For infant class size appeals, the law only allows the panel to review the submitted application and check the following:

• if the admission would have breached the infant class size limit
• if the admission arrangements complied with admissions law
• if the admission arrangements were correctly and impartially applied
• whether the children would have been accepted if the admission arrangements were correctly and impartially applied
• whether the admission refusal was in any way legally "unreasonable" (i.e. perverse, outrageous or illogical)

If the limit would be breached by the admission, there was no error made in the policy or process and the decision was legally "reasonable", the panel must refuse the appeal.

The panel will read all information you send in and listen to everything you say. However, any additional circumstances that do not fall into the above considerations will not change the outcome. The panel is bound by law to only review the above considerations.

Considerations not covered in the appeal process

The appeal process only applies in a case where you have received a formal refusal of a place by letter or email. You cannot use this process for any of the following reasons:

• not receiving your catchment area school if your preferred school is full: there is no guarantee of receiving an allocation at a preferred school
• the number of appeals at each school: there are no free spaces kept open for appeal allocations at any school, so the number of appeals do not affect your chances of getting a place at a school
• waiting lists: the order of the waiting list is not affected by any appeal status. The order of the list is set out in the school's admission policy
• prioritisation based on only having one preferred school: no priority is given to any application just because the applicant only listed one preference, which is why we recommend using all three preference options on your application
• appeals against the school admissions policy itself: school admission policies are drafted and put out for consultation to the public 18 months before the relevant year group is due to start at the school - once the consultation ends, the policies are finalised and made legal. This appeal process can only review whether the agreed legal policy was accurately and appropriately

Contact us

You can contact appeals officers:

• by phone: 01202 118 911
• by email: schoolappeals@bcpcouncil.gov.uk

You can contact admissions officers:

• by phone: 01202 127 963
• by email: school.admissions@bcpcouncil.gov.uk

You can contact the Children's Information Service (CIS) for Bournemouth and Christchurch:

• by phone: 01202 123 222
• by email: edu.cis@bcpcouncil.gov.uk