The two halves of a hearing
Almost every appeal argues the second half and skips the first
What this is
A standard appeal is decided in two steps, in order. Step one is about the school and its rules. Were the rules legal, and were they applied properly to your child? And would taking one more child genuinely harm the school? Step two is the balance. Only then does the panel weigh your reasons against that harm.
What to do
- Write about step one first. That means numbers and rules, not feelings.
- Only then write about your child.
- For step two, answer one question: what can this school give my child that the allocated school cannot?
- Back it with something written by somebody else. Your own opinion is the weakest evidence there is.
How you know it worked
Your appeal opens with a rule or a number, not with a sentence about how much you love the school.
Easy to get wrong
- Leading with emotion. It is not that panels do not care. It is that at step one they are not allowed to weigh it.
- Criticising the school you were given. A panel cannot act on that.
- Never checking whether a mistake was made at all.
If that does not work
If you find no mistake, step two is still a real route. It is just a harder one, and the quality of your evidence is everything.
Last updated 7 October 2026. Written against the School Admission Appeals Code 2022 and the School Admissions Code 2021. This is information, not legal advice.