Lancashire secondary school offers: how to appeal if you are unhappy
Year 6’s across Lancashire now know which secondary school they have a place at come September but for those not pleased, this article is here to help.
Last Monday, much anticipated secondary school offers were issued to families across Lancashire.
For those applying for schools under the jurisdiction of Lancashire County Council, 86.9% secured their first-choice school, compared to 84.9% of those applying for schools under Blackpool Council’s jurisdiction.
That means across the two councils, 14.1% of families did not receive the offer they were hoping for.
Thankfully there is a way to appeal your school place however and below is everything you will need to know.
What if I am not happy with my child’s allocation?
If you are not happy with an initial offer, you have the right to appeal whether you are under Lancashire County Council or Blackpool Council’s jurisdiction.
The appeals period starts from your receipt of the offer and the deadline to appeal is Monday, April 13 for Lancashire and Tuesday, April 14 for Blackpool.
Appeals which the councils receive after the deadline will be slotted into the schedule where possible but this cannot be guaranteed and late appeals may have to be heard after the agreed date at a second round of hearings.
The schedule is subject to change depending upon the availability of appeal panel members, clerks, venue, etc.
How do I appeal?
In *most instances, you appeal via the relevant council.
For Blackpool, contact the school admissions team for an appeal form, either phone 01253 476637, [email protected] or send a letter to PO Box 4, Blackpool, FY1 1NA.
They will tell you which schools have places available, add your child's name to waiting lists for other schools and provide information to help you appeal.
For Lancashire, you can submit an appeal online here.
Lancashire County Council has also put together a guide on what to put in your school appeal which you can find here.
*Which schools have a different appeals system?
The following schools have their own appeal forms
- Bishop Rawstorne Church of England Academy
- Maharishi Free School
- Marsden Heights Community College
- Highfield Leadership Academy
- Faith schools across both council areas
What happens after I have issued an appeal?
You will be invited to attend the appeal hearing to tell the panel why you feel your child should have a place at your preferred school/academy.
In Blackpool, the hearings are all by video link but a parent can choose to present their case by video or just by phone.
In Lancashire, you will be told a venue but if you are unable to attend the hearing, you can email [email protected] and they may be able to offer an alternative arrangement for your appeal hearing.
You will receive a letter with the date, time and either the venue for Lancashire or instructions on how to access the video link of the hearing for Blackpool.
In both areas, you will usually be notified at least 14 days before the hearing to give you time to prepare.
The appeals will be heard in front of a panel of 3 people acting independently of the local authority. They will have no connection with the school you are appealing for, or the school your child has been allocated a place at. These are the people who will make the decision about your appeal.
When will the appeal hearings be?
Lancashire County Council has different dates for different districts, for instance appeals for Preston/South Ribble voluntary aided secondary schools will be between May 5- 8 and May 11 -15 2026 whilst Chorley will be between May 18-22nd and June 1 to 5 2026.
You can see the full list of dates here.
In Blackpool, appeals that have been submitted by April 14 will be heard by independent appeals panels by Friday, June 28 2026.
What if my appeal is unsuccessful?
In both Lancashire and Blackpool, if a place has already been refused at appeal, the admissions authority will only consider a second appeal for a place at the same school in the same academic year if they consider that there has been a relevant, significant and material change in the family's circumstances (since the original appeal hearing).