Conducting lawful admissions appeals during the COVID-19 outbreak
To help schools and academies prepare for admission appeals our experts have put together guidance on conducting admission appeal hearings during the outbreak.
Please note: the information contained in our legal updates are correct as of the original date of publication
Traditionally, the summer term is the busiest period for school admission appeals. Despite the current coronavirus outbreak, 2020 is expected to be no different.
However, strict social distancing measures mean that all admission authorities must adapt their processes to ensure that families who submit an appeal are not disadvantaged and are able to have their appeal heard by an independent panel in a fair and transparent manner.
To help schools and academies prepare for such appeals our experts have put together guidance on conducting admission appeal hearings during the outbreak and a series of support services. In line with the more relaxed regulation expected to be announced by the Department for Education on 24 April, the two main methods through which hearings should be conducted are:
- Paper
- Video or telephone conferencing.
To help you understand your statutory obligations and prepare for any admissions appeals that come your way we have scheduled a webinar on Friday 24 April at 2.30pm. During the webinar Partners Richard Freeth and Dai Durbridge will:
- Highlight key elements of the School Admission Appeals Code 2012 and review any regulations and guidance from the Department for Education on conducting appeals during COVID-19.
- Outline the process and main options for conducting appeals remotely.
- Set out how you can ensure hearings conducted remotely or on paper are fair and effective.
- Explain how we can help you prepare school staff, admission appeal clerks and panel members for the new processes.
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