Separate the three possible processes
| Process | What it may address |
|---|---|
| Test enquiry or administrative check | A specific concern about the result or test administration, where the organiser offers this route. |
| Selection review | Whether a child should be treated as academically qualified under a local procedure. |
| Admission appeal | A formal challenge after a school refuses the application for a place. |
Do not assume an 11+ has the same re-mark service as a GCSE. Ask the organiser what is available and what its decision can change.
Reviews differ between areas
Buckinghamshire has a parent-requested Selection Review. Bexley describes a headteacher-requested review. Medway’s results guidance directs families who remain non-grammar assessed to the application and subsequent school appeal process.
Read your local guidance before choosing a review. A prior local review can affect the scope of a later appeal. The DfE explains that a panel may first consider whether the review was carried out fairly, consistently and objectively rather than repeating it.
The appeals hub links to local processes and individual school guidance.
Match the evidence to the refusal
If the child did not qualify academically, relevant evidence may include school reports, current attainment and a primary-school reference, together with documented circumstances affecting the test.
If the child qualified but the school is full, explain why this school meets needs that matter for your child. If you believe a rule was applied incorrectly, identify the rule, the error and the evidence. A general preference for grammar education is not the same as a supported school-specific case.
Keep documents readable, dated and relevant. Follow the local restrictions on the types of evidence accepted; extra pages do not automatically make a stronger case.
Keep the application and appeal deadlines separate
Submit the CAF on time, following the route’s instructions about naming a school while a review is pending. Include realistic alternatives.
When a place is refused, use the instructions in that refusal and submit a separate appeal for each school you wish to challenge. Note the appeal deadline and the evidence deadline. If your child has an EHC plan, check the different EHC placement process before using an ordinary admission appeal form.
A FEW MORE ANSWERS
Still wondering?
Can I appeal as soon as the 11+ result arrives?
A test result does not by itself mean a school place has been refused. Check for a local review or enquiry procedure at results time; an admission appeal follows the school application decision.
Can I appeal if my child passed but the school is full?
Yes, after a refused application. The issue is then the refusal of a place, rather than proving a test pass. Read the reasons for refusal and prepare a school-specific case.
Does accepting another place weaken the appeal?
No. The Department for Education says accepting another offer has no bearing on an appeal. Keep a school place secured while following the appeal timetable.
Official sources
Checked 28 Sept 2026
- Department for Education — advice for parents on school admission appealsgov.uk
- GOV.UK — appealing a school decisiongov.uk
- Buckinghamshire Council — Selection Reviewbuckinghamshire.gov.uk
- Bexley Council — 2026 Selection Test guidance for 2027 entrybexley.gov.uk
- Medway Council — test results and appealsmedway.gov.uk