Appeal a primary school offer
Before you make your appeal
We recommend you still accept the place your child has been offered. This will not affect your appeal and will guarantee your child has a school place if your appeal is unsuccessful. If your appeal is successful you must remember to tell the school you were originally offered that you no longer want the place.
If you weren't offered your chosen school, this is usually because the school is full and there were other children who more closely met the school’s oversubscription criteria.
Make an appeal
If your child is due to start primary school in September 2025, you can appeal if you are refused a place at one of your preferred schools on National Offer Day (Wednesday 16 April 2025).
You must submit your appeal before Tuesday 20 May 2025 for it to be considered by Friday 18 July 2025. Any appeals received after this time will be heard within 40 school days from the deadline, or where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education.
For late applications, appeals should be heard within 40 school days from the deadline for lodging appeals where possible, or within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education.
For any appeals being lodged read the full copy of our privacy notice outlining your rights in relation to your personal data.
Appeal online for primary school
Your appeals clerk will contact you directly to let you know when your appeal will be heard.
Appeal hearing
The hearing lets you explain to an independent appeal panel why you think your child should be given a place at the school and lets the school explain why it could not offer your child a place.
You will be informed of the date of your appeal at least 14 calendar days before it is heard and a complete copy of the appeals paperwork will be sent to you at least 7 calendar days before the hearing.
Decision
The Clerk will normally provide you with the panel’s decision within 7 calendar days of your appeal. If the panel is hearing a large number of appeals, this will be 7 calendar days after the last appeal is considered.
If your appeal is unsuccessful, you can't lodge another appeal to the same school for the same school year, unless you can show your circumstances have changed since the first appeal.
There is a legal maximum class size for reception, year 1 and year 2. This is 30 children per teacher. Your appeal may be unsuccessful if all the classes have already reached their legal limit, unless:
- the admission arrangements were unlawful
- the admission arrangements weren't correctly and impartially applied
- the decision to refuse admission wasn't reasonable.
Get advice
Email appeals@kent.gov.uk for support.