Grammar school appeals

First things first, and before you start any appeals process, it is essential to accept the place at the school you have been offered, otherwise you may find you have no school place at all come September. You should not automatically rule out the offered school either. Reputations often lag behind reality, particularly after leadership change. Go and visit and see for yourself.

If you’re still keen to pursue your grammar school appeal, read on for what our appeals expert can advise on.

Note that for a selective school appeal you will need to supply compelling evidence showing that your child is of grammar school ability, and evidence to back up claims that your child's performance was affected by events on the day or immediately prior to the test.

The two stages of a grammar school appeal

At the first stage of an appeal being heard by the panel, the admissions authority must demonstrate that admitting additional pupils would cause ‘prejudice’ – real, practical difficulties to the school – for example, through class size pressures, physical space constraints or staffing limitations. Parents do not usually need to contribute much at this stage, but it is helpful to understand that this argument is almost always accepted by the panel.

At the second stage, the panel considers individual cases. This is where parents present evidence that their child is of grammar school ability and explain why the school is the right fit for their child. The panel then weighs the strength of each family’s case against the school’s case for prejudice.

How long do grammar school appeals take?

Always check the timeline of the school and local authority in question but typically, parents may appeal the decision within the first four to six weeks after National Offer Day. The appeals are usually heard in May or June and decisions are communicated within a few days. Not all appeals end up going before the panel because some get a place from being on the waiting list or families look elsewhere.

It is not uncommon for successful appeals to result in places being offered close to the start of the autumn term.

What are my chances of winning a grammar school appeal?

There is limited national data available showing the success rates of grammar school appeals. One LA that does provide this information is Buckinghamshire Council which publishes grammar schools appeals data relating to its 13 schools.

In 2025, Buckinghamshire heard 274 grammar school appeals in total. Of these, 169 came from applicants who had not achieved the required level in the 11-plus (‘unqualified appeals’), with a 2 per cent success rate. A further 105 appeals were made by applicants who had met the necessary academic level in the 11-plus (‘qualified appeals’) but not been offered a place. These appeals resulted in a success rate of 7 per cent.

While appeal outcomes vary between areas and from year to year, these figures underline how difficult grammar school appeals can be, particularly where a child has not met the required academic standard.

We can advise you but we must tell you, at the outset, that unless your case is truly exceptional, there is a less than 10 per cent chance of success. However, we have long experience in advising parents honestly, frankly and expertly.

What our grammar school appeal consultation includes

• It will cover the merits of possible grounds you may have for appeal, indicating which are likely to succeed and which are not

• Explain the ‘balancing act’ which appeal panels must consider and which lies at the heart of a successful appeal

• Tell you where to start. what documents to assemble, what type of evidence/references will hold sway, what type of documents cannot be considered, what information you are entitled to request from the admissions authority

• Give you advice on how to complete the initial paperwork registering your appeal, and how to write your appeal case

• Tell you what to expect on the day, how the hearings are conducted, how best to present your case, and what not to do/say on the day

• Provide you with a detailed follow up summary designed to help you write your application letter and hearing statement

Our consultation can also help you to decide whether an appeal is the right route for you, or whether you would like us to help you investigate alternative schools.

How much does it cost?

The fee for our service is £450 (inclusive of VAT) and includes a phone or online call for up to 90 minutes, research into your situation, the school you’ve been offered and the school you prefer, prior to your call, plus the follow up written summary. You will need to pre-book it by emailing: appeals@goodschoolsguide.co.uk with ‘grammar appeal’ in the subject line.

You can also find out more about the service by contacting us beforehand. It is sensible to have all relevant information and your questions ready before you begin your conversation with your consultant.

Finally, before opting for a telephone consultation it can be helpful to ensure that your child’s current head teacher will back your claim that your child is of grammar school ability – without this your chances of success at appeal may be very low.

For an additional fee, we can write your application letter and/ hearing statement for you or provide feedback on whatever you have written yourself.

NB We can only offer advice and no guarantee of success at appeal. Success or failure is very hard to predict and varies enormously between schools, and from year to year.