How to Win an Oversubscribed School Appeal

The best schools are often oversubscribed, meaning that many parents will miss out on their first choice of school for their child. While this can be very disappointing and worrying, it can be possible to appeal when your child has been denied a place because a school is oversubscribed.

Our specialist education lawyers can provide seasoned expertise on how to win an oversubscribed school appeal. We can help you understand a school’s admissions criteria and why your child might have been turned down, identify any grounds for appeal, help you write your appeal and represent you during appeals hearings.

To find out your options and how we can help, you can book a fixed-fee online consultation with one of our specialists. They will listen to your concerns and give you the necessary information to decide your next steps.

We do not act on behalf of schools or local authorities. You can be assured that we are on your side and will act in your best interests. We have delivered external presentations on oversubscribed school admission appeals.

Our Case Summaries include school admissions appeals and a range of other educational issues we have advised upon.

Please be assured that you will be in safe hands with our team, which consists of education law specialists who act solely on behalf of students and their parents. We are committed to ensuring that children are treated fairly and receive the education to which they are entitled.

How IBB Law’s education law solicitors can help with an oversubscribed school appeal

Understanding the admissions criteria for the school

Schools’ admissions authorities must explain why an application was turned down in their decision letter with reference to the school’s admissions criteria. We can review these reasons and advise on your response, including whether you have grounds for appeal.

We can also provide proactive advice on school admissions criteria before you make your initial application, helping to ensure that you provide all relevant information for the strongest possible application.

Realistic advice on your grounds for appeal

We will always be clear about the potential grounds for appeal available and your chances of success. This includes managing your expectations. If we believe there is no realistic chance of success, we will be upfront about this. As such, if we advise that an appeal is worth pursuing, you can be confident we believe you have a case.

Writing school appeals

Our experts can prepare your written submission for you, ensuring your points are clearly articulated and properly supported with suitable evidence. This can increase your chances of a successful school admission appeal.

Representation for school admission appeals hearings

If an appeal hearing is held, you can have legal representation. We can provide this representation, or if you wish to represent yourself, we can help you prepare your arguments and practice delivering them.

Our fees for help with oversubscribed school appeals

We offer an initial online consultation with one of our specialist education solicitors for a fixed fee. This gives you the opportunity to explain your situation and hear how we can help.

To arrange your consultation, please contact our education law senior legal administrator, Rachael, on 01895 207230, our administrator, Kinjal, on 01895 207240, or email educationteam@ibblaw.co.uk. They can send you a link to an online booking suite so you can select a day and time that is convenient for your fixed fee consultation.

After your initial consultation, if you would like additional assistance, we can advise you on the costs for any further help you may require. The nature of the issues, the complexity of the matter, and the time the work will take to complete will determine the cost. All costs will be agreed in advance. You can stay in control of the money you spend on an oversubscribed school appeal.

For more information on our education law pricing, please get in touch.

Common questions about how to win an oversubscribed school appeal

What does it mean if a school is oversubscribed?

Popular schools usually receive more applications from parents seeking to secure a place for their child than they have places to offer. This is known as being ‘oversubscribed’ and, ultimately, means that the school will turn down some of those applications.

When a school is oversubscribed, it will review each application according to its admissions criteria to decide which applications to accept and which to turn down. Admissions criteria vary between schools and will be set by the relevant admissions authority.

How do I get my child into an oversubscribed school?

If you are applying to a school that you believe may be oversubscribed, it is important to carefully study the admissions criteria to ensure you and your child best match the requirements.

When preparing your application, you should ensure that all relevant information is included. If your circumstances change before the application deadline, it is important to let the admissions authority know about these changes so they can be considered part of its decision-making process.

What are the grounds for an oversubscribed school appeal?

There are various grounds on which you can appeal an admissions authority’s decision not to offer your child a place at your first-choice school, including:

1. The original application did not include relevant information that would have helped your application.
2. You notified the admissions authority of a change in circumstances that might have helped your application, but this information was not considered.
3. The school’s admissions policy contravenes the School Admissions Code (this is very rarely the case).
4. The school’s admissions policy has been applied incorrectly (again, this is rare, but it can happen).
5. Your child would be so disadvantaged by not being offered a place that this outweighs any potential disadvantage to the other children who were offered places (e.g. due to overcrowding).

Exactly which grounds apply and how they may help your oversubscribed school appeal will depend on the circumstances, so seeking expert advice can be highly valuable.

How can I increase my chances of winning an oversubscribed school appeal?

Having a well-prepared appeal can significantly increase your chances of success. Some steps you can take include:

• Carefully reviewing the school’s admissions criteria against your circumstances and comparing this to the stated reason your application was turned down
• Getting expert advice on your potential grounds for appeal
• Gathering all relevant documents and other evidence
• Making sure that your arguments are clearly formulated and well-supported by the evidence
• Thinking about possible objections to your appeal and find ways to address them
• Being clear about why attending this particular school would be of benefit to your child and why alternative schools would not meet their needs as effectively
• Ensuring that any exceptional circumstances are identified and emphasised

Having support from a specialist in school admissions appeals can help to ensure that every detail is covered and give you the best possible chance of a successful appeal.

What should I bring to the appeal hearing?

You should take a written copy of any statement you intend to make and copies of all relevant documents to the appeals hearing. If you are representing yourself, taking notes on your key points is also sensible to ensure you do not miss anything.

What happens at the appeal hearing?

Appeals are held in front of an independent panel that will hear representations from you/your lawyers, and the school’s admissions authority. The panel will review the written evidence you have submitted, and once both parties’ cases have been presented, they will decide whether your child should be admitted to the school or not.

Proceedings will start with the clerk or panel chair introducing everyone and explaining the process and what happens after the hearing. The admission authority’s reasons for turning down your application will be given first, and you will have the opportunity to present your case. The panel will end the hearing when they believe they have sufficient evidence to make a decision.

You will usually be informed of the panel’s decision within five school days of the hearing.

Is legal representation necessary for an oversubscribed school appeal?

You can represent yourself during an oversubscribed school appeal, but having expert legal representation can increase your chances of success.

Firstly, a specialist admissions appeals expert will be able to make sure you are using the best grounds for your appeal, that your case is as strong as possible and that any potential objections have been considered and countered.

Secondly, appeal hearings can be intimidating and overwhelming for people who are not used to these kinds of proceedings. This can mean that, if you were to represent yourself, you might struggle to articulate your case and counter any arguments from the admissions authority as effectively as someone with experience in these matters would.

For these reasons, it is highly worth considering consulting an expert on how to win an oversubscribed school appeal to give yourself the best possible chance of success.

What others say about IBB’s specialist education solicitors

“From the outset, they listened and guided me through my options. I have been struck by the consistency in their process, their professionalism and empathy. Their strengths have definitely been in their willingness to collaborate with other legal professionals in order to give you the best possible chance of success. They don’t shy away from meeting online, so I really feel understood and cared for.”

“Very personal service where nothing is too much trouble. Prompt in all responses and no stone left unturned to advise thoroughly, ensuring the best decision is made. Impressive high standards in all aspects of service. I can’t rate them highly enough.”

“I believe IBB Law Education Team have shown themselves to be true to their word. They have collaborated with me in terms of what to expect at each stage of my case. Their practice is transparent and open, and they are clear and concise regarding the fees.”

“The experience was excellent. I was able to sort out my issue in less than a month with the help of the team at IBB Law. Right from the beginning of contacting the firm, I was provided with all the support and communication with the team was also very smooth. I am more than happy to have contacted the firm. I would definitely recommend IBB Law to anyone that is going through a similar situation as mine.”

“IBB offer unrivalled skill and expertise when it comes to education law matters. They are very well-placed to represent students in all types of public and private law claims against universities. They also do a lot of work in the school sector, in particular when representing parents in claims against independent schools. They are knowledgeable in the main areas of law that cut across these and associated areas of the education sector. Given their level of experience in these areas, they also have a very good practical understanding of the education sector and are geared towards achieving good practical outcomes for their clients.”

“The gold standard team for higher education work. IBB is one of my main instructing solicitors, and I always feel completely confident that they will do an excellent job for the client. The cases are meticulously prepared, and they are very client-focused and practical in their approach.”

“Very empathetic and attentive to each individual client’s needs. I felt heard and understood for the first time by professionals. The team was easy and quick to communicate with, and the whole process made me feel at ease.”

“My matter was dealt and over with quite quickly with a happy outcome.”

“Celia Whittuck is a star individual. She has gained considerable experience in education law and has excellent strategic litigation strategy, particularly for civil claims against independent schools and universities, and internal complaints and appeal processes in relation to these institutions. She puts the client’s outcome at the heart of what she does and has a track record for achieving good results.”

“Celia Whittuck is a phenomenally dedicated solicitor and a real delight to work with.”

“Focused and determined education team.”

“Celia Whittuck has a growing reputation in the area.”

“Celia Whittuck has an excellent breadth of knowledge and is very responsive.”

“She is amazing.”

Celia has taken a particular interest in ensuring that the appropriate educational outcomes are achieved. Her commitment has been unwavering.”

“Celia Whittuck has been helpful, understanding, respectful and responsive.”

“We can’t thank you enough for your expert assistance throughout this case and we particularly appreciated the clarity and kindness you showed in every communication. The matter could have escalated very unpleasantly except for your intervention, for which we are extremely grateful.”

The Education Law Team at IBB is ranked by Legal 500. Legal 500 describe themselves as the leading guide to law firms and solicitors across the UK.

Celia Whittuck at IBB is ranked by Chambers and Partners. Chambers and Partners say of themselves, “Our rankings are the most thoroughly researched and independent on the market. Each one is assessed by our dedicated team of experienced researchers using our unrivalled research methodology, which includes tens of thousands of one-to-one interviews every year.

“If you are buying legal services in the UK and need reliable recommendations on the best law firms and solicitors, our rankings, editorial and analysis will provide you with the information you need to make the most well-informed decision when it matters.”

Call today to discuss your oversubscribed school appeal

To find out more about how we can help if your preferred school is oversubscribed, please contact our education law senior legal administrator, Rachael, on 01895 207230, our administrator Kinjal on 01895 207240 or by emailing educationteam@ibblaw.co.uk. They can arrange a fixed fee consultation and send you a link to our online booking suite.