The Good Schools Guide
Consultancy

State Schools Appeals Consultancy

No need to pay exorbitant legal representatives to help you with school applications and appeals. Local authorities are there to help and if you still need support, we can guide you through the process.
A child and dog on a seesaw

Is it right for me?

If you need help with primary or secondary school appeals, our education consultants are here to discuss your particular circumstances and suggest ways of approaching your school appeal to optimise your chances of success. 

What's the process?

Your first contact will be with our administrators who will ask you to complete a questionnaire with relevant details such as the local authority, the school you want and the reasons (social or health difficulty, location, special educational needs for example) the offer you have received and the date of birth of your child. Our appeals team will consider whether this is enough to justify our helping you and if it’s worth you paying our fee for our help. 

Our administrators will arrange a meeting with one of our consultants who will give you honest and frank advice about the best arguments to put forward at an appeal hearing. We can also advise on whether you have the necessary exceptional or special circumstances to be considered. 

While we don’t attend hearings with you (as the system is designed for parents to represent themselves), we can guide you on how to argue your case at hearings to the best effect, what evidence to collect and how to structure an appeal letter or statement. 

If we think your case is unlikely to succeed, we will tell you although please note that we can only offer advice and there is no guarantee of success at appeal. Success or failure is very hard to predict and varies enormously between schools, and from year to year. 

How long will it take?

There are often tight timelines to submit an appeal and we will work closely with you to ensure these deadlines are met. Please make sure you give our administrators and our consultant the date of any deadlines. Sometimes these may be personal deadlines as well as an official deadline. 

What will it cost?

£450 (including VAT) for a consultation for up to 90 minutes online or by phone, with a follow up summary. This includes advice and research on up to three schools, including the school that has been offered and two other preferred schools. If you would like advice and support on more than three schools, each additional school is charged at £55 per school.

We can also give feedback on, edit or write your appeal letter and/or hearing statement for an additional fee.

Get in touch
“Thank you again for your advice, we felt well-prepared for Monday. We will certainly recommend you to anyone who may find themselves appealing in the future.”
July 2024

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FAQs

Who are The Good Schools Guide education consultants?

Our education consultants are selected from our most experienced school reviewers. All are parents. Most have a professional background in education and/or a great range of educational experience. You can see all our consultants by clicking on this link.

What information will you need from me when I contact you?

Your name and contact details; your child’s name and date of birth; a brief outline of what you need help with; and some thoughts on what matters most to you in terms of their education.

How does the process work?

As soon as you get in touch with us, one of our experienced office team will arrange to speak to you to find out more about your circumstances. They will work to match the right consultant to you and offer you a service. All our services start with a meeting with the consultant, usually via video call, but this can be in person. 

If you decide you would like to become a client of our premier service the consultant will be in touch with you within 24 hours of payment to work out a strategy with you. They will be available to you when you need them until a school place has been secured. 

When is payment taken?

One of our office team will ask for payment when you have agreed a service. Payments for all our services are made in advance of the initial meeting with the consultant. Payment is usually made online but we can also take payments over the phone and we accept bank transfers.

Are education consultants available over the weekend?

All our consultants try to be flexible and we can always fit in with your timetable or take part in virtual meetings or conference calls.

Can I meet with the consultant?

Absolutely. This is usually possible and, depending on where you and the consultant are, we can travel to meet you subject to prior arrangement. Travel costs outside London will only be charged if a consultant needs to travel more than 30 minutes to meet you.

Do the consultants only recommend independent schools?

We review state and independent schools and our consultants can give advice about schools in either sector. If you are only interested in state schools, we have a dedicated state school service.

Do the consultants only recommend schools that are covered in The Good Schools Guide?

No, although we do find that these are generally the ones people want. However, in some areas of the country or to meet specific requirements, we may well recommend you consider schools that are not – or not yet – in The Guide.

I want to buy/rent a house according to where good schools are - can you help?

Absolutely. This is a very common request and we’re always happy to help.

What geographical areas do your consultants cover?

We have knowledgeable consultants all over the country (and internationally as part of The Good Schools Guide International) and we can advise you on schools everywhere. Our consultants can draw on the knowledge of the whole UK team as well as on the unique bank of data and other information amassed by The Good Schools Guide.

Can The Good Schools Guide use its influence to get my child a place at a school?

Schools are sometimes happy to talk to us when parents have had a curt refusal and we are adept at negotiating a last minute assessment or interview. But although we can open doors, we can never guarantee securing a place for a child at a particular school. And neither – whatever they may say – can anyone else!

Does The Good Schools Guide take commission from schools it recommends?

No, and this is what makes us different from agents who have individual financial arrangements with schools. Our advice is entirely independent and based only on what you tell us you want for your children.

Does the consultant check whether my shortlisted schools actually have places available?

Yes, if you are one of our Premier clients. Find out more about this service here.

What if I am not happy with the schools my consultant recommends?

This has scarcely ever happened but, if you are not happy, please tell us. We take immense pride in delivering what our clients want and our many thousands of happy clients are testament to this. However, we are always honest with our clients. If you are fixed on only one school or a few schools which the consultant knows will not find places for you, or if the consultant is concerned about whether your child will thrive in a particular school s/he will tell you. 

Can the consultant assess my child?

Assessments are available to all our clients. It is a useful diagnostic tool for you and for us to help decide which schools to suggest or whether additional support will be needed. Tell our administrator if you want to find out more.

Can I speak to someone about a particular school?

We will always try to match you with a consultant who personally knows a particular school in which you are interested. If it is a school in The Good Schools Guide this should always be possible.

Is what I tell my consultant confidential?

None of our consultants will ever disclose confidential matters unless there is a clear risk of harm to you or to a child in which case they are obliged to discuss breaking confidentiality with you.

Do you offer group information talks to parents?

Yes, our experts regularly present to parents within workplaces, schools, social clubs and societies, PTAs, groups of local friends or even online chat groups. We are told it’s just the ticket to demystifying the confusing aspects of the UK education scene. And we just love a Q&A session. Email us to find out more.