My friend is a goods vehicle driver and also does maintenance in his workshop. He would like to register for a tachograph smart card but would like to know the cost. How much does it cost to apply?

Tachograph workshop cards are issued free of charge. They are automatically renewed every year on 31 March.

Setting up an Approved Tachograph Centre (ATC)

How to apply

If you want to set up an Approved Tachograph Centre (ATC), you will need to read the ATC manual and fill in form GV207.

Send your application to the address on the form.

You can also contact the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) for the form and manual.

Costs and equipment

It costs:

£361 to register as an Approved Tachograph Centre (ATC)

£148 to renew your registration each year

You can register to work on analogue tachographs, digital tachographs, or both.

Equipment

The ATC manual tells you what equipment you’ll need to buy.

Who can work for you

You can only employ ‘nominated technicians’ to carry out work at an Approved Tachograph Centre (ATC). They must be skilled technicians with experience working on tachographs.

If they need to road test vehicles, they must also have a driving licence for the relevant categories of vehicles they’re testing.

They’ll also need to hold a ‘certificate of competence’ for each class of tachograph (digital, analogue or both) that they want to work on.

They’ll get this only after they’ve  successfully completed a DVSA-approved training course. You’ll find details in the ATC manual.

Tachograph workshop smart cards

A tachograph workshop card is used to calibrate digital tachographs. To be eligible for a workshop card, you must:

be a nominated technician working at an Approved Tachograph Centre (ATC) with digital status

hold a digital training certificate

The cards are issued to a nominated technician, not to a centre - this means that only the individual who has the card can use it.

If you’re the nominated technician and you work at 2 workshops, you’ll need a card for each workshop.

How to apply

Print off and fill in form D778B and send it to DVSA, with a copy of an up-to-date analogue and digital training certificate.

Once DVSA has checked and approved your application it will be forwarded to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), who will issue your card to the ATC where you work.

You’ll need a PIN code to use a workshop card. This will be sent to your home address, and must only be used by you.

If you enter the wrong PIN code 5 times in a row it will lock the card and you’ll need to apply for a new card using form D778B.  You’ll also be issued with a new PIN code

Read ‘How to fill in your application for a digital tachograph workshop card (D778B)’ before you fill in the form.

For more help, contact the DVSA helpline.

Working with tachograph workshop cards

Workshop cards can hold:

details of 88 calibrations

a small amount of events and faults data

A workshop card must not be used instead of a company card. If you have a card used by your calibration centre, this must only be used in accordance with the tachograph centre’s duties and not as a substitute company card.

All insertions of a card are recorded on the vehicle unit and the card.

Renewal of workshop cards

DVLA sends a renewal list to DVSA 2 months before a card’s expiry. This is then checked and returned to DVLA with details of technicians whose cards can be renewed.

You must report any lost or stolen cards to DVSA and the police immediately.

If your card is lost or stolen, you can apply for a replacement by printing off and filling in form D778B to DVSA. You’ll need to provide a police incident reference number for stolen cards.

If your card stops working

Try using the card in a different vehicle unit. If it still does not work, print off and fill in form D778B and sent it with the faulty card to DVSA to get a new card.

Any misuse of workshop cards may lead to the withdrawal of your nominated technician and tachograph centre’s approval.


I am travelling to the UK from United States with my 5 years old niece. She had gone to visit her grandmother and had a short stay. Me and my niece have different surnames so there will be no mistake that I am not her parent. What do i expect to be asked at the border ?

You may be asked at the border to prove the relationship between yourself and any children travelling with you, if you do not seem to be the parent, for example if you have a different surname.

Entering the UK

Overview

If you’re travelling to England, what you need to do depends on where you have been in the 10 days before you arrive. If you have been in a country or territory on the:

green list - you must take a coronavirus (COVID-19) test on or before day 2

amber list - you must quarantine in the place you’re staying and take 2 COVID-19 tests

red list - you must quarantine in a hotel and take 2 COVID-19 tests

You cannot currently enter the UK if you’ve been in or through a country on the red list unless you’re British, Irish or you have the right to live in the UK.

You must follow these rules even if you have been vaccinated.

Find out which list the country you’ve been in is on and what you need to do.

Find out what to do if you’re:

travelling to Scotland

travelling to Wales

travelling to Northern Ireland

Before you leave for the UK

You’ll need to:

provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken in the 3 days before you leave for the UK

complete a passenger locator form

Find out more about what you’ll need to do before you leave for the UK because of COVID-19.

Your passport or identity card will be checked when you arrive at a UK port or airport to make sure you’re allowed to come into the country. It should be valid for the whole of your stay.

You may also need a visa to come into or travel through the UK, depending on your nationality.

What you can bring with you

What you can bring with you depends on where you’re travelling from. You must declare to customs:

anything over your duty-free allowance

banned or restricted goods in the UK

goods that you plan to sell

more than €10,000 (or its equivalent) in cash, if you’re coming from outside the EU

You and your baggage may be checked for anything you must declare.

COVID-19 restrictions in the UK

COVID-19 restrictions currently apply in England. Find out about the:

rules in Scotland

rules in Wales

rules in Northern Ireland

Before you leave for the UK

Everyone travelling to the UK must:

book at least one coronavirus (COVID-19) test for after you arrive

provide your contact details by completing the online passenger locator form

follow the testing and quarantine rules in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

You’ll be committing a criminal offence if you do not have proof of a negative test or you have not completed the passenger locator form. You may be fined. You may not be allowed to board. If you are not British or Irish, you may not be allowed to enter the UK.

COVID-19 testing and quarantine in England

What you need to do depends on where you have been in the 10 days before you arrive. If you have been in a country or territory on the:

green list - you must book a COVID-19 test to take after you arrive

amber list - you must book 2 COVID-19 tests to take after you arrive and quarantine in the place you’re staying

red list - you must book a hotel quarantine package, which includes 2 COVID-19 tests

Find out which list the country you’ve been in is on and what you need to do.

You must follow these rules even if you have been vaccinated.

You might be exempt from some or all COVID-19 travel and entry requirements because of your job. Check if your job means you’re exempt.

Children aged 4 and under do not need to take any COVID-19 travel tests after they arrive in England.

If you’re travelling from a country on the amber list, you may be able to end your quarantine early by booking a third coronavirus test through Test to Release.

COVID-19 testing and quarantine in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Check the rules and exemptions for quarantine and COVID-19 tests:

if you’re travelling to Scotland

if you’re travelling to Wales

If you’re travelling to Northern Ireland

Complete the passenger locator form

You need to provide your journey and contact details in the 48 hours before you arrive in the UK. You must do this by completing the online passenger locator form.

You’ll need to show your completed passenger locator form when you check in to travel or board your plane, train or ferry.

You’ll also need to show proof that you’ve completed the form when you arrive at the UK border.

Provide a negative COVID-19 test to travel to the UK

You must have proof of a negative COVID-19 test to travel to the UK - even if you’re a UK citizen.

If your test result is positive you must not travel. You must follow the local COVID-19 rules and guidance.

The test must be taken in the 3 days before you depart. The results must be in English, French or Spanish.

You’ll need to show the test results when you check in to travel or board your plane, train or ferry. You may also be asked to show them when you arrive.

You could be fined £500 when you arrive at the border if you cannot provide proof that you have had a negative COVID-19 test.

Find out more about providing a COVID-19 test result, including exemptions and acceptable types of test.

When you do not need to provide a negative COVID-19 test

You do not need a test if you’re travelling:

within the UK, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey

from Ireland

from Ascension, Falkland Islands, St Helena and Myanmar

Children under 11 do not need a test.

There are other reasons you might not need a test, for example:

you have a job on the ‘exempt jobs’ list

you’re travelling to the UK for medical reasons

you’re travelling from a country where you cannot access testing facilities

Read the guidance about:

taking a COVID-19 test before you travel to England

taking a COVID-19 test before you travel to Scotland

You must still follow the rules for quarantining when you arrive in the UK.

You’re from an EEA country or Switzerland

You can enter the UK with either a passport or national identity card issued by an EEA country or Switzerland that should be valid for the whole of your stay.

From 1 October 2021, you will not be able to use an EEA or Swiss national identity card to enter the UK unless you:

have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

have an EU Settlement Scheme family permit

have a Frontier Worker permit

are an S2 Healthcare Visitor

are a Swiss Service Provider

Check if you need a visa to come to the UK after 1 January 2021.

You’re not from an EEA country

You must have a valid passport to enter the UK. It should be valid for the whole of your stay.

You may also need a visa, depending on which country you’re from.

Check if you need a visa to enter the UK.

You may also need a visa if you’re ‘transiting’ or travelling through the UK, for example you’re changing flights at a UK airport.

Applying for a visa

You must apply for your visa before you arrive in the UK.

Travelling with children

You can prove this with:

a birth or adoption certificate showing your relationship with the child

divorce or marriage certificates if you’re the parent but have a different surname from the child

a letter from the child’s parent giving permission for the child to travel with you and providing contact details, if you’re not the parent

Before you board

Your ‘carrier’ (for example airline or transport provider) will check your passport and other travel documents. They’ll send this information electronically to Border Force.

You can ask to see the information about you that’s been sent by carriers.

At border control

You must wear a face covering at the airport, port or station you’re arriving into and follow social distancing rules.

You’ll need to show:

your passport or identity card

your proof of a negative coronavirus (COVID-19) test

your passenger locator form

You must:

have your passport or identity card ready - remove it from a holder or wallet if you use one

remove your face covering or sunglasses, if you’re wearing them

move through passport control together if you’re in a family

You will have to wait longer than usual at border control because of COVID-19.

Showing your passenger locator form

You need to show proof that you’ve completed a passenger locator form when you arrive at the UK border. The government will use the form to contact you if someone you’ve travelled with develops COVID-19 symptoms.

When you submit the form you’ll receive a confirmation email with a document attached. At border control you must show either a:

printed copy of the document

downloaded copy of document on your phone

Border Force officers will scan the QR code at the top of this document to check you have completed the form successfully.

It is a criminal offence to provide false or deliberately misleading information when filling out your passenger locator form. You could be fined up to £10,000, imprisoned for up to 10 years, or both, if you do not provide accurate details about the countries you have visited in the 10 days before you arrived in the UK.

You may also need to show proof of a negative coronavirus test at the border. You could be fined up to £500 if you cannot show proof when asked.

Arriving by bus or coach

You have to leave the bus when you arrive at border control.

Make sure you:

are ready to get off the bus when you arrive

have your travel documents ready

Read the guidance for school parties and groups coming to the UK by coach.

If you’re from an EEA country or Switzerland

You can use the UK/EEA channel to get your passport or identity card checked - this is usually faster than the other channels.

The EEA includes the EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

You can use automatic ePassport gates at some airports if your passport has a ‘chip’ on it and you’re 12 or over. If you’re between 12 and 17, you must be accompanied by an adult.

These gates use facial recognition technology to check your identity against the photo in your passport.

If you’re from a non-EEA country

Your passport (and visa if you have one) will be checked at border control. You’ll usually be asked why you’re coming to the UK.

You can use the UK/EEA immigration lanes and the automatic ePassport gates if you’re from:

Australia

Canada

Japan

New Zealand

Singapore

South Korea

United States

When you cannot use an ePassport gate

You must see a border control officer and get a stamp in your passport if you are entering the UK:

with a Tier 5 Creative or Sporting certificate of sponsorship for up to 3 months (and you want to enter without a visa)

on a permitted paid engagement

You cannot get a stamp if you use the ePassport gates. Without a stamp you will not be allowed to carry out the activities you came to the UK to do.

Registered Travellers

You can use the UK/EEA immigration lanes and the automatic ePassport gates.

Travelling with a UK biometric residence permit

You’ll have a biometric residence permit if your fingerprints were taken when you applied.

Your fingerprints will be checked at border control - they’ll be checked against the ones stored on your visa document.

If you’re refused entry

You’ll be told in writing:

why you’ve been refused entry to the UK

if you can appeal against the decision

when you will be removed from the UK

You’ll usually have to leave the UK immediately.

You may be allowed into the UK temporarily (usually for up to a week) but your passport will be taken from you and you must report to immigration officers at set times.

Baggage checks

You must co-operate if you’re stopped and asked about your baggage.

If you break the rules your goods and any vehicle you use to transport them may be seized.

If your baggage is checked

Your baggage is usually checked in front of you.

Customs officers keep a record of:

all baggage they open and check

any damage to your baggage or belongings during a check

If your things are damaged

You may be offered compensation if your baggage or belongings are damaged during a customs check.

Making a complaint

You can:

ask for the duty manager if you want to complain about a customs check while you’re at the border

send your complaint to Border Force if you want to complain later

Layovers and transiting through a UK airport

Passing through a UK airport while on the way to another country is called ‘transiting’. Some travellers call it a ‘layover’.

There are 2 types of transiting:

‘airside’ - you do not pass through UK border control before you leave on your connecting journey

‘landside’ - you do pass through UK border control, but come back through it and leave the UK within a short amount of time (usually 24 hours)

Find out if you need a UK visa for your layover.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing and quarantine

Before you travel you need to:

provide your contact details by completing the online passenger locator form

provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test

Check the rules for transiting.

Quarantining when you arrive in the UK

green list - you do not need to quarantine but you must take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2

amber list - you must quarantine in the place you’re staying and take 2 COVID-19 tests

red list - you must quarantine in a hotel and take 2 COVID-19 tests

You must follow these rules even if you have been vaccinated.

Find out which list the country you’ve been in is on and what you need to do.

You may be fined if you do not quarantine in the place you’re staying or in a managed quarantine hotel when you need to. You can be prosecuted if you do not pay on time.

Some people are exempt from some or all COVID-19 travel and entry requirements because of their jobs. Check if your job means you’re exempt.

Quarantine rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Find out what to do and whether you’re exempt if you’re:

travelling to Scotland

travelling to Wales

travelling to Northern Ireland

Ending quarantine early through Test to Release

You may be able to end quarantine early through the ‘Test to Release’ scheme if you pay for a private coronavirus (COVID-19) test.

You must still take the 2 COVID-19 tests you booked before you travelled. Find out more about the tests you must book and take.

You cannot use the Test to Release scheme if you’ve been in or through a country on the red list in the 10 days before you arrive in England.

This guidance is for England. Find out what to do if you’re:

travelling to Scotland

travelling to Wales

travelling to Northern Ireland

When you can take the private COVID-19 test

The earliest you can take a test is 5 days after you arrive in England. For example, if you arrive on a Monday, you can take a test from the following Saturday.

When you can stop quarantining

If the test is negative you can stop quarantining as soon as you get the result.

If the test is positive you need to quarantine for another 10 days. Count the 10 days starting from the day you took the test, or from when you first had symptoms if that is earlier.

If you’re living or staying with someone in the UK they should also self-isolate for 10 days, starting from the day you took the test.

If the test is inconclusive you also need to quarantine for another 10 days. You can stop quarantining if you take another test with an eligible private provider and the result is negative.

You may be fined up to £10,000 if you do not quarantine when you need to. You can be prosecuted if you do not pay the fine on time.

What you’ll need

Before arriving in England, you’ll need to:

book a test with an eligible private provider

say that you’ll be using the Test to Release scheme on the passenger locator form

You cannot take a test through NHS Test and Trace to shorten your quarantine period. You must continue to quarantine if the result from an NHS Test and Trace test is negative.

If you did not book the test before you arrived in England, you can book one after you arrive. You will need to complete another passenger locator form to opt into the scheme.


My uncle  has a 14 year old  step son who  moved to England from India last month.He has been looking for a special grammar school for him to join. Will he be required to do and pass an entrance exam in order for him to qualify?

If you live in England contact your local council to find:

School admissions

Choosing schools

state-funded schools in your area

admission criteria for the schools you’re interested in

The process is different if you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

You can also contact your local council to apply for places at state schools in other areas. You can search online to find schools in England.

Private schools or home schooling

If you’re looking for a place at a private school (also called ‘independent schools’), contact the school directly.

You can also choose to teach your child at home, known as home schooling.

Children with special educational needs (SEN)

If your child has SEN, their Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan will name a school for them. The school must give your child a place.

You can ask your local council to carry out an assessment if you think your child needs additional support with their educational, health and social needs.

Find out about a primary or secondary school

You can find out more by:

visiting the school - most schools have open days

reading the school’s most recent Ofsted reports

checking school performance tables

talking to other parents about what they think of the school

What schools must publish on their website

Schools’ websites must include:

admission arrangements, including how to apply

details of the curriculum

behaviour policy

links to Ofsted reports

links to performance data

the school’s latest key stage 2 and 4 attainment and progress measures

their policies for children with special educational needs and disabilities

the amount of money they get for taking underprivileged children (the ‘pupil premium’), what they do with it and the effect it’s had

You can also get advice about choosing state-funded schools from your local council.

Admission criteria

All schools have admission criteria to decide which children get places. The school or local council usually set these.

Admission criteria are different for each school. They may give priority to children:

who live close to the school

who have a brother or sister at the school already

from a particular religion (for faith schools)

who pass an entrance exam (for selective schools, for example grammar schools)

who went to a particular primary school (a ‘feeder school’)

who are eligible for the pupil premium or the service pupil premium

whose parent has worked at the school for 2 years or more

Your local council can give you information about schools’ criteria and how to apply.

Children in care

All state-funded schools must give top priority to admitting children who:

are in care or being looked after

have been in care

Complain about unfair admission arrangements

Contact the Schools Adjudicator if you think a school has unlawful or unfair admission arrangements.

You need to complain by 15 May of the year before you’re applying for a place. For example, to complain about admission arrangements for September 2021 the deadline is 15 May 2020.

School starting age

Most children start school full-time in the September after their fourth birthday. This means they’ll turn 5 during their first school year.

For example, if your child’s fourth birthday is between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022 they will usually start school in September 2022.

If you want your child to start later

If you do not think your child is ready to start school at the usual time, they can start later - as long as they’re in full-time education by the time they reach ‘compulsory school age’.

They can start:

part time

part-way through the year

in the next school year, in the September after they turn 5

You’ll still need to apply for a school place at the same time as everyone else. You request your child’s later start when you apply.

If your child starts in the September after they turn 5

Your child will go into year 1. Contact the local council or school if you want your child to start in reception instead. They do not have to agree.

Compulsory school age

Your child must start full-time education once they reach compulsory school age. This is on 31 December, 31 March or 31 August following their fifth birthday - whichever comes first. If your child’s fifth birthday is on one of those dates then they reach compulsory school age on that date.

For example, if your child reaches compulsory school age on 31 March, they must start full-time education at the beginning of the next term (summer term that year).

Children must stay in full-time education until they reach school leaving age.

All 3 to 4-year-olds in England are entitled to free early education before they start school full time.

How to apply

Follow your local council’s application process to:

apply for a primary school place

apply for a secondary school place

You must still apply for a place, even if the school is linked to your child’s current nursery, infant or primary school.

Apply directly for:

a 6th form place at a school or college

a place at a private school

Moving to another area

You apply through your local council even if you’re applying for schools in another council area or you’ve just moved to England.

If you’re applying from another country, contact the local council in the area where you’re going to live.

You may need to:

supply proof of your new address, for example a mortgage or rental agreement or deeds for the property

prove that you’ll live in the area before the start of the next school term

Completing the application

When you fill in the form (online or on paper) you’ll be asked to list the schools you’re applying for in order of preference.

Listing only one school will not increase your chances of getting a place there.

To get a copy of the application form on paper, contact your local council.

When to apply

Applications open on different days in each local council area. Find out from your local council when applications open for primary or secondary schools.

Applying for a primary school place

You must apply for a primary school place a year before your child can start school.

Applications open in September and close on 15 January. Your child will be 3 or have just turned 4 when you apply.

You’ll need to apply then even if you want your child to start part-way through the year.

Applying for a secondary school place

The deadline for applying is 31 October.

Your child is less likely to be offered a place at their chosen schools if you miss the deadline for applications.

When you’ll find out

Councils will send offers of school places for:

primary schools on 16 April

secondary schools on 1 March

If either date falls on a weekend or a bank holiday, offers are sent the next working day.

You must accept the offer by the deadline given in the offer letter. Otherwise it may be withdrawn and the place given to someone else.

The local council must provide a place at another school, if your child is not offered a place at any of the schools you’ve applied for. This is usually your nearest school with places still available.

Applying after the start of the school year

Contact your local council to find out about applying for a school place once the school year has started (known as in-year applications). They can tell you which schools still have places and how to apply.

Once your child has been offered a place, they will usually start school at the beginning of the following term.

School waiting lists

If your child does not have a place, contact your local council for schools with places.

You can also put your child’s name down on a waiting list. The ‘admission authority’ for the school (usually the school itself or the council) must keep a waiting list open for at least the first term of each school year.

Contact the school or your local council if you want your child’s name added to a waiting list.

You can add your child’s name to a waiting list even if they have been offered a place at another school.

If your child is on a waiting list and the school offers you a place, the admission authority will send you a formal offer. You can still accept the offer even if your child has already started at another school.

Appealing a school's decision

You’ll be sent a letter with the decision about your child’s school. If your child is refused a place, you can appeal against the decision. The letter will tell you how.

You must appeal against each rejection separately. You can only appeal once against each rejection.

Preparing your appeal

The admission authority for the school must allow you at least 20 school days to appeal from when they send the decision letter.

The admission authority will set a deadline for submitting information and evidence to support your appeal. If you submit anything after the deadline, it might not be considered and may result in delays to your hearing.

Coram Children’s Legal Centre may be able to give you advice about appeals.

When the hearing will be

The admission authority must give you at least 10 school days’ notice of the hearing.

Appeals must be heard within 40 school days of the deadline for making an appeal.

What happens at the appeal hearing

There’s a panel of 3 or more people at the appeal hearing. The panel must be independent and must follow the school admission appeals code.

The admission authority will explain why they turned down your application.

You’ll be able to give your own reasons why your child should be admitted.

The appeals panel must decide if the school’s admission criteria were properly followed and comply with the school admissions code.

If the criteria were not properly followed or do not comply with the school admissions code your appeal must be upheld.

If your reasons for your child to be admitted outweigh the school’s reasons for not admitting any more children at all, your appeal will be upheld.

You will usually be sent the decision within 5 school days.

You can read more about school admission appeals.

Appeals for infant classes

You need to go through the same process if you’re appealing a decision about an infant class. In reception, year 1 and year 2, the class size is limited to 30. Your application can be turned down if all the classes already have 30 children.

Your appeal could be successful if:

giving your child a place will not increase the class size above the limit

the admission arrangements have not been properly followed

the admission criteria do not comply with the school admissions code

Complain about the appeals process

You can complain about the way the appeal was carried out, but you can not complain about the decision itself.

Maintained schools

Complain to the Local Government Ombudsman.

Fill in the online complaint form.

If a maintained school becomes an academy

If you complain about an appeal concerning a maintained school that then converts to academy status, the Local Government Ombudsman will investigate it and pass any actions to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

Other schools

Complain to ESFA about an appeal made to:

free schools

academies, including university technical colleges and studio schools

Fill in the online complaint form.

Using the online form is the quickest way to make a complaint. If you need a paper form instead, contact:

You should get a decision on your complaint within 9 weeks (45 working days). You’ll be told if it’ll take longer.

You’ll get a letter explaining the reasons for the decision.

If ESFA decides something went wrong with the appeals panel, it may:

ask the school to hold a new appeal hearing with a different panel

recommend the school reviews its appeals process

Complain about another school matter

If you have a complaint about a school that is not related to the appeals process, contact the Department for Education.

admission criteria for the schools you’re interested in

School admissions

Choosing schools

If you live in England contact your local council to find:

state-funded schools in your area

The process is different if you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

You can also contact your local council to apply for places at state schools in other areas. You can search online to find schools in England.

Private schools or home schooling

If you’re looking for a place at a private school (also called ‘independent schools’), contact the school directly.

You can also choose to teach your child at home, known as home schooling.

Children with special educational needs (SEN)

If your child has SEN, their Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan will name a school for them. The school must give your child a place.

Find out about a primary or secondary school

You can find out more by:

visiting the school - most schools have open days

reading the school’s most recent Ofsted reports

checking school performance tables

talking to other parents about what they think of the school

What schools must publish on their website

Schools’ websites must include:

admission arrangements, including how to apply

details of the curriculum

behaviour policy

links to Ofsted reports

links to performance data

the school’s latest key stage 2 and 4 attainment and progress measures

their policies for children with special educational needs and disabilities

the amount of money they get for taking underprivileged children (the ‘pupil premium’), what they do with it and the effect it’s had

You can also get advice about choosing state-funded schools from your local council.

Admission criteria

All schools have admission criteria to decide which children get places. The school or local council usually set these.

Admission criteria are different for each school. They may give priority to children:

who live close to the school

who have a brother or sister at the school already

from a particular religion (for faith schools)

who pass an entrance exam (for selective schools, for example grammar schools)

who went to a particular primary school (a ‘feeder school’)

who are eligible for the pupil premium or the service pupil premium

whose parent has worked at the school for 2 years or more

Your local council can give you information about schools’ criteria and how to apply.

Children in care

All state-funded schools must give top priority to admitting children who:

are in care or being looked after

have been in care

Complain about unfair admission arrangements

Contact the Schools Adjudicator if you think a school has unlawful or unfair admission arrangements.

School starting age

Most children start school full-time in the September after their fourth birthday. This means they’ll turn 5 during their first school year.

For example, if your child’s fourth birthday is between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022 they will usually start school in September 2022.

If you want your child to start later

They can start:

part time

part-way through the year

in the next school year, in the September after they turn 5

You’ll still need to apply for a school place at the same time as everyone else. You request your child’s later start when you apply.

If your child starts in the September after they turn 5

Your child will go into year 1. Contact the local council or school if you want your child to start in reception instead. They do not have to agree.

Compulsory school age

Children must stay in full-time education until they reach school leaving age.

All 3 to 4-year-olds in England are entitled to free early education before they start school full time.

How to apply

Follow your local council’s application process to:

apply for a primary school place

apply for a secondary school place

You must still apply for a place, even if the school is linked to your child’s current nursery, infant or primary school.

Apply directly for:

a 6th form place at a school or college

a place at a private school

Moving to another area

You apply through your local council even if you’re applying for schools in another council area or you’ve just moved to England.

If you’re applying from another country, contact the local council in the area where you’re going to live.

You may need to:

supply proof of your new address, for example a mortgage or rental agreement or deeds for the property

prove that you’ll live in the area before the start of the next school term

Completing the application

When you fill in the form (online or on paper) you’ll be asked to list the schools you’re applying for in order of preference.

Listing only one school will not increase your chances of getting a place there.

To get a copy of the application form on paper, contact your local council.

When to apply

Applications open on different days in each local council area. Find out from your local council when applications open for primary or secondary schools.

Applying for a primary school place

You must apply for a primary school place a year before your child can start school.

Applications open in September and close on 15 January. Your child will be 3 or have just turned 4 when you apply.

You’ll need to apply then even if you want your child to start part-way through the year.

Applying for a secondary school place

The deadline for applying is 31 October.

Your child is less likely to be offered a place at their chosen schools if you miss the deadline for applications.

When you’ll find out

Councils will send offers of school places for:

primary schools on 16 April

secondary schools on 1 March

If either date falls on a weekend or a bank holiday, offers are sent the next working day.

You must accept the offer by the deadline given in the offer letter. Otherwise it may be withdrawn and the place given to someone else.

Applying after the start of the school year

Once your child has been offered a place, they will usually start school at the beginning of the following term.

School waiting lists

If your child does not have a place, contact your local council for schools with places.

Contact the school or your local council if you want your child’s name added to a waiting list.

You can add your child’s name to a waiting list even if they have been offered a place at another school.

Appealing a school's decision

You must appeal against each rejection separately. You can only appeal once against each rejection.

Preparing your appeal

The admission authority for the school must allow you at least 20 school days to appeal from when they send the decision letter.

Coram Children’s Legal Centre may be able to give you advice about appeals.

When the hearing will be

The admission authority must give you at least 10 school days’ notice of the hearing.

Appeals must be heard within 40 school days of the deadline for making an appeal.

What happens at the appeal hearing

There’s a panel of 3 or more people at the appeal hearing. The panel must be independent and must follow the school admission appeals code.

The admission authority will explain why they turned down your application.

You’ll be able to give your own reasons why your child should be admitted.

The appeals panel must decide if the school’s admission criteria were properly followed and comply with the school admissions code.

If the criteria were not properly followed or do not comply with the school admissions code your appeal must be upheld.

If your reasons for your child to be admitted outweigh the school’s reasons for not admitting any more children at all, your appeal will be upheld.

You will usually be sent the decision within 5 school days.

You can read more about school admission appeals.

Appeals for infant classes

Your appeal could be successful if:

giving your child a place will not increase the class size above the limit

the admission arrangements have not been properly followed

the admission criteria do not comply with the school admissions code

Complain about the appeals process

You can complain about the way the appeal was carried out, but you can not complain about the decision itself.

Maintained schools

Complain to the Local Government Ombudsman.

Fill in the online complaint form.

If a maintained school becomes an academy

Other schools

Complain to ESFA about an appeal made to:

free schools

academies, including university technical colleges and studio schools

Fill in the online complaint form.

Using the online form is the quickest way to make a complaint. If you need a paper form instead, contact:

You should get a decision on your complaint within 9 weeks (45 working days). You’ll be told if it’ll take longer.

You’ll get a letter explaining the reasons for the decision.

If ESFA decides something went wrong with the appeals panel, it may:

ask the school to hold a new appeal hearing with a different panel

recommend the school reviews its appeals process

Complain about another school matter

If you have a complaint about a school that is not related to the appeals process, contact the Department for Education.

All schools have admission criteria to decide which children get places. The school or local council usually set these.

School admissions

Choosing schools

If you live in England contact your local council to find:

state-funded schools in your area

admission criteria for the schools you’re interested in

The process is different if you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

You can also contact your local council to apply for places at state schools in other areas. You can search online to find schools in England.

Private schools or home schooling

If you’re looking for a place at a private school (also called ‘independent schools’), contact the school directly.

You can also choose to teach your child at home, known as home schooling.

Children with special educational needs (SEN)

If your child has SEN, their Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan will name a school for them. The school must give your child a place.

Find out about a primary or secondary school

You can find out more by:

visiting the school - most schools have open days

reading the school’s most recent Ofsted reports

checking school performance tables

talking to other parents about what they think of the school

What schools must publish on their website

Schools’ websites must include:

admission arrangements, including how to apply

details of the curriculum

behaviour policy

links to Ofsted reports

links to performance data

the school’s latest key stage 2 and 4 attainment and progress measures

their policies for children with special educational needs and disabilities

the amount of money they get for taking underprivileged children (the ‘pupil premium’), what they do with it and the effect it’s had

You can also get advice about choosing state-funded schools from your local council.

Admission criteria

All schools have admission criteria to decide which children get places. The school or local council usually set these.

Admission criteria are different for each school. They may give priority to children:

who live close to the school

who have a brother or sister at the school already

from a particular religion (for faith schools)

who pass an entrance exam (for selective schools, for example grammar schools)

who went to a particular primary school (a ‘feeder school’)

who are eligible for the pupil premium or the service pupil premium

whose parent has worked at the school for 2 years or more

Your local council can give you information about schools’ criteria and how to apply.

Children in care

All state-funded schools must give top priority to admitting children who:

are in care or being looked after

have been in care

Complain about unfair admission arrangements

Contact the Schools Adjudicator if you think a school has unlawful or unfair admission arrangements.

School starting age

Most children start school full-time in the September after their fourth birthday. This means they’ll turn 5 during their first school year.

For example, if your child’s fourth birthday is between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022 they will usually start school in September 2022.

If you want your child to start later

They can start:

part time

part-way through the year

in the next school year, in the September after they turn 5

You’ll still need to apply for a school place at the same time as everyone else. You request your child’s later start when you apply.

If your child starts in the September after they turn 5

Your child will go into year 1. Contact the local council or school if you want your child to start in reception instead. They do not have to agree.

Compulsory school age

Children must stay in full-time education until they reach school leaving age.

All 3 to 4-year-olds in England are entitled to free early education before they start school full time.

How to apply

Follow your local council’s application process to:

apply for a primary school place

apply for a secondary school place

You must still apply for a place, even if the school is linked to your child’s current nursery, infant or primary school.

Apply directly for:

a 6th form place at a school or college

a place at a private school

Moving to another area

You apply through your local council even if you’re applying for schools in another council area or you’ve just moved to England.

If you’re applying from another country, contact the local council in the area where you’re going to live.

You may need to:

supply proof of your new address, for example a mortgage or rental agreement or deeds for the property

prove that you’ll live in the area before the start of the next school term

Completing the application

When you fill in the form (online or on paper) you’ll be asked to list the schools you’re applying for in order of preference.

Listing only one school will not increase your chances of getting a place there.

To get a copy of the application form on paper, contact your local council.

When to apply

Applications open on different days in each local council area. Find out from your local council when applications open for primary or secondary schools.

Applying for a primary school place

You must apply for a primary school place a year before your child can start school.

Applications open in September and close on 15 January. Your child will be 3 or have just turned 4 when you apply.

You’ll need to apply then even if you want your child to start part-way through the year.

Applying for a secondary school place

The deadline for applying is 31 October.

Your child is less likely to be offered a place at their chosen schools if you miss the deadline for applications.

When you’ll find out

Councils will send offers of school places for:

primary schools on 16 April

secondary schools on 1 March

If either date falls on a weekend or a bank holiday, offers are sent the next working day.

You must accept the offer by the deadline given in the offer letter. Otherwise it may be withdrawn and the place given to someone else.

Applying after the start of the school year

Once your child has been offered a place, they will usually start school at the beginning of the following term.

School waiting lists

If your child does not have a place, contact your local council for schools with places.

Contact the school or your local council if you want your child’s name added to a waiting list.

You can add your child’s name to a waiting list even if they have been offered a place at another school.

Appealing a school's decision

You must appeal against each rejection separately. You can only appeal once against each rejection.

Preparing your appeal

The admission authority for the school must allow you at least 20 school days to appeal from when they send the decision letter.

Coram Children’s Legal Centre may be able to give you advice about appeals.

When the hearing will be

The admission authority must give you at least 10 school days’ notice of the hearing.

Appeals must be heard within 40 school days of the deadline for making an appeal.

What happens at the appeal hearing

There’s a panel of 3 or more people at the appeal hearing. The panel must be independent and must follow the school admission appeals code.

The admission authority will explain why they turned down your application.

You’ll be able to give your own reasons why your child should be admitted.

The appeals panel must decide if the school’s admission criteria were properly followed and comply with the school admissions code.

If the criteria were not properly followed or do not comply with the school admissions code your appeal must be upheld.

If your reasons for your child to be admitted outweigh the school’s reasons for not admitting any more children at all, your appeal will be upheld.

You will usually be sent the decision within 5 school days.

You can read more about school admission appeals.

Appeals for infant classes

Your appeal could be successful if:

giving your child a place will not increase the class size above the limit

the admission arrangements have not been properly followed

the admission criteria do not comply with the school admissions code

Complain about the appeals process

You can complain about the way the appeal was carried out, but you can not complain about the decision itself.

Maintained schools

Complain to the Local Government Ombudsman.

Fill in the online complaint form.

If a maintained school becomes an academy

Other schools

Complain to ESFA about an appeal made to:

free schools

academies, including university technical colleges and studio schools

Fill in the online complaint form.

Using the online form is the quickest way to make a complaint. If you need a paper form instead, contact:

You should get a decision on your complaint within 9 weeks (45 working days). You’ll be told if it’ll take longer.

You’ll get a letter explaining the reasons for the decision.

If ESFA decides something went wrong with the appeals panel, it may:

ask the school to hold a new appeal hearing with a different panel

recommend the school reviews its appeals process

Complain about another school matter

If you have a complaint about a school that is not related to the appeals process, contact the Department for Education.

Admission criteria are different for each school. They may give priority to children:

School admissions

Choosing schools

If you live in England contact your local council to find:

state-funded schools in your area

admission criteria for the schools you’re interested in

The process is different if you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

You can also contact your local council to apply for places at state schools in other areas. You can search online to find schools in England.

Private schools or home schooling

If you’re looking for a place at a private school (also called ‘independent schools’), contact the school directly.

You can also choose to teach your child at home, known as home schooling.

Children with special educational needs (SEN)

If your child has SEN, their Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan will name a school for them. The school must give your child a place.

Find out about a primary or secondary school

You can find out more by:

visiting the school - most schools have open days

reading the school’s most recent Ofsted reports

checking school performance tables

talking to other parents about what they think of the school

What schools must publish on their website

Schools’ websites must include:

admission arrangements, including how to apply

details of the curriculum

behaviour policy

links to Ofsted reports

links to performance data

the school’s latest key stage 2 and 4 attainment and progress measures

their policies for children with special educational needs and disabilities

the amount of money they get for taking underprivileged children (the ‘pupil premium’), what they do with it and the effect it’s had

You can also get advice about choosing state-funded schools from your local council.

Admission criteria

All schools have admission criteria to decide which children get places. The school or local council usually set these.

Admission criteria are different for each school. They may give priority to children:

who live close to the school

who have a brother or sister at the school already

from a particular religion (for faith schools)

who pass an entrance exam (for selective schools, for example grammar schools)

who went to a particular primary school (a ‘feeder school’)

who are eligible for the pupil premium or the service pupil premium

whose parent has worked at the school for 2 years or more

Your local council can give you information about schools’ criteria and how to apply.

Children in care

All state-funded schools must give top priority to admitting children who:

are in care or being looked after

have been in care

Complain about unfair admission arrangements

Contact the Schools Adjudicator if you think a school has unlawful or unfair admission arrangements.

School starting age

Most children start school full-time in the September after their fourth birthday. This means they’ll turn 5 during their first school year.

For example, if your child’s fourth birthday is between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022 they will usually start school in September 2022.

If you want your child to start later

They can start:

part time

part-way through the year

in the next school year, in the September after they turn 5

You’ll still need to apply for a school place at the same time as everyone else. You request your child’s later start when you apply.

If your child starts in the September after they turn 5

Your child will go into year 1. Contact the local council or school if you want your child to start in reception instead. They do not have to agree.

Compulsory school age

Children must stay in full-time education until they reach school leaving age.

All 3 to 4-year-olds in England are entitled to free early education before they start school full time.

How to apply

Follow your local council’s application process to:

apply for a primary school place

apply for a secondary school place

You must still apply for a place, even if the school is linked to your child’s current nursery, infant or primary school.

Apply directly for:

a 6th form place at a school or college

a place at a private school

Moving to another area

You apply through your local council even if you’re applying for schools in another council area or you’ve just moved to England.

If you’re applying from another country, contact the local council in the area where you’re going to live.

You may need to:

supply proof of your new address, for example a mortgage or rental agreement or deeds for the property

prove that you’ll live in the area before the start of the next school term

Completing the application

When you fill in the form (online or on paper) you’ll be asked to list the schools you’re applying for in order of preference.

Listing only one school will not increase your chances of getting a place there.

To get a copy of the application form on paper, contact your local council.

When to apply

Applications open on different days in each local council area. Find out from your local council when applications open for primary or secondary schools.

Applying for a primary school place

You must apply for a primary school place a year before your child can start school.

Applications open in September and close on 15 January. Your child will be 3 or have just turned 4 when you apply.

You’ll need to apply then even if you want your child to start part-way through the year.

Applying for a secondary school place

The deadline for applying is 31 October.

Your child is less likely to be offered a place at their chosen schools if you miss the deadline for applications.

When you’ll find out

Councils will send offers of school places for:

primary schools on 16 April

secondary schools on 1 March

If either date falls on a weekend or a bank holiday, offers are sent the next working day.

You must accept the offer by the deadline given in the offer letter. Otherwise it may be withdrawn and the place given to someone else.

Applying after the start of the school year

Once your child has been offered a place, they will usually start school at the beginning of the following term.

School waiting lists

If your child does not have a place, contact your local council for schools with places.

Contact the school or your local council if you want your child’s name added to a waiting list.

You can add your child’s name to a waiting list even if they have been offered a place at another school.

Appealing a school's decision

You must appeal against each rejection separately. You can only appeal once against each rejection.

Preparing your appeal

The admission authority for the school must allow you at least 20 school days to appeal from when they send the decision letter.

Coram Children’s Legal Centre may be able to give you advice about appeals.

When the hearing will be

The admission authority must give you at least 10 school days’ notice of the hearing.

Appeals must be heard within 40 school days of the deadline for making an appeal.

What happens at the appeal hearing

There’s a panel of 3 or more people at the appeal hearing. The panel must be independent and must follow the school admission appeals code.

The admission authority will explain why they turned down your application.

You’ll be able to give your own reasons why your child should be admitted.

The appeals panel must decide if the school’s admission criteria were properly followed and comply with the school admissions code.

If the criteria were not properly followed or do not comply with the school admissions code your appeal must be upheld.

If your reasons for your child to be admitted outweigh the school’s reasons for not admitting any more children at all, your appeal will be upheld.

You will usually be sent the decision within 5 school days.

You can read more about school admission appeals.

Appeals for infant classes

Your appeal could be successful if:

giving your child a place will not increase the class size above the limit

the admission arrangements have not been properly followed

the admission criteria do not comply with the school admissions code

Complain about the appeals process

You can complain about the way the appeal was carried out, but you can not complain about the decision itself.

Maintained schools

Complain to the Local Government Ombudsman.

Fill in the online complaint form.

If a maintained school becomes an academy

Other schools

Complain to ESFA about an appeal made to:

free schools

academies, including university technical colleges and studio schools

Fill in the online complaint form.

Using the online form is the quickest way to make a complaint. If you need a paper form instead, contact:

You should get a decision on your complaint within 9 weeks (45 working days). You’ll be told if it’ll take longer.

You’ll get a letter explaining the reasons for the decision.

If ESFA decides something went wrong with the appeals panel, it may:

ask the school to hold a new appeal hearing with a different panel

recommend the school reviews its appeals process

Complain about another school matter

If you have a complaint about a school that is not related to the appeals process, contact the Department for Education.

who pass an entrance exam (for selective schools, for example grammar schools)

School admissions

Choosing schools

If you live in England contact your local council to find:

state-funded schools in your area

admission criteria for the schools you’re interested in

The process is different if you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

You can also contact your local council to apply for places at state schools in other areas. You can search online to find schools in England.

Private schools or home schooling

If you’re looking for a place at a private school (also called ‘independent schools’), contact the school directly.

You can also choose to teach your child at home, known as home schooling.

Children with special educational needs (SEN)

If your child has SEN, their Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan will name a school for them. The school must give your child a place.

You can ask your local council to carry out an assessment if you think your child needs additional support with their educational, health and social needs.

Find out about a primary or secondary school

You can find out more by:

visiting the school - most schools have open days

reading the school’s most recent Ofsted reports

checking school performance tables

talking to other parents about what they think of the school

What schools must publish on their website

Schools’ websites must include:

admission arrangements, including how to apply

details of the curriculum

behaviour policy

links to Ofsted reports

links to performance data

the school’s latest key stage 2 and 4 attainment and progress measures

their policies for children with special educational needs and disabilities

the amount of money they get for taking underprivileged children (the ‘pupil premium’), what they do with it and the effect it’s had

You can also get advice about choosing state-funded schools from your local council.

Admission criteria

All schools have admission criteria to decide which children get places. The school or local council usually set these.

Admission criteria are different for each school. They may give priority to children:

who live close to the school

who have a brother or sister at the school already

from a particular religion (for faith schools)

who pass an entrance exam (for selective schools, for example grammar schools)

who went to a particular primary school (a ‘feeder school’)

who are eligible for the pupil premium or the service pupil premium

whose parent has worked at the school for 2 years or more

Your local council can give you information about schools’ criteria and how to apply.

Children in care

All state-funded schools must give top priority to admitting children who:

are in care or being looked after

have been in care

Complain about unfair admission arrangements

Contact the Schools Adjudicator if you think a school has unlawful or unfair admission arrangements.

School starting age

Most children start school full-time in the September after their fourth birthday. This means they’ll turn 5 during their first school year.

For example, if your child’s fourth birthday is between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022 they will usually start school in September 2022.

If you want your child to start later

They can start:

part time

part-way through the year

in the next school year, in the September after they turn 5

You’ll still need to apply for a school place at the same time as everyone else. You request your child’s later start when you apply.

If your child starts in the September after they turn 5

Your child will go into year 1. Contact the local council or school if you want your child to start in reception instead. They do not have to agree.

Compulsory school age

Children must stay in full-time education until they reach school leaving age.

All 3 to 4-year-olds in England are entitled to free early education before they start school full time.

How to apply

Follow your local council’s application process to:

apply for a primary school place

apply for a secondary school place

You must still apply for a place, even if the school is linked to your child’s current nursery, infant or primary school.

Apply directly for:

a 6th form place at a school or college

a place at a private school

Moving to another area

You apply through your local council even if you’re applying for schools in another council area or you’ve just moved to England.

If you’re applying from another country, contact the local council in the area where you’re going to live.

You may need to:

supply proof of your new address, for example a mortgage or rental agreement or deeds for the property

prove that you’ll live in the area before the start of the next school term

Completing the application

When you fill in the form (online or on paper) you’ll be asked to list the schools you’re applying for in order of preference.

Listing only one school will not increase your chances of getting a place there.

To get a copy of the application form on paper, contact your local council.

When to apply

Applications open on different days in each local council area. Find out from your local council when applications open for primary or secondary schools.

Applying for a primary school place

You must apply for a primary school place a year before your child can start school.

Applications open in September and close on 15 January. Your child will be 3 or have just turned 4 when you apply.

You’ll need to apply then even if you want your child to start part-way through the year.

Applying for a secondary school place

The deadline for applying is 31 October.

Your child is less likely to be offered a place at their chosen schools if you miss the deadline for applications.

When you’ll find out

Councils will send offers of school places for:

primary schools on 16 April

secondary schools on 1 March

If either date falls on a weekend or a bank holiday, offers are sent the next working day.

You must accept the offer by the deadline given in the offer letter. Otherwise it may be withdrawn and the place given to someone else.

Applying after the start of the school year

Once your child has been offered a place, they will usually start school at the beginning of the following term.

School waiting lists

If your child does not have a place, contact your local council for schools with places.

Contact the school or your local council if you want your child’s name added to a waiting list.

You can add your child’s name to a waiting list even if they have been offered a place at another school.

Appealing a school's decision

You must appeal against each rejection separately. You can only appeal once against each rejection.

Preparing your appeal

The admission authority for the school must allow you at least 20 school days to appeal from when they send the decision letter.

Coram Children’s Legal Centre may be able to give you advice about appeals.

When the hearing will be

The admission authority must give you at least 10 school days’ notice of the hearing.

Appeals must be heard within 40 school days of the deadline for making an appeal.

What happens at the appeal hearing

There’s a panel of 3 or more people at the appeal hearing. The panel must be independent and must follow the school admission appeals code.

The admission authority will explain why they turned down your application.

You’ll be able to give your own reasons why your child should be admitted.

The appeals panel must decide if the school’s admission criteria were properly followed and comply with the school admissions code.

If the criteria were not properly followed or do not comply with the school admissions code your appeal must be upheld.

If your reasons for your child to be admitted outweigh the school’s reasons for not admitting any more children at all, your appeal will be upheld.

You will usually be sent the decision within 5 school days.

You can read more about school admission appeals.

Appeals for infant classes

Your appeal could be successful if:

giving your child a place will not increase the class size above the limit

the admission arrangements have not been properly followed

the admission criteria do not comply with the school admissions code

Complain about the appeals process

You can complain about the way the appeal was carried out, but you can not complain about the decision itself.

Maintained schools

Complain to the Local Government Ombudsman.

Fill in the online complaint form.

If a maintained school becomes an academy

Other schools

Complain to ESFA about an appeal made to:

free schools

academies, including university technical colleges and studio schools

Fill in the online complaint form.

Using the online form is the quickest way to make a complaint. If you need a paper form instead, contact:

You should get a decision on your complaint within 9 weeks (45 working days). You’ll be told if it’ll take longer.

You’ll get a letter explaining the reasons for the decision.

If ESFA decides something went wrong with the appeals panel, it may:

ask the school to hold a new appeal hearing with a different panel

recommend the school reviews its appeals process

Complain about another school matter

If you have a complaint about a school that is not related to the appeals process, contact the Department for Education.


I wanted to put some shutters on the front of my shop but the council turned me down. I think this is unfair and it puts by business at risk. I am within my rights to appeal this decision?

Your local planning authority makes decisions on applications about minor commercial developments, for example ground floor alterations like shop fronts and security shutters.

Appeal a minor commercial development decision

When you can appeal

You can appeal a minor commercial development decision if you disagree with it.

There’s no fee for appealing.

Only the person who made the application can appeal.

Deadline for appealing

You must appeal within 12 weeks of the date on the decision notice from your local planning authority.

The deadline’s earlier if you’ve received an enforcement notice - you must appeal within 28 days of the notice.

How to appeal

Because of coronavirus (COVID-19), you cannot currently appeal by post. You can still appeal to the Planning Inspectorate online.

If you want to appeal more than one decision you must make a separate appeal for each.

You also need to send a copy of your appeal, including all the supporting documents, to your local planning authority. The Planning Inspectorate will tell you how to do this.

Documents you must provide

You’ll need to submit copies of:

your original application

the site ownership certificate

the local planning authority’s decision notice

You’ll also need to submit:

a map of the surrounding area

any other documents that directly support your appeal, for example your grounds for appeal

You can upload these documents when you appeal.

Comment on an appeal

No-one can comment on a minor commercial development decision appeal.

Your local planning authority must tell anyone who has commented on the original application (‘interested parties’) that there’s an appeal.

They have to do this within 5 working days of the appeal being started by the Planning Inspectorate.

Read the detailed guidance about taking part in an appeal.

After you appeal

The Planning Inspectorate will check your appeal to make sure it’s valid. They’ll tell you what happens next and how long your appeal may take.

The Planning Inspectorate will then consider your appeal. Check how long planning appeal decisions normally take.

If anyone behaves unreasonably

You can apply for an ‘award of costs’ if anyone involved in your appeal has cost you money by behaving unreasonably, for example missing deadlines. You can have costs awarded against you too.

You can complain about how the Planning Inspectorate handled your appeal. There’s no time limit for complaints.

If you disagree with the appeal decision

You can challenge the decision in the High Court if you think the Planning Inspectorate made a legal mistake.

Get advice from a lawyer if you’re unsure about this.

When you can appeal

There’s no fee for appealing.

Deadline for appealing

How to appeal

Documents you must provide

You’ll need to submit copies of:

your original application

the site ownership certificate

You’ll also need to submit:

a map of the surrounding area

Comment on an appeal

After you appeal

If anyone behaves unreasonably

If you disagree with the appeal decision

When you can appeal

There’s no fee for appealing.

Deadline for appealing

How to appeal

Documents you must provide

You’ll need to submit copies of:

your original application

the site ownership certificate

You’ll also need to submit:

a map of the surrounding area

Comment on an appeal

After you appeal

If anyone behaves unreasonably

If you disagree with the appeal decision


I have recently moved to a different country with my three year old son. My ex remains in the UK. Does the fact that I live abroad mean that I can't claim Child Maintenance?

You cannot make a new application to the Child Maintenance Service if the child and the parent with the main day-to-day care live abroad.

Child maintenance if a parent lives abroad

Overview

There are circumstances where the service can help if the paying parent lives abroad.

You can make a child maintenance arrangement yourself - if one or both parents live abroad.

Enforcing a child maintenance decision

You can ask a court for help if the other parent does not pay any child maintenance they owe you. This is known as taking ‘enforcement action’.

You cannot enforce an arrangement you’ve made yourself - you need to make it legally binding first.

You can also ask the court to change an existing child maintenance decision or make a new one.

How you enforce, change or make a decision depends on:

where the other parent lives

where your original decision was made

The UK has a Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders (REMO) agreement with a number of other countries. Courts in ‘REMO countries’ can enforce child maintenance decisions made by UK courts.

Child maintenance decisions made in Scotland or Northern Ireland

The process is different if you want to enforce a child maintenance decision that was originally made in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

If the decision was made in Scotland

Contact the Scottish government for advice.

If the decision was made in Northern Ireland

Contact the Northern Ireland Central Authority for advice.

If the other parent lives abroad

How you get a decision recognised or enforced depends on whether the other parent lives in a Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders (REMO) country. Check the list of REMO countries.

If the other parent does not live in a REMO country, get legal advice from a solicitor to find out if you can enforce the decision.

If the other parent does live in a REMO country, contact your nearest Maintenance Enforcement Business Centre (MEBC). They’ll send you an application form.

Complete the form and send it back to your MEBC with any supporting documents. Your documents will be translated if needed. You do not have to pay for this.

Tell the MEBC if you do not want the other parent to see certain information about you, such as your address.

Maintenance Enforcement Business Centres

Greater London

England

Wales

What happens next

The MEBC will send your completed form and any supporting documents to the REMO Unit.

The REMO Unit will send your documents to the body responsible for REMO in the relevant country within a month of receiving them. Your documents will then be sent on to the court in that country.

The process may change from 1 January 2021. The Maintenance Enforcement Business Centre or REMO Unit might tell you to fill in another form so your application can continue after that date. You’ll be told if you need to do this.

It can take several months for the court to decide if your maintenance decision should be enforced.

If you live abroad

You can still enforce a child maintenance decision if the other parent lives in the UK but you live in another country.

Check if you live in a country which can enforce a child maintenance decision made in the UK. This is called a Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders (REMO) country.

If you live in a REMO country, ask the court where you live to enforce the decision.

If you do not live in a REMO country, you might still be able to enforce a decision. Get legal advice from a solicitor in the country where you live or in the UK.

If the other parent works abroad for a British organisation

You might be able to make a new child maintenance claim instead of enforcing an existing one if the other parent is working abroad for certain British organisations, for example:

as a civil servant

for Her Majesty’s Diplomatic Service

as a member of the Armed Forces

for a company based and registered in the UK

for the NHS

for a local authority

How to claim

Contact Child Maintenance Options to make a new arrangement.

They’ll talk through the process with you and explain how to apply to the Child Maintenance Service.

There are different contact details if you live in Northern Ireland.

You must pay:

£20 to apply - you do not have to pay this if you’re under 19, a victim of domestic violence or in Northern Ireland

additional fees for paying and collecting child maintenance if you use the Collect and Pay service

If you’ve already made a claim, contact the service that deals with your case for advice.


We got married abroad in Ghana and we were blessed with a baby boy. My work is unstable and my british husband went back to UK without making child mantainance agreements. He has since neglected us and i would like him to pay up for child mantainance. Is there a court order which can obtained to make my husband pay child mantainance?

You cannot make a new application to the Child Maintenance Service if the child and the parent with the main day-to-day care live abroad.

Overview

There are circumstances where the service can help if the paying parent lives abroad.

You can make a child maintenance arrangement yourself - if one or both parents live abroad.

Enforcing a child maintenance decision

You can ask a court for help if the other parent does not pay any child maintenance they owe you. This is known as taking ‘enforcement action’.

You cannot enforce an arrangement you’ve made yourself - you need to make it legally binding first.

You can also ask the court to change an existing child maintenance decision or make a new one.

How you enforce, change or make a decision depends on:

where the other parent lives

where your original decision was made

The UK has a Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders (REMO) agreement with a number of other countries. Courts in ‘REMO countries’ can enforce child maintenance decisions made by UK courts.

Child maintenance decisions made in Scotland or Northern Ireland

The process is different if you want to enforce a child maintenance decision that was originally made in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

If the decision was made in Scotland

Contact the Scottish government for advice.

If the decision was made in Northern Ireland

Contact the Northern Ireland Central Authority for advice.

If the other parent lives abroad

How you get a decision recognised or enforced depends on whether the other parent lives in a Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders (REMO) country. Check the list of REMO countries.

If the other parent does not live in a REMO country, get legal advice from a solicitor to find out if you can enforce the decision.

If the other parent does live in a REMO country, contact your nearest Maintenance Enforcement Business Centre (MEBC). They’ll send you an application form.

Complete the form and send it back to your MEBC with any supporting documents. Your documents will be translated if needed. You do not have to pay for this.

Tell the MEBC if you do not want the other parent to see certain information about you, such as your address.

Maintenance Enforcement Business Centres

Greater London

England

Wales

What happens next

The MEBC will send your completed form and any supporting documents to the REMO Unit.

The REMO Unit will send your documents to the body responsible for REMO in the relevant country within a month of receiving them. Your documents will then be sent on to the court in that country.

The process may change from 1 January 2021. The Maintenance Enforcement Business Centre or REMO Unit might tell you to fill in another form so your application can continue after that date. You’ll be told if you need to do this.

It can take several months for the court to decide if your maintenance decision should be enforced.

If you live abroad

You can still enforce a child maintenance decision if the other parent lives in the UK but you live in another country.

Check if you live in a country which can enforce a child maintenance decision made in the UK. This is called a Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders (REMO) country.

If you live in a REMO country, ask the court where you live to enforce the decision.

If you do not live in a REMO country, you might still be able to enforce a decision. Get legal advice from a solicitor in the country where you live or in the UK.

If the other parent works abroad for a British organisation

You might be able to make a new child maintenance claim instead of enforcing an existing one if the other parent is working abroad for certain British organisations, for example:

as a civil servant

for Her Majesty’s Diplomatic Service

as a member of the Armed Forces

for a company based and registered in the UK

for the NHS

for a local authority

How to claim

Contact Child Maintenance Options to make a new arrangement.

They’ll talk through the process with you and explain how to apply to the Child Maintenance Service.

There are different contact details if you live in Northern Ireland.

You must pay:

£20 to apply - you do not have to pay this if you’re under 19, a victim of domestic violence or in Northern Ireland

additional fees for paying and collecting child maintenance if you use the Collect and Pay service

If you’ve already made a claim, contact the service that deals with your case for advice.


My Uncle sought asylum after arriving legally in UK in 2015.His first tier tribunal application was refused. He made an appeal to the upper tribunal but he is very demoralised due to how the long process has affected his health and welfare. He has decided to withdraw the appeal and go back voluntarily to his county in Kenya. Can he apply for the withdrawal of the appeal?

Only you or your representative can withdraw your appeal. Contact the tribunal in writing if you want to withdraw your appeal - include your appeal number. The tribunal will decide whether to give you permission to withdraw, or if the hearing will go ahead.

Appeal a decision by the immigration and asylum tribunal

Overview

You can appeal to the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) if you think there’s a legal mistake with a decision made by the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber).

The tribunal is independent of government and will listen to both sides of the argument before making a decision.

Help you can get

You can get legal advice (including from a solicitor), or help from a regulated immigration adviser.

You can also contact Citizens Advice.

You may be able to get legal aid.

Read the guide on representing yourself if you’re not going to have a legal representative.

You may be able to get asylum support, for example housing and money, while you’re waiting to find out if you’ll be given asylum.

Contact the tribunal if you have any questions about your appeal. The tribunal can not give you legal advice.

How to appeal

You must be able to make a case for why the decision was legally wrong. For example, if the tribunal:

did not apply the correct law or wrongly interpreted the law

did not follow the correct procedures

had no evidence or not enough evidence to support its decision

Ask for permission to appeal

You must ask the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) for permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal.

You’ll be given the form to ask permission from the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) when you get your decision. Send it with a copy of the decision to the address on the form.

Deadlines for asking the First-tier Tribunal for permission to appeal

You must ask for permission to appeal within a certain period of time of getting your decision. When you must appeal by depends on whether you’re inside or outside the UK.

| When you must appeal by

You’re inside the UK | 14 days after the date on the written reasons for the decisions

You’re outside the UK | 28 days after the date on the written reasons for the decisions

Fees

There is no fee to appeal to the tribunal.

If you’re refused permission to appeal

You can apply to the Upper Tribunal for permission to appeal if the First-tier Tribunal refuses, or only gives your permission to appeal on limited grounds.

Download and fill in the Upper Tribunal permission request form and send it with the appropriate documents to the address on the form.

You must also say whether you want a hearing or not.

If your case was heard at either the Yarl’s Wood or the Harmondsworth hearing centre as a Detained Immigration Appeal, send your application to the Harmondsworth hearing centre.

Deadlines for asking the Upper Tribunal for permission to appeal

How long you have depends on where you are and how you received your refusal letter from the First-tier Tribunal.

| When you must appeal by

You’re inside the UK | 14 days after the date on the decision

You’re outside the UK | 1 month after the date on the decision

Documents you must send with your application

Include copies of the following documents with your form:

the decision by the First-tier Tribunal

the ‘notice of refusal of permission to appeal’ by the First-tier Tribunal or the ‘refusal to admit the application for permission’

a statement clearly setting out your reasons for why you think the First-tier Tribunal  made a mistake

any other relevant documents that you sent to the First-tier Tribunal

You also need to include any written evidence that shows why you think the First-tier Tribunal made a legal mistake.

If your application is late, you must explain in writing why it is late. The tribunal will then decide if it can review your application.

Ask for a hearing

You can ask on your application for a decision to be made either:

just on the information in your application

at a hearing that you or your representative can go to

The tribunal can decide to have a hearing even if you do not ask for one. You’ll be told if this is the case and invited to attend if you’re in the UK.

If they do not hold a hearing, a judge will decide your case based on your application.

Withdrawing your appeal

If your hearing is less than 7 days away, contact the hearing centre where your appeal is scheduled.

If you have a hearing

You or your representative will be told when and where your hearing will take place. You can check the daily courts lists on the day of your hearing to find out if anything has changed.

You may need to attend a pre-hearing first, where the tribunal will check that you’re ready for the full hearing to take place.

Bring copies of all the documents that you gave to the tribunal.

You can bring a friend to represent you - ask the judge at the beginning of the hearing if this is the case.

Special requirements

Write to the Customer Enquiry Unit at least 2 weeks before your hearing if you need any special help, for example wheelchair access.

Private hearings or hearings by video

Hearings are usually carried out in public. If you have an important need (for example you think you’ll be put in danger if you go to the hearing), you can ask:

for your name not to appear on any tribunal documents or court lists

for the tribunal to be private and not open to the public

to attend the hearing by video link

Asking for a male or female judge

You can ask for a male or female judge if you think there are issues in your appeal that make it appropriate. The tribunal will decide if it can do this.

Make your request as soon as possible when your apply, and no later than 7 days before the hearing.

If you cannot attend the hearing

You must attend the hearing yourself if you’re in the UK. You can also bring a solicitor or regulated immigration adviser with you.

If you’re not in the UK, you can ask a solicitor, regulated immigration adviser or the person who supported your application (your ‘sponsor’) to attend the hearing in your place.

You can only be represented at the hearing by a solicitor or regulated immigration adviser, your sponsor can not act on your behalf.

Your sponsor can not represent you at the hearing, they can only be:

told the tribunal’s decision

given information over the phone

You must write to the tribunal to tell them if your sponsor will be attending the hearing in your place. Include the case reference number of your appeal.

Children at the hearing

You can not take children into the hearing room with you. If you need to bring them to the tribunal, you’ll need to bring someone to look after them.

If your appeal can not be resolved at the hearing

If your appeal is not held on its scheduled day for any reason (for example there is not a judge available) it’ll be ‘adjourned’ and rescheduled for another day.

Your hearing may also be adjourned as ‘part heard’ if there is not enough time to finish it, or it can not be resolved on the day, for example because more evidence is needed.

The tribunal will arrange another hearing with the same people present.

The tribunal's decision

You’ll normally get your decision in writing in 28 days.

If you win your appeal

If the Upper Tribunal decides that a mistake was made it can:

overrule the decision and make its own judgement

order the First-tier Tribunal to hear the case again

The Home Office can appeal the decision of the tribunal.

If you lose your appeal

You may be able to appeal to a higher court if you think there was a legal mistake made by the tribunal.

Get legal help or advice if you’re not sure about this.

Ask for permission

You must write to the upper tribunal and ask for permission before you appeal. How long you have to do this depends on where you are and how you received your decision.

| Refusal letter by post | Refusal by email or delivered personally

You’re inside the UK | 12 working days | 10 working days

You’re outside the UK | 38 days | 10 days

Once you have permission, you should appeal to the relevant higher court:

The Court of Appeal in England and Wales

The Court of Session in Scotland

The Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland

You must do this within:

28 days of being given permission (England and Wales)

42 days of being given permission (Scotland)

21 days of being given permission (Northern Ireland)

You may have to pay court fees and the other party’s costs.

If you’re refused permission

You can ask the relevant higher court for permission.

You must do this within:

28 days of being refused permission (England and Wales)

42 days of being refused permission (Scotland)

21 days of being refused permission (Northern Ireland)

Legislation and previous decisions

Read the rules the tribunal must follow and its decisions on previous cases.

Legislation

The Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) must follow the rules and process in the The Tribunal Procedure (Upper Tribunal) Rules 2008.

The tribunal has issued additional guidance on certain issues:

practice statements

practice directions

The tribunal will make a decision based on legislation, including the:

Immigration Act 1971

Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002

Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006

Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007

UK Borders Act 2007

Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009

Immigration Rules

Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006

Previous decisions

You can search for decisions made in other cases.