inspire Partnership
• Whitehorse Manor Infants & Nursery – Pegasus Academy Trust
• Whitehorse Manor Juniors – Pegasus Academy Trust
• Tudor Academy – STEP Academy Trust

If the school you intend to appeal is not listed, contact the school directly or visit the school’s website for guidance on its appeal process and deadlines. 

Appeal deadlines for September 2025 admission round

The deadline for lodging 2025/26 reception year appeals is 23 May 2025 for the schools and academies listed on this page.

Timetable for appeals

• national offer day: 16 April 2025
• deadline to submit an appeal: 23 May 2025
• appeals received within the deadline will be heard between 2 June 2025 and 22 July 2025
• appeals received after deadline will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged

Appeals received after the 23 May 2025 deadline may not be heard until the autumn term, as appeals do not take place during school holidays.

Late admission applications

Appeals following late applications for the admissions round should be heard within 40 school days of the deadline. If this is not possible, the appeal will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged.

Submitting your appeal

All appeals for the schools and academies listed on this page must be submitted via the following KS1 or KS2 online appeal forms.

Key stage 1 appeals

Key stage 1 (KS1) is primary school reception, year 1 and year 2. 

The law states that KS1 classes must be limited to a maximum of 30 children. This has an impact on how appeals for these year groups are considered and they can only be upheld in the following very limited circumstances:

• the child would have been offered a place if the admission arrangements had been properly implemented
• the child would have been offered a place if the arrangements had not been contrary to mandatory provisions in the school admissions code and the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, and/or
• the decision to refuse admission was not one which a reasonable admission authority would have made in the circumstances of the case; unreasonable in this sense means irrational - a decision which was 'perverse in the light of the admissions arrangements'

You should consider these limited grounds when submitting your appeal. 

Submit a key stage 1 appeal

All valid KS1 appeals will be heard by an Independent Appeal Panel as required by the School Admissions Appeal Code. 

You will be given your hearing date at least 10 school days before your hearing. Read about the appeal deadlines and timescales.

Appeal hearings usually take place remotely on Microsoft Teams. You will be given joining instructions and guidance on what to expect before the hearing. 

Key stage 2 appeals

Key stage 2 (KS2) is primary school year 3 onwards.  

Submit a key stage 2 appeal

All valid KS2 appeals will be heard by an Independent Appeal Panel as required by the School Admissions Appeal Code. You will be notified of the hearing date no later than 10 school days before of the hearing. Please find information regarding appeal deadlines and timescales above.

Appeal hearings usually take place remotely via Microsoft Teams. You will be provided with further information including joining instructions and guidance on what to expect before the hearing.