An appeal challenges a refusal of a place
The Department for Education’s guidance gives parents a right of appeal when a school they applied to does not offer their child a place. If the school was never part of the application, there may be no admission decision to appeal yet.
Check your final CAF confirmation first. A school saved in a draft, listed for score sharing or selected as a test venue may not have been included in the submitted school preferences.
Ask how a late preference will be handled
Contact your home council’s school admissions team. Give the child’s application reference, the school name and whether you want to add a preference or change an existing one.
Ask these specific questions:
- Which form or written request is needed?
- Will the request be considered in the initial allocation or a later round?
- Does the change affect the status of any existing preferences?
- When should you expect a decision for the newly requested school?
If results or a review caused you to reconsider, include the relevant dates. That explanation does not guarantee the request will be treated as on time.
What happens if the late application is refused?
The refusal should identify the appeal arrangements. Follow those instructions for that school and note both the appeal submission date and the evidence deadline.
For a selective school, the reasons may concern qualification, lack of places, or both. A case about academic suitability is different from a case about an incorrectly applied distance rule. Read how grammar school appeals work before collecting evidence.
A late application can lead to an appeal being heard later than the main group. Ask the appeal clerk about the timetable instead of assuming the school’s published on-time hearing dates cover your case.
Keep the existing offer and a clear record
Save the original CAF, your request to change it, the council’s reply and any refusal. Keep the school place already offered while pursuing alternatives: the DfE confirms that accepting another place has no bearing on an appeal.
If your child has an EHC plan, use the separate EHC placement guidance. That process should not be confused with adding an ordinary CAF preference.
A FEW MORE ANSWERS
Still wondering?
Does sitting the school’s test count as applying?
No. Test registration and applying for a school place are separate. Check whether the school was actually named on the submitted secondary application.
Can I appeal for more than one school?
You can appeal separate refused applications, following each school’s instructions and deadlines. One appeal does not automatically cover every grammar school.
Should I refuse our offered school while applying elsewhere?
Accepting another offered place does not harm an admission appeal. Keep a place secured and check the council’s instructions before withdrawing anything.
Official sources
Checked 28 Sept 2026