Skip to main content
N I Direct government services

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
  • Contacts
  • Help
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Translation help

Translate this page

Select a language

  • Afrikaans — Afrikaans
  • Albanian — Shqip
  • Amharic — አማርኛ
  • Arabic — العربية
  • Armenian — Հայերեն
  • Assamese — অসমীয়া
  • Aymara — Aymar aru
  • Azerbaijani — Azərbaycan dili
  • Bambara — Bamanankan
  • Basque — Euskara
  • Belarusian — Беларуская
  • Bengali — বাংলা
  • Bhojpuri — भोजपुरी
  • Bosnian — Bosanski
  • Bulgarian — Български
  • Cantonese — 廣州話
  • Catalan — Català
  • Cebuano — Sinugbuanong Binisayâ
  • Chichewa — Chichewa
  • Chinese (Simplified) — 简体中文
  • Chinese (Traditional) — 繁體中文
  • Corsican — Corsu
  • Croatian — Hrvatski
  • Czech — Čeština
  • Danish — Dansk
  • Dhivehi — ދިވެހި
  • Dogri — डोगरी
  • Dutch — Nederlands
  • English — English
  • Esperanto — Esperanto
  • Estonian — Eesti
  • Ewe — Eʋegbe
  • Filipino — Filipino
  • Finnish — Suomi
  • French — Français
  • Frisian — Frysk
  • Galician — Galego
  • Georgian — ქართული
  • German — Deutsch
  • Greek — Ελληνικά
  • Guarani — Avañe’ẽ
  • Gujarati — ગુજરાતી
  • Haitian Creole — Kreyòl ayisyen
  • Hausa — Hausa
  • Hawaiian — ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi
  • Hebrew — עברית
  • Hindi — हिन्दी
  • Hmong — Hmoob
  • Hungarian — Magyar
  • Icelandic — Íslenska
  • Igbo — Asụsụ Igbo
  • Ilocano — Ilokano
  • Indonesian — Bahasa Indonesia
  • Irish — Gaeilge
  • Italian — Italiano
  • Japanese — 日本語
  • Javanese — Basa Jawa
  • Kannada — ಕನ್ನಡ
  • Kazakh — Қазақ тілі
  • Khmer — ភាសាខ្មែរ
  • Kinyarwanda — Ikinyarwanda
  • Konkani — कोंकणी
  • Korean — 한국어
  • Krio — Krio
  • Kurdish (Kurmanji) — Kurdî
  • Kurdish (Sorani) — کوردی
  • Kyrgyz — Кыргызча
  • Lao — ລາວ
  • Latin — Latina
  • Latvian — Latviešu
  • Lingala — Lingála
  • Lithuanian — Lietuvių
  • Luganda — Luganda
  • Luxembourgish — Lëtzebuergesch
  • Macedonian — Македонски
  • Maithili — मैथिली
  • Malagasy — Malagasy
  • Malay — Bahasa Melayu
  • Malayalam — മലയാളം
  • Maltese — Malti
  • Maori — Māori
  • Marathi — मराठी
  • Meiteilon (Manipuri) — ꯃꯤꯇꯩ ꯂꯣꯟ
  • Mizo — Mizo ṭawng
  • Mongolian — Монгол хэл
  • Myanmar (Burmese) — မြန်မာစာ
  • Nepali — नेपाली
  • Norwegian — Norsk
  • Odia (Oriya) — ଓଡ଼ିଆ
  • Oromo — Afaan Oromoo
  • Pashto — پښتو
  • Persian — فارسی
  • Polish — Polski
  • Portuguese — Português
  • Punjabi — ਪੰਜਾਬੀ
  • Quechua — Runa Simi
  • Romanian — Română
  • Russian — Русский
  • Samoan — Gagana Samoa
  • Sanskrit — संस्कृतम्
  • Scots Gaelic — Gàidhlig
  • Sepedi — Sepedi
  • Serbian — Српски
  • Sesotho — Sesotho
  • Shona — Shona
  • Sindhi — سنڌي
  • Sinhala — සිංහල
  • Slovak — Slovenčina
  • Slovenian — Slovenščina
  • Somali — Soomaali
  • Spanish — Español
  • Sundanese — Basa Sunda
  • Swahili — Kiswahili
  • Swedish — Svenska
  • Tajik — Тоҷикӣ
  • Tamil — தமிழ்
  • Tatar — Татар теле
  • Telugu — తెలుగు
  • Thai — ไทย
  • Tigrinya — ትግርኛ
  • Tsonga — Xitsonga
  • Turkish — Türkçe
  • Turkmen — Türkmençe
  • Twi — Twi
  • Ukrainian — Українська
  • Urdu — اردو
  • Uyghur — ئۇيغۇرچە
  • Uzbek — Oʻzbekcha
  • Vietnamese — Tiếng Việt
  • Welsh — Cymraeg
  • Xhosa — IsiXhosa
  • Yiddish — ייִדיש
  • Yoruba — Yorùbá
  • Zulu — IsiZulu
  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Education
    3. Schools, learning and development
    4. Choosing a school

    Appealing a school place decision

    If your child doesn’t get a place in the school you prefer, you can appeal. You can appeal if you think the school did not apply their admissions criteria or did not apply them correctly. You cannot appeal a decision about a place in a voluntary or private pre-school setting.

    Your child didn't get a place at your preferred school

    Parents/guardians whose child has not been offered a place in a school which had considered the application will be advised of where they can access information about how to appeal the decision via The Education Authority (EA) website and the closing date for appeals.  Additionally the EA will tell you which schools have places available. 

    Appealing a school's decision

    You can appeal a decision about a pre-school, primary or post-primary school place if you think the school didn't apply or correctly apply its published admissions criteria.

    How to access an appeal form

    To appeal a school's decision that has refused your child a place, go to the EA website where you can send the appeal form (AT1 Form).  There are different deadlines to appeal decisions about places in:

    • a nursery school/unit
    • a primary school
    • a post-primary school
    • a 14+ (The Dickson Plan) school

    Independent Admissions Appeal tribunal

    When you appeal a school's decision to refuse your child a place, an Independent Admissions Appeal tribunal decides if the school has correctly applied its admissions criteria. 

    What the tribunal considers

    The tribunal considers the evidence available to the school's board of governors when they offered school places to children. The tribunal cannot take into account any additional information that wasn't available to the board of governors when they offered places. The tribunal doesn't challenge a school's admissions criteria. 

    The tribunal can only uphold an appeal if:

    • they find the school didn't apply or didn't apply correctly its admissions criteria
    • and they find the school would have offered the child a place if it had applied its admissions criteria correctly 

    When your appeal will be heard

    The EA will tell you when your appeal will be heard.

    The appeal decision

    The tribunal's decision is legally binding on you and the school.

    They will write and tell you their decision by post. If your appeal is successful, the school will offer your child a place. 

    Exceptional Circumstances Body

    The Exceptional Circumstances Body (ECB) processes applications from parents/guardians for admissions to post-primary school (years 8-12 only) where it is claimed that a child is deemed to have exceptional circumstances which require them to go to one school and one school only, but an application made through the normal admissions process has failed. 

    Things parents should consider

    • the Exceptional Circumstances process is not part the normal schools admission process
    • your son or daughter must go to a particular school only because of their exceptional circumstances rather than parental preference
    • academic ability or type of education offered by a particular school are not circumstances that can be considered
    • pupils with a statement of special educational needs cannot not be considered
    • queries about the admissions process should continue to be addressed to the Education Authority

    There is no deadline for applications to the ECB.

    If you think that your child has an exceptional need for admission to a particular post-primary school, then the 'exceptional circumstances' process may be able help you with this, as long as you can show that you have already applied to that post-primary school for admission, and your child was not admitted.

    About exceptional circumstances

    When considering an application the ECB will focus on the following three tests that are considered under the 'exceptional circumstances' process:

    • are the circumstances that are claimed exceptional
    • are the circumstances that are claimed personal to the child
    • do the circumstances that are claimed require the child’s admission to the named school, and only that school

    A case for admission under the exceptional circumstances process will exist only when the applicant passes all three tests.

    Circumstances that aren't exceptional

    The ECB may not find the following circumstances exceptional:

    • type of education provided at a school
    • a child’s academic ability
    • availability of transport to a school

    Attendance at a hearing

    Attendance at a hearing is not required and you can request that the ECB panel reach its determination in your absence. Alternatively, any applicants who can’t travel to Bangor, for example for medical reasons, may be able to use video/tele conferencing.  The aim is to make sure that your application is considered quickly, but in the safest way in order to meet current restrictions.

    Timescales for ECB applications

    Under normal circumstances, following receipt of completed applications, the ECB Secretariat aim to arrange a hearing within 28 days. The panel's decision will issue within three weeks, or as soon as possible afterwards.  However due to the current Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, it may not be possible to meet these deadlines.

    To speed up the application process

    Check that your application is fully completed, signed, and if required, a Declaration of Consent signed by the child, if 13 years or over.  Make sure that original supporting evidence is also included as incomplete applications will be returned.  Copies of the AP1 Transfer Form are accepted.

    Provide an email address if available.

    Attach all relevant evidence - normally this should be originals, however due to the Pandemic these may be difficult to get.  If so, copies will be accepted.

    A copy of the Transfer Form must be included (Year 8 only).  As applications were completed online this year, a screenshot will be acceptable.  If you need help with this email postprimaryadmissions@eani.org.uk.

    Applying to the ECB

    To send an application to the ECB, there are two options you can use:

    • download a copy of the application form and complete using a black ballpoint pen
    • save a copy of the application and complete by typing in the spaces available

    As you must sign the form and provide supporting evidence, the ECB will not accept applications sent by email.   All applications must be received in hard copy.  Applications delivered by hand cannot be accepted.

    To read more information about applying to the ECB, go to:

    • Exceptional Circumstances Body information booklet and application form

     

    More useful links

    • Internet safety
    • Give your child a helping hand
    • Play matters
    Share this page Share on Facebook (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share on X (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share by email (external link opens in a new window / tab)

    Choosing a school

    • Appealing a school place decision
    • Applying for a school place
    • Choosing a school for your child
    • Finding a school to suit your child
    • Getting a primary school place
    • Pre-school education places
    • School admissions criteria
    • Transfer to a post-primary school
    • Types of school

    Help improve this page - send your feedback

    What do you want to do?
    Report a problem
    Which problem did you find on this page? (Tick all that apply)

    Messages

    You will not receive a reply. We will consider your feedback to help improve the site.

    Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

    What is your question about?

    What to do next

    Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

    If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

    Carer's Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912
    Email 
    dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

    Call 0800 587 2750 
    Email 
    customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

    Disability Living Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912 
    Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Employment and Support Allowance

    Call 0800 587 1377

    Jobseeker’s Allowance

    Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

    Personal Independence Payment

    Call 0800 587 0932

    If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

    For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

    For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

    For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

    If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

    • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
    • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

    For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

    Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

    For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

    For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

    For queries about your GRONI account, email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about:

    • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
      contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
       
    • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
      contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

     

    For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

    For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

    If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

    If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

    For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

    For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

    If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

    Related sites

    • gov.uk
    • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

    Links to supporting information

    • Accessibility statement
    • Crown copyright
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy
    • Cookies
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • RSS