If your child is not allocated a place at the school you prefer, you have the right to appeal the decision of the admissions authority.
The Education Department of the Archdiocese arranges admission appeals for Catholic primary and secondary schools for the following local authority areas:
- Knowsley | All Schools
- Liverpool | With the exception of St Edward's College.
- Sefton | All Schools
- St Helens | With the exception of St Theresa's Catholic Primary School, De La Salle High School and St Cuthbert's Catholic High School
- Wigan | All Schools
For Catholic schools in Halton, Lancashire and Warrington, please contact your local authority regarding the appeals process. For schools listed as exceptions in the above list, please contact the school directly.
- Submit your details using the form above, completing all requested fields.
- Your appeal will then be heard by an independent appeal panel.
Appeals for normal year of entry (Reception and Year 7) for admission in September 2024 will be heard according to the following timetable:
Secondary
Offer date: 1 March
Appeals to be lodged by: 1 April
Appeals to be heard: 18 June
Primary
Offer Date: 16 April
Appeals to be lodged by: 15 May
Appeals to be heard by: 17 July
Appeals received after these dates for normal year of admissions in September 2024 will be heard within 40 school days of the appeal deadline where possible, or soon thereafter.
Appeals resulting from in-year admission applications will be heard on a date to be arranged within 30 school days of the appeal form being received.
In some exceptional circumstances, we may need to hold hearings after these dates.
Every school is required to have a complaints policy, a copy of which can be found on their website. All complaints about a school should follow the school's published policy. Archdiocesan officers will be unable to intervene in any complaints until such time as the school complaints policy has been exhausted.