How do I make an appeal for a place at this School?

If you have been refused a place for your child at this school, and you wish to appeal against this decision, you can do this online or in writing. An appeal form can be found by clicking here. Please ensure that you read the guidance notes published online before submitting your appeal.  

Please note that as Westlands School is part of Swale Academies Trust, appeals forms must be submitted to the school.  Westlands School uses an externally appointed Independent Appeals Panel.

For appeals during the 2026/27 admissions round (to start in Year 7 in September 2026), you should return your completed form to Westlands School by 31 March 2026.
 

Appeals Timetable – 2026/27 Admissions Round

• Offer Date: 2 March 2026
• Deadline for lodging appeals: 31 March 2026
• Appeals will be heard as soon as practicably possible and ideally before the start of the new school year.

Note:- Appeals lodged after 31 March 2026 will, where possible, be heard together with those appeals lodged before this date. Where this is not possible, they will be heard as soon as practicably possible and ideally before the start of the new school year.
 

Appeals relating to late applications for a place

If your application was made after 31 October 2025 (closing date for receipt of applications for secondary school places), appeals will be heard as soon as practicably possible and ideally before the start of the new school year.

 

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 the school within 4 weeks of the date of your refusal letter. These appeals will be heard as soon as practicably possible.

 

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 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 submitted no later than 10 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 for 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 to make sure we have received what you have sent.

Decision letters are sent out within 7 days of the hearing wherever possible.