Evidence to support your school admission appeal

You can appeal for any reason but the stronger your reasons are, the better chance you have of your appeal being successful. An appeal supported by documentary evidence is more likely to be successful than one where no evidence is provided.

And remember, you are appealing FOR a place at your preferred school, not AGAINST the offer of a place at the school you have been allocated.

You are responsible for providing the appeal Panel with evidence and information supporting your case. The Panel will not contact anyone (such as your doctor, social worker, family support worker, the police or current school) for information.

Please:

• upload evidence through your Appeal Portal Account
• email the evidence to educationappeals.admin@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

All information submitted is confidential and will only be shared with the Panel, Clerk, observers, the school (admission authority) and Local Authority.

Read our Guidance and FAQs for more information about appeals.

Infant Class Size appeals (Year R, Year 1 and Year 2)

The Panel's task is to review the decision not to admit your child to your preferred school including checking that a mistake was not made at the time.

Evidence for Infant Class Size appeals should relate to any mistake or error you believe led to your child being denied a place at the school.

Reasons such as your child having attended the nursery at the school, having children at different schools, the need for 'wrap-around' childcare, not being able to continue work, or difficulties getting your child to school on-time are not grounds of appeal the Panel can consider.

Due to the law restricting the size of infant classes to 30 children, Infant Class Size appeals are rarely successful.

We suggest that you have an alternative plan in case your appeal is not successful. You can speak to the Admissions Team at any time to discuss alternative school places and waiting lists. This will not affect your appeal in any way.

Two-stage 'prejudice' appeals (Year 3-11)

For 'prejudice' appeals, the Panel may take your personal circumstances into account. This makes them different from Infant Class Size appeals.

Think about why you want your child to attend the school and the impact on the child and your family if they don't attend that (and only that) school.

Letters, reports or any other relevant information you feel supports your case must be sent to us in advance of the hearing.

You will be given a deadline for submitting additional evidence. If the information is complex and it is submitted after the deadline, the Panel refuse to accept it or may adjourn your hearing to a new date to give all parties time to deal with the new information.

What evidence should you provide?

These are examples, and you may have other reasons.

If your case is based on medical or social grounds - provide written evidence from your doctor, social worker or any other professional person stating clearly why this school is the only suitable school for your child and give reasons why other schools in the city will not support their needs.

This might include:

• Doctor's letter confirming a diagnosis of illness or medical condition and its impact on the child or family (which will have more weight than an appointment letter)
• Social worker or family support worker letter explaining the support they provide your child or family and why your child needs to go to this school only
• Police crime number or letter in cases of bullying or domestic abuse and reasons why your child must go to the school you are appealing for
• Letter from current school in cases of bullying or social anxiety

If your case is based on a house move - provide supporting documents such as a tenancy or mortgage certificate or other relevant documents. Do not send the whole tenancy agreement or contract. A first and signature page or solicitor’s letter is enough.

If you are unhappy with your child's current school, explain what has happened and say what you and the school have done to deal with the problems. Provide supporting letters, emails and reports where possible.

If you use AI to help prepare your appeal, please ensure that any information it generates is relevant to your circumstances, clearly summarised, and supported by evidence where appropriate.

Is there a deadline for evidence?

Yes. You will be given a deadline for submitting additional information. This is so that the information can be shared with the Panel, Clerk, school and Local Authority before the hearing.

If you send it in late, it may not be considered or may result in your appeal hearing being adjourned.

When sending evidence, you must:

• use a scanner app to scan documents (rather than taking photos or screenshots)
• upload documents in your Appeal Portal Account or email them to educationappeals.admin@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
• if you are emailing documents, ensure you tell us your child's appeal reference, name, date of birth and the appeal school in the email subject line
• use the correct postage if you are posting your documents - A4 size only please

You should not send:

• any documents you have already submitted
• photographs or screen shots of documents (the file size is often too big to be manageable)
• photos of your child or other children (due to safeguarding concerns)
• PowerPoint, video or other audio or visual presentations
• letters of support from the school you are appealing for
• schoolwork or certificates
• password-protected documents
• original paper documents that use staples, document wallets or file dividers

Do not send evidence after your appeal hearing. It will not be shared with the Panel and will not be considered when the Panel makes its decision.