Appeals

Appeal Dates & Information

If you have not been offered a place at St James Catholic High School, 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 this link to complete your appeal online. Please do NOT use ANY other appeal form or send your form to your local authority. It is suggested that you download the explanatory booklet about appeals which you should read before you complete the appeal form. Booklet Link  

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.

Depending on the situation at the time, your appeal could be heard online instead of a face to face meeting at the school.  Full details 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 2021

4pm on Thursday 30 March 2022 to guarantee that your appeal will be heard in the first tranche of appeals.  Appeals lodged later may not be heard until the second tranche which could be in September 2023.   You MUST state the reasons for your appeal and supply any documentary evidence at this stage. 

The stage 1 part of the hearing (with other parents present) will take place on

Thursday 15 June 2023

Part 2, the individual private hearings will take place on 

Thursday 15 June 2023

Invitation letter giving details about your hearing will be sent by the Clerk to the Independent Appeal Panel 

At least 10 school days before the stage 1 hearing.

Any additional  supporting evidence

Thursday 8 June 2023. You are advised that additional paperwork received on the day of the appeal hearing will not be taken into account. Please provide the Clerk with FIVE copies of any additional evidence. All such evidence to be submitted in A4 format and NOT bound, but may be stapled on the top left hand corner.  Paperwork submitted with your appeal form does not need to include 5 copies.  These should be sent to PO BOX 367, Cuffley, Herts, EN6 4XZ.

Letter from the Clerk informing you of the decision of the independent appeal panel

Due to the high number of appeals held at this time, this may not be sent until up to 2 weeks after the last hearing for the school.
 

Timetable for appeals for mid-term applications is as follows:

Last day for lodging appeal forms following a refusal for a place mid-term.

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.

Timetable for appeals for the Sixth Form is as follows
 

Last day for Lodging appeals

4pm on Wednesday 31 August 2023 to guarantee that your appeal will be heard within the first weeks of September. You MUST state the reasons for your appeal on the online form and supply any documentary evidence at this stage e.g. a copy of your result sheet. 

Please note the timetable is very short to enable those appellants who win appeals to start as early into the school year as possible.

Click here for the Sixth Form appeal form

Appeal date

The date will be during the month of September 2023.