Admissions

Admissions appeals information for parents and guardians

• ODBST Notes for Parents and Guardians on Admission Appeals.pdf

Appeal a primary school decision

If you have been refused a place at a higher preference primary school, you can make an appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel.

Appeals are heard by unpaid, trained, volunteers. Your appeal will take place as soon as possible depending on the availability of the Appeal Panel members. The Appeals Team is unable to offer a choice of hearing date.

Your appeal will be heard remotely by video conference.

Your decision to appeal

The admission authority for a school usually only refuses a place if it has received more applications than there are places available.

You may want to appeal because:

• your child has a particular interest in the subjects offered by the school
• your child has medical, social or educational reasons for wanting the place
• you have recently moved house.

Think carefully before appealing.

Most appeals fail because primary schools are full and cannot admit additional children without harming the education of the existing children or breaching the law relating to infant class sizes.

Appeals can be stressful for parents and are expensive for schools.

The Department for Education advises parents: “You should be aware that an appeal can prolong the period of uncertainty for parents and children, so it’s important to be realistic about your reasons for appealing and the chances of being successful.”

When to appeal - actual dates will be added once they are available from Buckinghamshire Council

If you were refused a higher preference school place on 16 April 2025 for September 2025 entry you can appeal this decision.

Primary school appeal timetable 

Date	Event
16 April 2025	Primary Allocation Day
May 2025	Deadline for submitting completed appeal forms
June 2025	Deadline for submitting any additional documents or information in support of your appeal
10 school days before appeal hearing	Appeals Team emails of appeal date & time letters to parents
6 calendar days before appeal hearing	Appeals Team posts appeal Case papers sent to parents, the admission authority, school and appeal panel Appeal Panel
June to July	Primary Admission Appeals heard
Within 5 school days of the appeal decision	Decision letter posted to parents, admission authority and school

How to appeal

Preparing your evidence

When you appeal, you'll need to provide evidence on why you want a place for your child at the particular school.

Parents need to provide exceptional medical, social or educational reasons for their preferred school, supported by evidence.

You can read more about evidence you can use.

Appeal online

Before you make an appeal, you should:

• read our guidance on school admission appeals
• prepare your reasons for your appeal and any evidence you wish to upload

You should:

• ensure you submit your appeal and evidence within the timelines
• complete your appeal form correctly, or your appeal may be delayed

After you make your appeal, the Appeals Team will send you an acknowledgement letter with your unique appeal reference number. Refer to this number if you contact the Appeals Team.

You cannot make an appeal for all Buckinghamshire schools here. For example, some primary schools have appeals arranged by the Diocese and not by the Appeals Team. If the school you are appealing for is not listed on the appeal form, contact the school directly to find out how to make your appeal.

• link to Buckinghamshire Council Information on Appeals

Should you wish to make an application for your child to attend Great Horwood Church of England Combined School you will need to apply through Buckinghamshire County Council. 

The information can be found on their website - www.buckscc.gov.uk/admissions

The admissions policy which includes arrangements for selecting the pupils who apply and our over-subscriptions criteria can be found on the Buckinghamshire County Council website.    

• Buckinghamshire County Council Links to school admissions page.