Education appeals
Education appeals provide an independent review of decisions not to admit a child to school or to permanently exclude a child from school. The information below explains how to obtain further guidance and download appeal forms if you wish to submit an appeal. It also includes information for anyone who may be interested in becoming an Independent Appeals Panel Member. Please read the appeals guidance before submitting an appeal.
School admissions appeals
Under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, if your child has been refused admission to a Lambeth community or voluntary-controlled school, you have a legal right to appeal against this decision to an Independent Appeals Panel.
Appeal process
To appeal you must fill in an appeal form outlining the reasons why you feel your child should be admitted to your preferred school and return it to the Clerk to the Independent Appeals Panel, Governance and Democracy, Room 200, Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton Hill, SW2 1RW, tel: 020 7926 2170, email: democracy@lambeth.gov.uk. Please see the timetable for details of timescales.
Secondary School Admissions for 2013/14 (year 7 - September 2013)
Please note that we can only accept appeals for the following secondary schools:
- Elmgreen School
- Lilian Baylis Technology College
- Norwood School
If you wish to appeal for admission to any other secondary school such as an academy or a voluntary aided school, you will need to contact the individual school direct to obtain information about how to appeal.
If your application for one of the above schools was submitted on time (that is on or before 31 October 2012), the closing date for submitting an appeal for admission to these schools is Friday 5 April 2013. For late applications, (that is those submitted after 31 October 2012), the closing date for appealing is Friday 5 April 2013 or 20 school days after you receive written notification of the outcome of your application for a school place, whichever is later.
Primary School Admissions for 2013/14 (Reception class - September 2013)
Please note that we can only accept appeals for community primary schools. If you wish to appeal for admission to any other primary school such as a foundation or voluntary aided school, you will need to contact the individual school direct to obtain information about how to appeal. Please refer to Section 3 of the admission appeals guidance on infant class size limits as this information applies to all reception class admissions.
If your application for a community primary school place was submitted on time (that is on or before 15 January 2013), the closing date for submitting an appeal for admission to any community primary school is Friday 17 May 2013. For late applications, (that is those submitted after 15 January 2013), the closing date for appealing is Friday 17 May 2013 or 20 school days after you receive written notification of the outcome of your application for a school place, whichever is later.
In Year Primary or Secondary School Admissions (any applications for Years 1-6 and 8-11 and those for Reception and Year 7 received after the first day of the first school term of the admission year)
If you are appealing for admission to an infant class (reception class, year 1 or year 2), please refer to Section 3 of the admission appeals guidance for information on infant class size limits which applies to all infant class admissions.
Appeals must be submitted no later than 20 school days after you receive written notification of the outcome of your application for a school place. Any appeals received after this deadline are unlikely to be considered unless applicants are able to demonstrate extenuating circumstances which prevented the appeal from being submitted on time.
Permanent Exclusion Reviews
If your child has been permanently excluded from a school in Lambeth, you have a legal right to request a review against this decision which will be heard by an Independent Review Panel. To ask for a review you must fill in a form outlining the reasons why you feel your child should not have been permanently excluded from school. Your completed form should be sent to the Clerk to the Independent Review Panel, Governance and Democracy, Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton Hill, SW2 1RW, tel: 020 7926 2170, email: democracy@lambeth.gov.uk
If you would like more information about the review process, call 020 7926 2170, email: democracy@lambeth.gov.uk or use the following links to download further details and appeal forms.
How do I appeal if my child is not given a place at a primary or secondary school?
What do I do if my child is permanently excluded from school?
How do I become an Education Appeals Panel member?