Admissions

September 2025 Year 7 Entry

 

September 2024 Year 7 Entry

 

 

How do I make an appeal for a place at this School? 

If you wish to appeal against a decision to refuse a place for your child at this school you can appeal online or in writing. Information on how to appeal can be found via:- https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/appeal-a-school-offer. Please ensure that you read the guidance notes published online before submitting your appeal. Please note that as Meopham School is part of Swale Academies Trust, appeals forms must be submitted to the school. Meopham School uses an externally appointed Independent Appeals Panel.

For appeals during the 2024/25 admissions round (to start in September 2024), you should return your completed form to Marni Wright either by email MSS-Admissions@swale.at or by post Meopham School, Wrotham Road, Meopham, Kent DA13 0AH by 4pm, Monday 27th March 2023. Telephone 01474-814646.

Making an appeal

If your child is due to start secondary school in September 2025, you can appeal if you are refused a place at one of your preferred schools on National Offer Day (Monday 3 March 2025).

You needed to submit your appeal before Monday 31 March 2025 for it to be considered by Wednesday 18 June 2025. Any appeals received after this time will be heard within 40 school days from the deadline, or where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education.

For late applications, appeals should be heard within 40 school days from the deadline for lodging appeals where possible, or within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education.

For any appeals being lodged, read the full copy of our privacy notice outlining your rights in relation to your personal data.

Appeals relating to late applications for a place

If your application was made after Thursday 31 October 2024 (closing date for receipt of applications for secondary school places) appeals will be heard as soon as practicably possible and ideally before the start of the new school year.

In Year and Transfer Appeals

For other appeals such as transfer and in-year admissions (moving from one school to another during the school year) please return your form to the school within 4 weeks of the date of your refusal letter. These appeals will be heard as soon as practicably possible.

How much notice of the appeal hearing date will I have?

Letters notifying parents of appeal dates and times are sent out in line with statutory guidance. These letters will be sent out at least 14 days in advance of the hearing (unless you have agreed to a shorter period than this).

We are hoping the Appeals will be heard in June 2025.

You will be informed of the date and time of your Appeal.

Stage 1, part of the hearing (with other parents present)

Stage 2, the individual private hearing will take place.

If you wish to submit any further information other than that which you included with your appeal form, we ask that this is submitted no later than 10 days prior to your hearing. This is to enable the additional information to be circulated to all parties, giving the Panel and school the opportunity to consider the information in advance of the hearing. Please note that if significant information is received after this deadline your hearing may have to be adjourned to a later date. Please note there is a 10MB limit to any attachment sent online or by email. If you send more than this limit we will not get your information and will not know that you have tried to send it to us. If you need to send more than 10MB please either split it across more than one email or send it by post. Regardless of how you have sent the information to us we will acknowledge that we have received it so if you don't hear from us within three working days please telephone on the number above to make sure we have received what you have sent.

Decision letters are sent out within 7 days of the hearing wherever possible.