Appeals
Where the governors are unable to offer a place because the school is oversubscribed parents have the right to appeal to an independent admission appeal panel set up under the School Standards and Framework Act, 1998, as amended by the Education Act, 2002. Parents will have the opportunity to submit their case to the panel and also to attend in order to present their case.
Lancashire County Council administers the appeals process on behalf of the school. To submit an appeal, you must complete Lancashire County Council’s online form within 20 school days of receipt of the letter refusing a place. The form can be accessed here: https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/children-education-families/schools/apply-for-a-school-place/school-appeals/appeal-for-a-school-place/
It is really important that your appeal case includes all the information you wish to be considered by the independent appeal panel. It will not be possible to introduce new information during the appeal hearing as panel members will not be able to give this the appropriate consideration.
Timeline for Year 7 Intake
Appeals for admission to Year 7 in September 2026 should be submitted by 31st March 2026. Any appeals submitted after the deadline may be heard after all on time appeals have been heard.
The dates for appeals for Lancaster High School’s Year 7 intake in September are scheduled by Lancashire County Council. The provisional dates for Lancaster High School will be shared shortly. Please note that these dates are subject to change and days could be added to or cancelled depending on the volume of appeals lodged and panel availability.
Lancashire County Council Appeals team will contact appellants to advise them of the date, time and venue of their hearing. You will usually be notified at least 14 days before the hearing.
In-Year Appeals
In-year appeals are arranged by Lancashire County Council Appeals team as required. The online appeal form above and any other supporting documents you wish to include should be completed within 20 school days of the letter refusing admission.
The LCC Appeals team will distribute copies of your documentation to the independent appeal panel and will contact you to advise you of the date, time and venue of your particular hearing once they have been able to make the necessary arrangements. You will usually be notified at least 14 days before the hearing.
Waiting List
In accordance with our Admissions Policy pupils, on request, are placed on the waiting list according to what extent they meet our published criteria. In the event of a place becoming available before the Appeals are due to be heard the school will look at the waiting list and all the information supplied to support applications/appeals and re-allocate that place accordingly.
The waiting list for places in Year 7 is maintained by the Local Authority until 31 December of the year of intake. If you wish to keep your child’s name on the waiting list after that date you will need to contact the school in January.
Linked Documents
A copy of our admissions policy is available here: https://lancasterhigh.co.uk/our-school/policies-and-reports
