What you can appeal and how to make an appeal.
Right to appeal
You've a right to appeal to an independent appeal panel against the decision to refuse your child a place at your preferred school.
Last appeal date
The last date to appeal is 24 April 2025. Appeals are heard from May onwards.
Following the second round of allocations if you wish to appeal for a school place at your preferred school(s) submit your written grounds of appeal promptly.
This will maximise the possibility of your school appeal hearing(s) being heard before the summer holidays.
How to appeal
The last date to appeal is 24 April 2025 for schools where Bristol City Council present the appeal on behalf of the school. The deadline for other schools may be different.
The preferred method of sending written grounds of appeal to school admissions is in the Parent Portal Go to https://parent.bristol.gov.uk/web/portal/pages/parents/admissions (opens new window).
You can upload your grounds of appeal for your preferred school with other supporting information or email grounds of appeal to school.admissions@bristol.gov.uk
We cannot return or forward written grounds of appeals received by post that were sent to school admissions by mistake.
Keep a copy of your grounds of appeal and ensure you send them to the correct school or local authority by the requested date.
We present school appeals for these schools:
- Ashton Park School
- Bedminster Down School
- Bristol Brunel Academy
- Bristol Free School
- Bristol Metropolitan Academy
- Cotham School
- Fairfield High School
- Oasis Academy Brislington
- Oasis Academy John Williams
- Orchard School
- Redland Green School
School appeal template letters for Bristol schools will be attached to the allocation statement for each school if the schools are oversubscribed.
Appeals in previous year
See secondary school place appeals for details of applications and outcome of Bristol secondary school appeals last year.
Appeal hearing
You'll get at least 10 school days notice of the date and time of the appeal hearing. You are encouraged to attend and speak at the appeal hearing.
You'll find out the result of your appeal hearing within five days of the school's last appeal hearing.
What the appeal panel takes into account
The independent appeal panel takes into account the:
- preference you expressed
- reasons for your school preference
- admission authority's published admission arrangements
- admission authority's reasons for refusing a place
- personal reasons for your school preference
The independent appeal panel is not bound by the admission authority's published criteria and has the power to make a place available even if the year group is full.
The appeal panel will be able to take your reasons for wanting your child to attend the school or academy into account.
pdf Secondary school appeals guidance (25 KB)
If an appeal is upheld
The decision of the independent appeal panel is binding on the admission authority.
This means your child will be admitted to the school, even if the year group is full. The decision of independent appeal panel can only be overturned by the courts.
If an appeal is dismissed
When an appeal is dismissed there is no automatic right to a second appeal.
A second appeal can only be granted if a significant change of circumstances has occurred since the original appeal was heard. A significant change in circumstances would include:
- where a sibling has started at the preferred school since the original appeal hearing took place
- change of address, now living significantly closer to the preferred school, or now reside within the area of first priority for the school
- where new evidence which could not have been introduced at the time of the original appeal has become available and supported by a letter from a doctor, psychologist or social worker
If your child is on the waiting list for the school, they will remain on the waiting list until 31 December 2025.