Which kind of appeal are you in
There are three, and they are not the same fight
What this is
Most parents think there is one appeal. There are three, and the one you are in decides what a panel is even allowed to think about. Getting this wrong wastes the whole process.
What to do
- Is your child starting Reception, Year 1 or Year 2? Then it is probably an infant class size appeal. The law caps these classes at 30 children per teacher, and that cap ties the panel’s hands. Read What a panel is not allowed to consider carefully.
- Is it a grammar or selective school, and your child did not reach the standard? Then the argument is about your child’s ability, not about how much you want the place.
- Anything else? Then it is a standard appeal, and the two halves in The two halves of a hearing are how it works.
- Not sure? Ring the admissions team and ask them, in these words: is this an infant class size appeal?
How you know it worked
You can name your kind of appeal in one sentence.
Easy to get wrong
- Writing a heartfelt letter about your child for an infant class size appeal, where a panel is not allowed to weigh it.
- Assuming Year 3 is an infant class. It is not. The cap covers Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 only.
- Assuming a grammar appeal works like the others.
If that does not work
If you find out late that you are in an infant class size appeal, you have not wasted your time. The narrow grounds are in the Places Pack and they are worth checking properly.
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.