Need Advice: Is My Secondary School Appeal Outcome Letter Lacking Detail?

[D281b]

Hello everyone,

I could use some advice. I recently appealed the decision not to admit my child into Year 7 at our top-choice secondary school, citing significant health and wellbeing concerns, which were supported by evidence from our current school, a GP, and a psychologist. Unfortunately, the appeal was not successful. The outcome letter provided the following explanation:

“The Panel then moved on to the second part of the decision-making process, a balancing stage to determine whether, notwithstanding the above findings, the factors that you put forward outweighed the prejudice that would occur by your child’s admission to the school. The Panel carefully considered all of the evidence provided by you in writing and orally at the appeal, however, did not feel that your case for your child to be admitted to the school outweighed the prejudice to the school should an additional child be admitted. The Panel therefore concluded that your appeal should not be allowed.”

The letter acknowledges the appendices we included but lacks any detailed explanation or engagement with the specifics of my child's needs. This omission makes me question whether the panel truly considered all the aspects of our appeal.

Has anyone else experienced this? I'm curious about the level of detail typically included in these outcome letters and whether it generally reassures you that your case was thoroughly considered. I'm considering raising a complaint with the ombudsman about the procedural aspects, but first, I'd appreciate hearing from others who've been through similar appeals. Your insights could really help me understand if what we received was standard or if I have grounds to question the thoroughness of the panel's review.

Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences!

https://www.lgo.org.uk/make-a-complaint/fact-sheets/education/school-admissions

"You can complain to the Ombudsman if the school you have applied to is a community, foundation, voluntary aided, voluntary controlled or nursery school. We cannot deal with complaints about academies, independent (private) schools, free schools or city technology colleges. If a school converts to an academy during the admissions process, we may be able to consider a complaint.

Some of the issues we can look at are:

that the admissions authority failed to apply the admission criteria properly or fairly
that the appeal panel did not follow the proper procedure set out in the Government’s School Admissions Appeal Code
that the appeal panel did not take relevant information into account in reaching its decision, or took irrelevant information into account
that the decision letter did not give reasons for the decision, and
that the panel did not act independently."

https://www.lgo.org.uk/how-to-complain

Op

I know you're really disappointed about the outcome of your appeal and you obviously got a fairly generic rejection email which makes you think that perhaps they didn't really 'understand' your particular reasons for the appeal.
You can ask for a different letter and maybe they'll oblige you if it makes you feel heard but it will in way change the outcome of the appeal .

The point isn't that @D281b wants a new letter. S/he wants assurance that due process was followed and that the case presented was considered, on full, on the merits of evidence provided. If S/he is not assured of that, then taking it to the LGO is appropriate.

It does sound like a generic type letter. I guess as others say it won't change outcome but I guess I can see why you want reassurance that they did really consider evidence. Hard to know how many appeals they'd listened to

Note that, if the school is an academy, you need the ESFA rather than the LGO.

Unfortunately, many appeal decision letters are lacking in detail. They really should always give enough to reassure parents that their case was considered properly. Having said that, I understand that a clerk having to get 20 or 30 decision letters out in a short space of time in order to meet the deadline set by the Admissions Code may not feel able to spend the time writing all the details for every letter.

For anyone interested or searching for advice in the future, I wanted to provide an update on my situation. After my appeal to admit my child into Year 7 at our top-choice secondary school was unsuccessful, I contacted the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) for further support. Unfortunately, the LGO provided minimal effort or support. They stated that appeal panels are not required to explain details or points raised by appellants in their outcome letters.

The LGO also declined to investigate my complaint, asserting that since I had submitted my appeal to the panel both in writing and orally, they were confident the panel had all the necessary information to make the decision they have; despite the fact that the outcome letter did not acknowledge the primary grounds of my appeal, which were my child’s significant health and wellbeing needs.

The experience has left me with no faith in our government systems to ensure fair and thorough consideration in such critical matters.

The experience has left me with no faith in our government systems to ensure fair and thorough consideration in such critical matters.

You are cranky because the decision dud not go your way. That does not make it unfair or not thorough. In fact the appeal process absolutely was fair and thorough - when you take the point if view of all children in thr cohort.

For what it's worth- I lost two secondary appeals. The outcome letter quoted in the OP was very similarly worded to the letters I got. I did win our third appeal tho - so there is hope 🙂

Thanks for your response. What bugs me is the lack of transparency and explanation from both the appeal panel and the LGO. But just to be clear, it's not frustration because the decision didn’t go my way - it's sadness and worry about for child.

The outcome letter and the LGO’s response didn’t give any details on how they reached their decision or if they even considered the crucial health and wellbeing evidence I presented. Without any acknowledgment of these specific concerns, I have zero faith my case was really evaluated properly.

Some time and distance may help your perspective, it did mine.

I quickly learnt you can't hold all your eggs in one basket - on the basis that its your first choice - when you're in an oversubscribed area. You have to have Plan B, C D - because without those you end up with the Plan XYZ that you definitely don't want.

OP

I am sorry you have lost faith,

in your last post before the update, you mentioned;

”While I might not see these details, knowing the LGO would ensure that sufficient regard was given to my grounds of appeal would be reassurance. ”

Has the LGO’s comment about the panel reviewing the detail given you any reassurance?

My understanding is that, as with other ombudsmen like finance and housing, the LGO doesn’t “re-run” or look at individual appeal details, they are looking to see if the original appeal process was run properly. The LGO has assured you that it was.

However, just as you wanted more detail on the appeal letter to justify the panel deciding against you, you now want more detail from the LGO to justify not improving the letter.

Should the letter have referenced the reasons you gave and the evidence you presented? Ideally yes per best practice

However it is incredibly unlikely that the panel actually overlooked this evidence. Far, far more likely that they considered it and decided it wasn’t enough to win the appeal.

It is very hard to win on “balance of harm” grounds especially as secondaries are full to bursting right now.

Thanks @SheilaFentiman.

I wish it did but,honestly, No, it doesn’t give me any reassurance. And that's because the LGO haven’t even spoken to the panel. The LGO have taken the stance that I gave the panel all the information they needed in writing and verbally (I told the LGO what I told the panel and gave them a copy of my appeal) and they’re basically trusting the panel considered it—on the basis that I provided it. There has been no reaching out to the panel for assurance from the LGO.

Should it have? LGO says not.

Just out of curiosity, why do you think it’s unlikely? I tend to hold trust that people in these positions will do the right thing and follow proper procedures, but my experience within the world has cast doubt on that belief. The world is made up of personalities, and it’s easy to send a bog-standard template reply to me if there’s no requirement to explain the decision-making process.

I didn’t think I was asking too much for a bit of acknowledgment of the case I put forward and their reasons for why it didn't tip the scale.

OP, school places are a fraught thing for parents of SEN students. I'm sorry that your DC's appeal hasn't been successful and the letter seemed too lacking in detail. But respectfully, I think you've attached your feelings of disappointment, frustration and anxiety to the letter itself in a way that just isn't going to produce any positive outcome. No committee letter is actually likely to make you feel at peace with a decision that simply did not go your DC's way, because the denial itself is (understandably) upsetting.

My gentle recommendation is to focus your energy on processing your feelings about the appeal denial (and helping your DC do the same) and on preparing your DC and family for the next steps in their school journey. What concerns do you and your DC have about their allocated school? How are you tackling those as we go into summer and the new year is only a few months away?

@D281b in your first post you said

The letter acknowledges the appendices we included but lacks any detailed explanation or engagement with the specifics of my child's needs.

This is a good indication that - as @minipie said “it is incredibly unlikely that the panel actually overlooked this evidence” ie the appendices were part of the review

I chair hundreds of appeals each year and so always have some where parent takes the appeal case to the LGO. The LGO will ask to see the clerks notes of the appeal which will include the appeal itself and the deliberations. They should be detailed and will show what the panel considered. The LGO role, as others have said, is to check the process, not the decision itself. It is extremely rare for the panel to be involved. We don't keep notes - that is the clerks role.

In terms of the appeal itself, as others have said, the schools cases are getting stronger. Reduction in funding over recent years has caused significant pressure eg classes are bigger and lees pastoral support. More children with SEN (particularly EHCP's) are being taught in mainstream schools and the funding does not cover the full cost of their provision. Recruitment and pupil attendance are also a significant issue. On the other hand, there are many more appellants with evidenced additional needs (particularly anxiety, ND, ASD, ADHD) and many families in major difficulties that I would never envisaged before I sat on appeal panels. Decision making is tough but all the panels that I have sat on do read the paperwork provided thoroughly, probe at appeal and do their best in weighing up all the factors for all the appellants. We do understand the impact that a refusal will have on the appellant but also have to consider the impact on the pupils and staff already in the school..

And that's because the LGO haven’t even spoken to the panel. The LGO have taken the stance that I gave the panel all the information they needed in writing and verbally (I told the LGO what I told the panel and gave them a copy of my appeal) and they’re basically trusting the panel considered it—on the basis that I provided it. There has been no reaching out to the panel for assurance from the LGO.

I also chair panels. Honestly, it's incredibly rare that a panel would be spoken to. Any papers we have are taken and destroyed at the end of the process, the notes are only taken by the clerk. We all tend to hear many appeals each year, it's a voluntary role, and the chances of a panel specifically remembering what exactly we discussed in one appeal is tiny. That's why the clerk takes notes, they are the record, not my memory.

As I said at the beginning of the thread, I do think your letter sounds light, and the ones my LA send are more detailed. However, if the LGO has checked the notes are comprehensive, which is the key thing, there is no more you can do. The process was followed, in terms of the deliberations. I'm sorry the letter didn't explain that well.

@AppealChair good post, thx

Our appeal was unsucessful last year.
I almost went to the lgo as i was so incensed by the decline letter.
Like op there was little detail. The school rep had said stuff which contradicted their own info on the site
We did get in from wait list. But there have been long lasting issues caused by not getting in by appeal
Dc went to transition day (but only after talking for an hour about killing herself and how unlucky she is etc etc )
She was in a class with her friend so knew then what she was missed by going to appeal school.
So missed transition day. So didnt make friends that day. Was allocated a class so with no friends and that will remain until gcse years...

My dc also has asd/adhd and that made no difference and the appeal panel didnr know the local area so spent time of the very limited time questioning why i hadnt picked orher schools
I could tell the appeal was going badly from their questions at the time. I felt cut off when trying to question the school case and like i was going on too much.

Basically a panel arent all qualified on sen.

I actually felt very let down by primary school as we have had issues from reception and should have been referred by them before xmas! I referred dc in y5. Plus primary didnt think she needs ehcp. But they put nothing at all in place. And in fact things like sports day were torturous.

D281b, I totally understand what you are trying to get across. We have just had a generic email response from our second appeal, (year 8),as year 7 was unsuccessful. I had to email the clerk and ask for the response as we had not heard for over a month.
With something this big in yours and your child's life, you want to know and understand how they came to the decision. We had no explanation for the decision, just had statements of what we put forward..
Stage 1 was the same written letter we received last year. I to felt like it was not explained on how the panel reached their decisions.
Some of you may say if they have lots of appeals they cannot be specific on reasons for everyone, but this is so important for parents to understand how the decision was reached, we need to feel we have done and said everything we could, and that the panel and LA actually took it all on board and then made a decision on the individual case. I have read my letter a dozen times and still can't see a explanation for rejection, maybe I'm going crazy!!!

I am a clerk and I do write detailed decision letters. Sometimes these can be 8-10 pages long, depending on the information given in the school case and the parental case. It can take me a day to write a letter especially when there is a lot of information to present. I do like to consider parent's feelings and ensure that they don't just think the Panel didn't care. The Panel do consider all the points raised as it is the job of the clerk to point to areas if they do not. I always feel a responsiblity to do so - even if a parent has said, 'My child can't walk that far in the winter' to ensure they understand that on this occasion 'It is a parent's responsiblity to ensure their child is adequately clothed to travel to and from school in adverse weather conditions' if this is what the Panel has deemed to be the case. It also helps parents if they have an appeal for another school to 'improve' their case or understand why it was refused. Nonetheless; if the school's case is strong (and as other posters have mentioned this is becoming more of a norm) sometimes a parent can have enormously 'good' (subjectively) reasons for their appeal, but it will still be refused based on the prejudice caused to the school, resources and the children already attending. Parents might not always realise that it all depends on the strength/weakness of BOTH the school and parental case, on the day, on the Panel, on the time of year and on the numbers. There are many appeals I am expecting to be allowed or not allowed and the Panel makes a surprising decision. But yes, they should give more detail - even if it is only, 'During their deliberations, the Panel considered the information and evidence you provided from the GP regarding xxxxxx medical needs. However, the panel are aware that all schools have policies and procedures and trained staff who can deal with medical needs'. I hope this helps. Not sure if it is too late, but you could simply request a more detailed decision letter from the clerk if you are unhappy. They keep their notes. :)

@D281b Sorry to come across your situation. And here I am in a similar position a year later, we had an email just saying 'the decision was upheld'. How do I know everything about our child's case was understood and read without prejudice. The panel were not ethnically and age representative and how do I know their SEN and mental health experience was up to date with current thinking and best practice. I am shocked about the school's decision being upheld because I am surprised a child with such a poor relationship with school can be denied a place at the only school they feel they could really attend and fit in. Did the panel fully understand their case? The impact it will now have on my child not attending a school they feel they can attend willingly will be ongoing and impactful. As there were no details explaining how they felt our child's needs were not enough to go above PAN I do not have any confidence that they really did understand the importance of this school to my child. I couldn't care less where my child goes to school but if my child is not onboard from the beginning attendance will start to tail off and we'll be looking at EBSA before long. I also feel that parents willing to fight for what their kids need are often left to carry on fighting, assuming this is enough for the child to succeed, but a) it's not enough, parents are only one part of a child's life and b) I am exhausted, with 2 children with significant difficulties especially with accessing education. Controversially I know but well over half the places were given to siblings - but I would suspect at least a few of those nearly 90 pupils would do well at any school, especially as a school is right next door with shared playing fields. My child's older sibling isn't in school because it failed them so no sibling place for our younger child.

So @D281b I hope you managed to work something out for your child and they are thriving x

You should get a letter with a fuller explanation later. However, that wording is odd. Are you sure you've lost? "Upheld" normally means you've won.

Thank you for your post @prh47bridge :)

My mistake that the wording was taken from my head it would appear! Here is the actual wording:

'Thank you for attending the meeting of the Appeal Panel held on xxx May 2025.
After careful consideration of all the written and oral evidence , I am sorry to advise you that your appeal has been unsuccessful. Consequently xxx has not been offered a place at xxx School.
As explained at the outset, the decision of the Appeals Panel is final and binding on all parties.'

I appreciate that it says 'after careful consideration of all the written and oral evidence' but that still doesn't really tell me they fully understood the specific need of the child.

I did email last week and ask for their reasoning for their decision and today received an email saying 'Thank you for your email dated 30th May 2025 which I have referred to the Chair of the Panel. The process is now complete and as previously stated I am not able to enter into any further correspondence with you.'

😔