If your child is not offered a place at your preferred school, you have the right to appeal against that decision to an independent appeal panel.
For community or voluntary controlled school appeals you can request an appeal form by calling Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council (01254 666605). Once you have completed your form, you should return it to the organisation that sent you it.
A copy of the information relating to your appeal and details of the hearing will be sent to you 10 school days before your appeal is heard.
You will be invited to attend the appeal hearing to tell the independent panel why you feel your child should have a place at your preferred school.Appeals are usually held in Blackburn Town Hall.
Below is the school appeals timetable for Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council for 2020.
31st March 2020 - Deadline for on-time appeals
Appeals will be accepted after this deadline but they may be heard at a later date than appeals lodged on time.
27th April – 11th May 2020 - Notice of hearing issued
For appeals lodged on time, notice of appeal hearing date and time should be issued in this time.
12th May – 5th June 2020 - Appeal Hearing will take place
All appeals lodged before the deadline of 31st March 2020 will be heard before the end of 10th June 2020.
26th June – 30th June 2020 - Notice of hearing information issues for late appeals
For appeals lodged after the deadline, notice of appeal hearing date and time should be issued in this time period.
w/c 13th July 2020 - Late appeal hearings will take place
Hearings for appeals lodged after the deadline of the 31st March 2020 will take place before the end of the 17th July 2020.*
*Appeal hearings for all appeals lodged after 31st March 2020 will be heard with the on time appeals wherever possible. If they cannot be heard with the on-time appeals, they will be heard within 30 school days of the date the appeals is lodged. In some circumstances, this may mean appeals for the September intake will be heard after the school’s summer holidays.
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council will endeavour to stick to the above dates wherever possible, however please be aware that these dates may be subject to change depending on the numbers of appeals received.