Appeal Information

If you have not been offered a place at St. Mathew Academy, the law entitles you to appeal against that decision to an Independent Appeal Panel. This panel is completely independent of the school and the Local Authority. Due to the current pandemic, all appeals will be heard online, but has the advantage that your appeal can be heard from your home or place of work.

If you wish to appeal, please use contact the Academy via email . Please do NOT use ANY other appeal form or send your form to your local authority. It is highly recommended that you download the explanatory booklet about appeals which you should read before you complete the appeal form. 

You should include any evidence or supporting material with your appeal form, and you MUST give the grounds for your appeal at the time you lodge your appeal form. Your appeal form will not be accepted unless you state the grounds for your appeal. You may appeal for more than one school.

Please note that the online form will ask you to download two utility bills dated in the last THREE months.  If you do not have access to a scanner, please take two photographs with a mobile phone and upload the photographic files.

Full details about the hearing will be sent to you with your invitation to the hearing.

Appeal Dates & Information

PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY.

If you have not been offered a place at St Matthew’s Academy, the law entitles you to appeal against that decision to an Independent Appeal Panel. This panel is completely independent of the school and the Local Authority. All appeals will be heard online which has the advantage that your appeal can be heard from your home or place of work.

Please do NOT use ANY other appeal form or send your form to your local authority. 

You should include any evidence or supporting material with your appeal form, and you MUST give the grounds for your appeal at the time you lodge your appeal form. Your appeal form will not be accepted unless you state the grounds for your appeal. You may appeal for more than one school, but on different forms.

Any letters or reports that you wish the panel to see should be uploaded at this time.  You are asked to bear in mind that if you later send additional information, the closing date is 5 working days before the STAGE 1 hearing.  All appointed panels have agreed NOT to take any late letters or reports after the 5 working day deadline.  This will be strictly enforced.  For secondary/primary transfer appeals, the hearing will take place at least TWO months after the refusal letter.  This gives you plenty of time to get your evidence together if you act early and take account of school holidays.

Please note that the online form will ask you to download two utility bills dated in the last THREE months.  If you do not have access to a scanner, please take two photographs with a mobile phone and upload the photographic files.

Full details about the hearing will be sent to you with your invitation to the hearing.

If you wish to contact the clerk – email :  clerk@educationappeals.com

The timetable for appeals is as follows: -

Last day for lodging appeal forms for a place in year 7 to start in September 2024
The stage 1 part of the hearing (with other parents present) will take place on
Part 2, the individual private hearings will take place on
Invitation letter giving details about your hearing will be sent by the Clerk to the Independent Appeal Panel
Any additional  supporting evidence
Letter from the Clerk informing you of the decision of the independent appeal panel

Timetable for appeals for midterm applications is as follows:

Last day for lodging appeal forms following a refusal for a place ‘in year’ or ‘midterm’.

You must lodge the appeal form within 20 school days upon receipt of your letter of refusal.  You MUST state the reasons for your appeal and supply documentary evidence at this stage. Appeals are held within 30 school days of receipt of the appeal form.