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Schools admission appeals

You can appeal to an independent panel if your child is not offered a place at your preferred school.

If you have not been offered a place for your child at your preferred school, you have a right of appeal against this decision.

You will only be able to appeal for a school if you have formally applied and been refused a place. You are advised to accept a place at any school you have been offered as this will  not affect your appeal and will guarantee your child has a school place if your appeal is unsuccessful.

We use an independent service to administer school appeals for all Council maintained community primary schools and voluntary aided primary and secondary  schools.

Council maintained primary and voluntary aided schools

Community primary schools:

  • Barrow Hill Juniors
  • Edward Wilson
  • Essendine
  • George Eliot
  • Hallfield
  • Robinsfield Infants
  • Queens Park 

Voluntary aided schools:

  • All Souls
  • Burdett-Coutts
  • Christ Church Bentinck
  • Hampden Gurney
  • Our Lady of Dolours
  • St Augustine’s
  • St Barnabas
  • St Clement Dames
  • St Edward’s
  • St Gabriel’s
  • St George’s Hanover Square
  • Soho Parish
  • St James and St John’s
  • St Joseph’s, this school is in the process of consulting to convert to academy status
  • St Luke’s
  • St Mary Magdalene
  • St Mary’s Bryanston Square
  • St Mary of the Angels
  • St Matthew’s
  • St Peter’s
  • St Peter’s Eaton Square
  • St Saviours
  • St Vincent’s
  • St Vincent de Paul

Secondary voluntary aided school:

  • St Augustine’s High School

All appeal hearings are held online. You will be given full instructions of how to access the system.

If you have been refused a place at an academy, they may have different clerking arrangements in place. You are advised to contact the school in the instance.

Academies located in Westminster

Primary academies

All through academy:

Secondary academies:

How the appeals process works

The school admission appeals guidance document explains how the appeals process works and will help you to appeal against an authority's decision not to offer your child a place at your preferred school(s).

It is intended to help you understand:

  • the appeal process and the different types of appeal
  • what will happen at an appeal hearing
  • how the appeal panel will make its decision on your appeal

Please note that if your child has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), you cannot use this appeal process. You will need to contact the SEN Team or Telephone 020 7361 3311.

Appeal forms

Reception, year 1 and 2 school admission appeal form

Year 3 to year 11 school admission appeal form

Sixth form appeals are not open at this time.

Contact details

For general enquiries please contact the Admissions and Access Team on:

  • [email protected]
  • Telephone 020 7745 6432 or 020 7745 6433, Monday to Friday, 9am to 2pm

 If you wish to contact the appeals’ organisation, please email [email protected]

Published: 30 December 2022

Last updated: 15 August 2024