National Offer Day 2023: When do you find out primary school places in Sheffield - how to appeal a decision

On Monday parents and legal guardians across the city will find out what primary schools their children will be attending as they begin the first stage of their education.

National Offer Day on Monday, April 17, marks the day when people will finally learn whether their child has been allocated a spot at their selected school for the academic year beginning September 23/24.

But what if your child isn’t offered the school place they want? Whatever your reason is - transport issues or lack of support - you might want to appeal the decision given by the government.

However, even if you’re appealing a decision, the government has recommended parents accept the offer so that the children have a school place if the appeal is unsuccessful. So, what do you need to do if you’d like to appeal the decision? Here, we have rounded up all you need to know about the process.

When is National Offer Day 2023 for primary schools?

National Offer Day is when parents find out which primary schools have offered their children a place in their school for the upcoming academic year. This year, the primary school National Offer Day falls on Monday, April 17.

The decision will be sent by Sheffield City Council. If you applied online, you will receive an email confirmation about your child’s school place sooner than if you applied by paper application form.

National Offer Day 2023: Can I appeal a decision?

If your child has not been allocated a place at their preferred primary school in Sheffield, or you are unhappy with the selection of schools offered to your child, you have the right to officially appeal the decision to an independent panel.

According to Sheffield City Council, parents have an automatic right of appeal for any school for which they are refused admission. The appeal panel is independent of the Local Authority and has the authority to offer a place at a school that is ‘full’. Parents will be notified of the appeal process if you are refused admission at any of your preferred schools.

Parents are also assured that the allocated school will remain unless they secure a place elsewhere. The council said appeals are normally heard in June and July if parents appeal on time. Appeals for Sheffield schools are held at the Town Hall in the City Centre. For more information

Reasons why parents might appeal a school decision

There are many reasons why parents might want to appeal a school decision. Some of the reasons include:

• Religion or difficult family circumstances
• A special need or health issue
• A particular aptitude in the school’s specialism
• Transport issues
• Emotional reasons such as historic bullying