Under the terms of the School Admissions Appeals Code 2021, if you apply for and are refused a place at the Samworth Church Academy you have the right to appeal.
Admission Appeals are managed by Nottinghamshire County Council, who provide an independent appeals process. If you decide that you wish to proceed with an appeal, you should within 20 school days of the date of the refusal letter complete the online form on Nottinghamshire County Council’s website:
https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/education/school-admissions/appeal-a-school-admission-decision
For parents/carers who are unable to use the online form, a printed form can be requested from their contact centre – 0300 500 80 80.
Appeals will be heard by an Independent Appeals Panel in accordance with the School Admissions Code 2021, The School Admissions Appeals Code 2022 and Part 3 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.
Key dates for admission applications are as follows:
- National closing date for any applications and supplementary or supporting information: 31 October 2024
- Offer Date: 3 March 2025
- Deadline for lodging appeals: 31 March 2025
- Deadline for hearing on-time appeals: 18 June 2025
Note: Appeals lodged after 18 June 2025 will, where possible, be heard together with those lodged before this date.
Appeals relating to late applications for a place
If your application was made after 31 October 2024 (closing date for receipt of applications for secondary school places) appeals will be heard by 18th June 2025 wherever possible. Where it is not possible to hear the appeal by 18th June 2025, it will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged.
In Year and Transfer Appeals
For other appeals such as transfer and in-year admissions (moving from one school to another during the school year) please return your form to Nottinghamshire County Council within 4 weeks of the date of your refusal letter. These appeals will be heard within 30 school days of receipt of your appeal.
How much notice of the appeal hearing date will I have?
Letters notifying parents of appeal dates and times are sent out in line with statutory guidance. These letters will be sent out at least 10 school days in advance of the hearing (unless you have agreed to a shorter period than this).
If you wish to submit any further information other than that which you included with your appeal form, we ask that this is sent to Nottinghamshire County Council no later than 5 days prior to your hearing. This is to enable the additional information to be circulated to all parties, giving the Panel and school the opportunity to consider the information in advance of the hearing. Please note that if significant information is received after this deadline your hearing may have to be adjourned to a later date. Please note there is a 10MB limit to any attachment sent online or by email. If you send more than this limit we will not get your information and will not know that you have tried to send it to us. If you need to send more than 10MB please either split it across more than one email or send it by post. Regardless of how you have sent the information to us we will acknowledge that we have received it so if you don't hear from us within three working days please telephone on the number above to make sure we have received what you have sent.
Decision letters are sent out within 5 school days of the decision being made wherever possible.
