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Clerking Admission Appeals

Since their inception back in the 1980’s, the law on Admission Appeals has changed considerably. A new Admission and Apeals codes will come into practice in February/March 2012. These revised codes will introduce considerable changes which your panel members and clerks must put into practice.

While larger Admission Authorities, such as larger Councils, have a small team dedicated to appeals, smaller Admission Authorities including Academies, Foundation and Voluntary Aided schools, rely on either their local authority or an independent clerking service. Many London Boroughs charge their Academies £165 plus per appeal.

Educationappeals Dotcom is a team of experienced truly independent professionals who have been clerking appeals for over 25 years. While we give free independent advice to parents in accordance with the code, we do not get involved in providing a fee based service helping parents to win their appeal. We believed that this would undermine our independence.

Educationappeals Dotcom believes that a truly transparent independent service can only be achieved when we manage the entire process. We are here to provide a service that suits your needs.

This is what we can do for your Admission Authority

a Give you general advice on the appeals process. Ensuring that at all times that your school or schools are not breaking the Appeals Code. We can also advise on admission arrangements and how to deal with in year admissions - an area where many own Admission Authority schools unknowingly break the law.

a Allocate a Clerk to your school, who will administer the whole of the school appeal process.

a We can send out Appeal Forms and information about the appeals process including helpful notes on how to complete the appeals form.

a We can also take receipt of Appeal Forms and regularly keep the school updated on the number of appeals lodged.

a Source and book an independent hearing venue and arrange for any catering.

a Recruit suitably qualified panel members who have no connection with the schools being considered. We would normally seek these from the list held by your local authority, but we do insist on knowing that code compliant with their training.

a We can help admission authorities to recruit and train new panel members.

a Send out the invitation letter inviting parents to the hearing. The letter will include some advice about the hearing, an agenda, as well as who will be sitting on the panel.

a For secondary and primary transfer appeals, we prefer to use the multiple appeal method – this saves you time and money!

a Send out the statement from the Admission Authority. If you wish one of our clerks not involved in your appeals to review your statement and make suggestions about how to make your statement stronger, we are happy to provide this service.

a Book translators.

a Give independent advice to parents.

a The Clerk will attend the hearing. Ensure a smooth operation which is Code compliant, take contemporaneous notes, offer procedural and legal advice to the panel, record the decision, the reasons for the decision and the voting.

a Decisions will be e mailed to you within 24 hours of the panel’s deliberations.

a Within 5 school days of the final deliberation for each school, the Clerk will send out the decision letter and a copy will be e mailed to the Admission Authority. The letter will include details about how the panel reached its decision.

a We will produce minutes of the hearings, which will be signed by the panel Chair.

a Finally a file will be produced complete with copies of all letters, notes and minutes for the Admission Authority to archive for five years.

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