Secondary School (Year 7) Admission Appeals – September 2026 Entry

1) National Offer Day

  • Monday 2 March 2026 – Offer letters sent to parents (statutory Secondary National Offer Day).

2) Deadline to Submit Appeals (on time)

  • Friday 1 May 2026 – 20 school days from offer date to lodge an appeal (allowing the statutory minimum period)

  • Appeals Form: Please contact the Clerk to the Governors for a copy: clerk@alston.cumbria.sch.uk

3) Hearing Notification & Documentation

  • At least 10 school days before each hearing – Parents must be sent hearing dates and arrangements (notice period).

  • Deadline for additional evidence from appellant – e.g., 5 working days before hearing (local authorities typically include this).

  • Clerk sends appeal papers – e.g., 7 working days before hearing.

4) Appeal Hearing Windows

  • Commencing Monday 18 May 2026 – hearings start once initial preparation windows complete.

  • By Tuesday 16 June 2026 – all timely appeals must be heard within 40 school days of the appeal deadline.
    (40 school days from 1 May 2026 ends mid-June 2026).

5) Decision Letters Issued

  • Within 5 school days of each hearing – Panel decisions communicated to families.

???? Key Statutory Requirements (Admissions Appeals Code)

  • Deadline for appeals must allow at least 20 school days from offer date to lodge an appeal.

  • Appeals received by the deadline must be heard within 40 school days of that deadline.

  • Appellants must be given at least 10 school days’ notice of the hearing.

  • Decision letters should be sent within 5 school days of the hearing.

???? Additional Notes

  • Appeals lodged after 1 May 2026 can still be submitted up to 22 May 2026 (your cut-off) but will not count as “on-time” – they must be heard within 40 school days of the deadline (where possible) or within 30 school days of receiving the appeal if later.

  • The final on-time appeals hearing window (before the summer holidays) would be May–June 2026 for most local authorities.

In-Year Admissions Process – Samuel King’s School

1️⃣ Publication of In-Year Admissions Information (by 31 August each year)

By legal requirement, the school must publish on its website how in-year applications are handled for the upcoming academic year. This should include:

  • the in-year application form (Click Here for the Form)

  • details of any supplementary information required (e.g., proof of address)

  • contact details for submitting applications

  • how applications will be assessed and decided

  • arrangements for waiting lists and appeals.

???? The school must also notify the local authority (Council) whether it will process in-year applications itself or if the Local Authority will coordinate them.

2️⃣ Receiving In-Year Applications

Parents or carers can apply at any time during the school year for a place at Samuel King’s School. An in-year application is one made outside the normal admission rounds.

The school must:

  • Accept applications in writing (online form or paper)

  • Record the date the application is received (the 'received date’)

  • Acknowledge receipt promptly (ideally within 5 school days)

3️⃣ Check for Available Places

For the relevant year group applied for:

  • If there is a current vacancy, the school should offer a place immediately (subject to checking documentation).

  • If there is no space, the school must follow its oversubscription criteria to determine whether a place can be allocated. This must be the same criteria used for normal entry rounds and must comply with the School Admissions Code (no unlawful criteria).

4️⃣ Decision Timelines

Although the Code doesn’t set a fixed statutory deadline for in-year decisions, own admission authority schools are expected to consider and respond to applications promptly. Many local schemes aim to decide within 10 school days where possible.

After considering the application, the school must:

  • Offer a place (if space is available in the relevant year group), or

  • Refuse the application (if the year group is full) based on the school’s oversubscription criteria.

5️⃣ Communication of Outcome

The outcome must be communicated in writing (letter or email) and must clearly state:

  • the decision (offer or refusal)

  • the reasons for refusal, referencing the oversubscription criteria used

  • information about how to appeal and the deadline for lodging an appeal (parents have a right of appeal to an independent panel under the School Admissions Appeals Code)

  • details on waiting list procedures (if a waiting list is maintained).

Parents must be told they can apply for a waiting list and how long the school retains names on that list.

6️⃣ Waiting Lists

If a place cannot be offered:

  • The child’s name is placed on a waiting list (unless parents request otherwise)

  • Waiting lists must be ordered in accordance with the oversubscription criteria

  • Lists should close at the end of each term, and parents should be informed of this and invited to reapply if necessary.

7️⃣ Fair Access Protocol

If a vulnerable child (e.g., looked-after or previously looked-after) cannot be placed through the usual process, the school must comply with the local authority’s Fair Access Protocol to secure a place quickly.

8️⃣ Appeals

If an in-year application is refused, parents have the statutory right to appeal to an independent appeals panel.
The refusal letter must include:

  • how to lodge the appeal

  • the deadline for lodging (usually at least 20 school days from the refusal letter)

  • where additional evidence may be submitted

  • expected timescales for the hearing and decision.

Appeals must be handled in line with the School Admission Appeals Code (England).