Admission appeals timetable
A timetable for admission appeals: the deadline to lodge an appeal, the deadlines for evidence, notice of hearings and when decisions are sent. Schools that are their own admission authority must publish it by 28 February each year.
Check this on my websiteWho it applies to
- Published on
- The school's own website
- School type
- Academies and maintained schools
- School stage
- All stages, from early years to sixth form
- Only applies to
- Schools that are their own admission authority: academies, foundation and voluntary-aided schools
- Does not apply to
- Nursery schools, sixth-form only providers and alternative provision
When is it due?
- How often
- Every year
- Due by
- 28 February each year
What's needed
Publish the admission appeals timetable on the admissions page by 28 February each year, covering the current admissions round.
What it must contain
7 parts- Publishes a timetable for how it will organise and hear admission appealsMust
- Gives the deadline to lodge an appeal, at least 20 school days after notificationMust
- Gives a deadline for the clerk to send appeal papers to the panel and partiesMust
- Gives appellants at least 10 school days' notice of the hearingMust
- Says decision letters are sent within 5 school days of the hearingMust
- Gives the deadline for a parent or carer to submit additional evidenceMust
- Gives the deadline for the admission authority to submit its evidenceMust
What the official sources say
Set out in 4 official sources:
What maintained schools must or should publish online
By 28 February each year, the school must publish a timetable setting out how it will organise and hear admission appeals.
Must§ Admission arrangements > Admission appeals
This timetable must: – include a deadline that allows a parent or carer at least 20 school days from the date of notification that their application was unsuccessful to prepare and lodge a written appeal – include reasonable deadlines for: – a parent or carer to submit additional evidence – admission authorities to submit their evidence – the clerk to send appeal papers to the panel and parties – ensure that a parent or carer lodging an appeal receives at least 10 school days’ notice of their appeal hearing – ensure that decision letters are sent within 5 school days of the hearing, wherever possible
Must§ Admission arrangements > Admission appeals
Show 2 more from this source
Foundation and voluntary-aided schools must publish their admission arrangements to comply with the: – school admissions code – school admission appeals code
Must§ Admission arrangements > What foundation and voluntary-aided schools must publish
Community and voluntary-controlled schools must publish a link to the local authority’s website for parents and carers who wish to find out about the school’s admission and appeal arrangements. It is the local authority that manages both processes.
Must§ Admission arrangements > What community and voluntary-controlled schools must publish
What academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish online
By 28 February each year, the trust must publish a timetable setting out how it will organise and hear admission appeals.
Must§ Admission arrangements > Admission appeals
Academy trusts must publish their admission arrangements to comply with the: – school admissions code – school admission appeals code
Must§ Admission arrangements > What academy trusts must publish
School admission appeals code 2022
2.2 Admission authorities must publish their appeals timetable on their website by 28 February each year.
Must§ para 2.2, page 12
2.1 Admission authorities must set a timetable for organising and hearing appeals that: a) includes a deadline for lodging appeals which allows appellants at least 20 school days from the date of notification that their application was unsuccessful to prepare and lodge their written appeal;
Must§ para 2.1(a), page 12
Show 1 more from this source
b) ensures that appellants receive at least 10 school days’ notice of their appeal hearing;
Must§ para 2.1(b), page 12
School admissions code 2021
28 February 2023 Deadline for admission authorities to publish their appeals timetable on their website.
Must§ Example timetable, Offer Year (2022/23), page 43
Questions schools ask
Does every school have to publish the admission appeals timetable?
Academies and maintained schools must publish it. It only applies to schools that are their own admission authority: academies, foundation and voluntary-aided schools.
When does the admission appeals timetable need to be published?
How often: Every year. Due by: 28 February each year.
What must the admission appeals timetable include?
Publishes a timetable for how it will organise and hear admission appeals; Gives the deadline to lodge an appeal, at least 20 school days after notification; Gives a deadline for the clerk to send appeal papers to the panel and parties; Gives appellants at least 10 school days' notice of the hearing; Says decision letters are sent within 5 school days of the hearing; Gives the deadline for a parent or carer to submit additional evidence; and 1 more part listed above.
Where does the requirement for the admission appeals timetable come from?
It is set out in What maintained schools must or should publish online, What academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish online, School admission appeals code 2022 and School admissions code 2021.
Changes to the official sources
Dated change notes published by the Department for Education on the sources above.
12 November 2020 · What academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish online
Added new sections on 'Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium' and 'Executive pay'. Updated sections on 'Admission arrangements', 'Ofsted reports', 'Exam and assessment results', 'Curriculum', 'Pupil premium', 'Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up premium', 'Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium', 'PE and sport premium for primary schools', 'Equality objectives' and 'Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)'.
12 November 2020 · What maintained schools must or should publish online
Added new sections: 'Schools that do not have a website' and 'Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium'. Updated sections on 'Admission arrangements', 'Exams and assessment results', 'Curriculum', 'Pupil premium', 'Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up premium', 'PE and sport premium for primary schools', 'Equality objectives', 'Special educational needs and disability (SEND) information', 'Governors' information and duties'.
1 November 2016 · What maintained schools must or should publish online
Clarified what information voluntary-aided schools must publish about their admission arrangements.
We last checked these sources on 21 September 2026.
Is this on your school's website?
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Official wording that does not apply to schools (1)
1.1 Under section 94 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, responsibility for making arrangements for appeals against the refusal of a school place rests with the admission authority of the school.
Official sources last checked 21 September 2026 · register version 1.0.4