Your options if you didn't get your choice of high school today

High and upper school allocation day can be an extremely stressful time for any parent.

After spending months touring schools, looking at brochures and reports and completing the application, it can be devastating when you don't receive the news you want.

But what can you actually do if you don't receive the school place you wanted today?

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Firstly, it's worth looking at whether the high/upper school offered is a suitable alternative and a fit for your child.

But if you feel your allocated place isn't an option for you, every parent has the right to appeal the school place they've been allocated with the council you applied to, apart from the following schools:

• All Saints Academy, Dunstable
• Queensbury Academy, Dunstable

Appeals for these two schools must be made directly with to the school itself.

Bedford, Luton and Central Bedfordshire Council all recommend making an appeal using the online form on their websites, though paper alternatives are available for those with access to a computer.

Those who applied to Central Bedfordshire and Luton Borough Council will have the date they need to appeal by on their allocation letter. Bedford appeals must be sent by March 29, 2022.

You are entitled to appeal a decision for more than one school if you're not happy with any of your decisions.

Next, your appeal will be heard by a panel of volunteers who will look at the local authorities' reasoning as to why they turned a child's place down. This will be done in two stages.

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Appeals for high school and upper school places can be easier as there are no legal requirements around class size that there are in Key Stage One.

At the factual stage, the local authority must prove that there would be prejudice on other pupils' education if further children were admitted to the school. If there are multiple appeals for one school, this will be done as a group.

If the council cannot prove that, a child should be allocated a place at that school. If the council can prove that, the appeal will move to the balance stage on whether the reasons given in the parents' application outweigh that prejudice to the school.

After the appeal has taken place, the panel will write to the parent with a decision within five days of the appeal, unless one school has had multiple appeals, then it could take longer.

Unfortunately, if you lose an appeal, the decision is final and you cannot appeal again unless there is a change of circumstances.

Further information about the appeal proccess, how to apply and who to contact for support can be found on the individual council websites for Luton, Bedford and Central Bedfordshire.

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