Appeals made pursuant to section 94
1.—(1) In this paragraph “appeal” means an appeal made under the arrangements specified in regulation 3(a) to (d).
(2) Particulars of the arrangements for making an appeal, including information containing the contact details for whichever body or bodies are responsible for those arrangements, must be set out in any document containing notification to parents of —
(a)a decision referred to in section 94(1)(b) and (2) refusing their child admission to a school for which the parents have expressed a preference in accordance with the arrangements made under section 86(1);
(b)a decision referred to in section 94(1)(a) as to the school at which education is to be provided for their child; or
(c)a decision referred to in section 94(1A) or (2A) refusing permission for a child who has already been admitted to a school to enter the school’s sixth form.
(3) An appeal must be by notice in writing setting out the grounds on which it is made.
(4) An appeal panel must give the appellant an opportunity of appearing and making oral representations, and allow him or her to be accompanied by a friend or to be represented.
(5) An appeal must be heard in private except where the body or bodies by whom the arrangements under section 94 of the 1998 Act are made direct otherwise; but —
(a)if the panel so directs, one member of the local education authority may attend, as an observer, any hearing of an appeal by an appeal panel constituted in accordance with paragraph 1 of Schedule 1;
(b)if the panel so directs, one member of the governing body of the school in question may attend, as an observer, any hearing of an appeal by an appeal panel constituted in accordance with paragraph 1 or 2 of Schedule 1 (or in accordance with paragraph 2 as it applies by virtue of paragraph 3 of that Schedule); and
(c)one member of the Council on Tribunals may attend, as an observer, any meeting of any appeal panel at which an appeal is considered.
(6) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (5), an appeal to an appeal panel constituted in accordance with paragraph 1 of Schedule 1, as it applies by virtue of paragraph 4 of that Schedule is to be treated —
(i)as an appeal to an appeal panel constituted in accordance with paragraph 1 of that Schedule if it relates to a community or voluntary controlled school, and
(ii)as an appeal to an appeal panel constituted in accordance with paragraph 2 of that Schedule, if it relates to a foundation or voluntary aided school.
(7) In the event of a disagreement between the members of an appeal panel, the appeal under consideration is to be decided by a simple majority of the votes cast and, in the case of an equality of votes, the chair of the panel is to have a second or casting vote.
(8) The decision of an appeal panel and the grounds on which it is made must be communicated by the panel in writing to —
(a)the appellant and the local education authority; and
(b)in the case of an appeal to an appeal panel constituted in accordance with paragraph 2 of Schedule 1, (or in accordance with that paragraph as it applies by virtue of paragraph 3 of that Schedule), to the governing body by whom or on whose behalf the decision appealed against was made.
(9) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (8), an appeal to an appeal panel constituted in accordance with paragraph 1 of Schedule 1, as it applies by virtue of paragraph 4 of that Schedule, is to be treated as an appeal to an appeal panel constituted in accordance with paragraph 2 of that Schedule, if it relates to a foundation or voluntary aided school.
(10) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) to (9), all matters relating to the procedure on appeals, including the time within which they are to be brought, are to be determined by the body or bodies by whom the arrangements under section 94 are made.