Appeal for reception class place
You can appeal for a reception class place if:
- You applied for admission to reception for the 2025-26 school year, and
- Your child was not offered a place at one of your preferred schools on national offer day (16 April 2025)
If you're appealing for a place at a school outside Norfolk, you need to contact the school's local authority. You can use 'Get Information about Schools' to find a school's local authority.
Before you appeal
You should read advice about school admission appeals for parents and guardians on GOV.UK.
You may also want to read:
Infant class size appeals
There is a legal limit for infant class sizes. Classes in reception, year 1, and year 2 can have a maximum of 30 children per teacher.
Your right to appeal for a reception class place is limited if you're appealing for a place in an infant class that already has 30 children. There has been one successful infant class size appeal in Norfolk in the last five years.
You should read A guide for parents appealing for a place in an infant class (PDF, 405 KB).
How to appeal
How you appeal depends on the type of school you applied to. If you're not sure what type of school you applied to, you can use Norfolk SchoolFinder to check.
Tell us you intend to appeal
You need to give notice that you intend to appeal for a reception class place by 12 May 2025.
Contact the admissions team using our general enquiry form and tell us you want to appeal. Make sure you tell us:
- Your child's name and date of birth
- Which school(s) you want to appeal for
If you're appealing for a place at a voluntary controlled or community school, we will send you an appeal form.
If you're appealing for a place at an academy, free school, voluntary aided, or foundation school, we will send your request to the school. The school will send you an appeal form.
Submit your appeal form
You need to complete and return the appeal form by 26 May 2025.
Make sure you explain why you're appealing for a place at the school and include any supporting information.
If you're appealing for a place at an academy, free school, voluntary aided, or foundation school, return the completed form to the school.
If you're appealing for a place at a voluntary controlled or community school, return the completed form to the admissions team.
Prepare for the appeal hearing
You will be invited to an appeal hearing in June or July 2025. We will conduct the hearing:
- By video call using Microsoft Teams,
- By phone, or
- Using written submissions
We will tell you how and when your appeal will be heard at least 10 school days before the hearing takes place.
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