For School Pupils and Parents

Admissions, exclusions, SEND/EHCP, bullying, discrimination, and academic appeals at school level.

Reviewed 2026-05-22

Common Problems

School admission refused — appeal

Permanent or fixed-term exclusion

EHCP refused or contents disputed

Disability discrimination at school

Bullying not handled

Key Legal Topics

Education Law

School admissions, special educational needs, exclusions, and academy governance.

Useful Guides

Appealing to the SEND Tribunal

How to appeal an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan decision to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability).

Education Law

Letter Templates

School Admission Appeal Letter

Letter to the school's admission appeal panel setting out the grounds for an admission appeal under the School Admissions Code.

Request for EHC Needs Assessment

Parent's written request to a local authority for an Education, Health and Care needs assessment for a child or young person.

Legal Tools & Calculators

SEND Tribunal appeal deadline checker

Two months from the LA decision letter (one month if mediation considered).

Protected characteristic check

Is the reason for unfavourable treatment a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010?

When to Get Legal Advice

SENDIAS services (free, statutory) provide impartial advice in every local authority. For exclusion appeals, IPSEA and Coram Children's Legal Centre offer free advice. SEND tribunal appeals are best supported by an independent expert at the contested-evidence stage.