Secondary school admission appeals

If your application to a school is refused, you have the right to appeal this decision. The appeal will be heard by an appeal panel. The panel is independent of the school and of the local authority. It is only the independent appeal panel who is able to consider additional information and evidence about your individual family circumstances. 

Before making an appeal

Before you make an appeal it will be helpful for you to understand how the school allocated their places, so you can understand why your child did not get a place. You will find each school’s admission arrangements on their website.

We strongly advise you accept any offer of a school place you receive to make sure that your child has a place should your appeal not be successful. If you accept the offer we have made, it does not stop you joining a waiting list or submitting an appeal for another school.

If you decline the place you have been offered, and your appeals are unsuccessful, we will only be able to offer you a place at a school which is undersubscribed. These are currently Broadoak School in Partington, Lostock High School in Stretford and Wellacre Academy in Flixton.

Trafford Local Authority Schools

Trafford is the admission authority for one secondary school, Lostock High School. The appeals process for this school is administered by Trafford School Appeals which is part of Governance Services. Further information on how to appeal if you are refused a place at this school can be found below.

Lostock High School

Own Admission Authority Schools

The admission authority for every other secondary school in Trafford is either the academy trust or the governing body of the school. Some of these own admission authority schools still choose for their appeals to be administered by Trafford. Other schools administer their own appeals.

The following schools use Trafford to administer their appeals:

Altrincham Grammar School for Boys

Administered by Trafford, contact the school directly for an appeal form:

Flixton Girls School

North Cestrian School

Administered by Trafford, contact the school directly for an appeal form:

Sale Grammar School

Sale High School

Stretford Grammar School

Stretford High School

The following schools administer their own appeals and you must contact the school directly to make your appeal:  

More help and advice

There are a number of places you can get more help and advice.

Useful guidance

Admission round outcomes

Find out how many children were offered places at each secondary school on national offer day in recent years.

Trafford School Admissions

We can help with questions relating to school admissions.

Trafford School Appeals (Governance Services)

We can help with questions relating to your appeal and the appeal procedures - only for schools where Trafford administers the appeals.