Q I have applied for my son to transfer to another school but he has been
refused because the school full. Is there anything that I can do?
A You do have the right to appeal against the decision. An independent Tribunal
will consider your appeal and also hear submissions on behalf of the school
and the education authority. Even if the Tribunal agree that the school is full, it
is still possible for your son to be admitted. However, there have to be special
circumstances to justify this. The Tribunal will balance your child's needs
against the difficulties the school would face if your son was admitted.
- What do the Tribunal take into account when deciding the appeal?
A The Tribunal will take into account a wide variety of factors such as how
close he lives near the school, whether there are any particular issues causing
problems at his current school such as bullying or whether the child has
special educational needs or skills which would be better served by the new
school e.g. in sport or music.
Q. Do I need legal representation to help with an appeal?
R. It is not necessary to have legal representation; the Appeal hearing is quite informal. However sometimes legal help in preparing and presenting your Appeal can help your case.
If you would like any specific advice or assistance in respect of the above issues please telephone 0808 231 7043 and ask to speak to Derek Walker or Paul Hargreaves in our Education Team who will be pleased to assist you.
