Independent Appeals

How to make an appeal 

If your child has not met the standard for entry to HGS, or your child has met the standard but has not been offered a place (because the school is full), you may appeal against the school’s decision. You can make an appeal after Kirklees (or your Local Authority) have offered places on 2 March 2026.

The grounds for appeal must be set out in writing and can only be submitted by via the appeal registration form.

The deadline for submitting an appeal is 9.00am on Monday 20 April 2026.

Any supporting evidence considered relevant to support the appeal must be submitted by 9.00am on Friday 1 May 2026. This should be emailed to [email protected]. Any evidence not submitted by the deadline may not be considered at the appeal.

Appeals will be heard by an independent panel in the week beginning 1 June 2026. You will be given at least 10 days notice of the date, time and venue of the hearing. The panel will base its decision on the information you provide before and during the hearing.

Before the hearing 

The school’s Governing Body Admissions Sub-Committee will review all appeal cases ahead of the appeal hearing to ensure that the admission procedures have been correctly followed. This is an informal process giving the Governing Body the opportunity to:

• ensure that the admission procedures have been correctly followed
• review the procedures followed in the exam
• review the procedures followed in offering places
• review any written evidence provided by parents in support of their appeal
• intercede if there has been any maladministration at the school.

The clerk will write to you informing you of the result of this review.

The appeal hearing

The independent panel will conduct the process as informally as possible. The panel will be made up of three people who are independent of the school, with at least one from each of two categories:

• Lay members – people without personal experience of the management or the provision of education
• People with experience of education in the area.

The panel has an independent clerk who does not play a part in the decision making process but is there to support the panel and keep records. To ensure fairness, certain procedures will be followed.

Who may attend?

• Parents/carers
• Family or friends to give support
• Representatives to give support or to make the case; these may include a locally elected politician, or an employee of the local education authority such as an educational social worker, SEN adviser or learning mentor, provided that this will not lead to a conflict of interest
• Representatives of the school – they are there to answer questions and to put the school’s case – they are not part of the panel

Sons/daughters or other children should not be brought to the hearing.

You may choose not to attend and the panel will consider your written evidence.

Before the hearing, you will receive a copy of the school’s evidence statement which will give further reasoning as to why your child has not been offered a place. The place to ask questions about this evidence is normally at the appeal hearing.

What happens at the hearing?

The appeals panel must decide if the school’s admission criteria were properly followed and are legal according to the school admissions appeals code.

1. The person making the appeal and the presenting officer for the school are invited in at the same time
2. The chair of the panel makes introductions and explains the procedures to be followed
3. The representatives of the school state the reasons for not offering a place
4. You and the panel have the chance to ask questions of the school
5. You state your case
6. The school representatives or the panel members may ask you questions
7. The school representative sums up their case
8. You may sum up your case
9. The panel members may ask further questions. The appeal hearing is then concluded and the panel will deliberate in the absence of the parties and in the presence of the clerk.

The panel will follow the two stage decision making process in accordance with the school admissions appeals code. Where there are multiple appeals being heard, stage 1 (the school’s case) may be held as a group session for all appellants.

After the hearing

• The panel make their decision and set out the reasons for that decision
• The clerk is instructed to write to you and the school to communicate the decision and the grounds for the decision. This will normally be within 5 working days of the appeal hearing
• The decision of the panel is final and binding on the school and you

The Education Funding Agency (EFA) has a role in handling complaints from parents about independent appeal panels for admissions to academies. Parents should, however, be aware that the EFA can only review the process, not the decision made by the panel. An appeal against the decision not to admit a child would have to go through the courts. Anyone wishing to submit a complaint of maladministration by an independent appeal panel should:

• go to the appeals section on the Department for Education website or
• send a completed complaints form to: [email protected] or
• contact the EFA if you need a paper form instead.

If you have any queries regarding this process, please contact [email protected].