An overhaul of admission appeals?

Of the 32,435 appeals lodged for secondary places in September 2017, slightly more than 6,000 were found in favour of parents.

It means that when you strip away the 7,000 or so appeals lodged but not heard, only one in four appeals were found in favour of parents – or to put it another way 75 per cent of hearings were found in favour of the secondary schools.

The most popular secondary schools and academies can find themselves facing upwards of 75 appeals each year, and with continued pressure on school places that number is likely to grow. The time taken to manage appeals is also increasing. Parents are asking more questions in advance of hearings to properly prepare their cases; professional representation is sought by some parents in the belief that it improves their chances; and, in my experience working with schools and academies on appeals, appeal hearings tend to take longer than they did a few years ago.