When you can appeal
You have the right to appeal when the school(s) you prefer for your child is full and your application for a place has been refused by the admission authority.
If you are appealing for a reception year (year R), a starting junior school (year 3) or a transfer to high school place (year 7). We will hear your appeal within 40 school days.
Starting school – reception year
Offer letter: 16 April 2026
Appeals deadline – 20 schools days after offer letter: 15 May 2026
Appeals will be heard from: 22 June 2026
Infant to junior transfer – year 3
Offer letter: 16 April 2026
Appeals deadline – 20 schools days after offer letter: 15 May 2026
Appeals will be heard from: 22 June 2026
High schools and academies – year 7
Offer letter: 2 March 2026
Appeals deadline – 20 schools days after offer letter: 27 March 2026
Appeals will be heard from: 30 April 2026
We will plan to hear all appeals, for the Year R, 3 and 7 intakes that are received ‘on time’ within forty school days.
If your appeal is received after the deadline your appeal may be heard after others for the same school.
Late applications for a school will usually be heard within 30 school days after the appeal is lodged.
Appealing for more than one school
You can appeal for more than one school, providing that you have previously made an application for a place at the school and named that school as one of your three preferences. If you appealing on paper (not using the online form), you will need to complete separate appeal forms for each school.
Appeals for children aged 5,6 and 7 years of age
The law states that no key stage 1 class (year R, 1 and 2 in infant/primary schools) may have more than 30 pupils in a class with one qualified teacher.
This law means that local authorities and governing bodies of schools must comply with limits on class sizes.
There are very limited circumstances in which a panel can allow infant class size appeals, consequently only a very small number of appeals are usually allowed.
Where the local authority has refused admission on the grounds that class size prejudice would occur (in other words, the class would exceed 30 pupils).
An appeal panel can only allow such an appeal in either of the following three circumstances:
- That the decision was not one which a reasonable admissions authority would make in the circumstances. A reasonable decision is one which a sensible admission authority would make taking into account factors such as the admission policy for the school, the internal operation of the school and the school’s ability to accommodate pupils and meet the class size limit of 30.
- That the admission arrangements have not been applied properly to the case and that if they had been applied properly the child should have been offered a place. If the panel consider that the admission authority did not carry out the admission arrangements properly, or if the rules were broken, then the appeal will be allowed.
- The admission arrangements do not meet the requirements of the School Admissions Code or Part 3 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.
If you cannot prove any of the above your appeal will be unsuccessful.
Contacts and further information
For more information on the school admission process, you can read our document:
School Appeals team
Telephone: 01582 548019
Email: admissionsappeals@luton.gov.uk
Legal Services
Telephone: 01582 546653
Email: DocumentCreation@luton.gov.uk