Archived

🎓 Should You Hire a Solicitor to Help You Get Your Child Into the Right School?

The truth about lawyers, school admissions, and what really works in 2025

Every year in England, thousands of parents are disappointed when their child doesn’t get into their first-choice school. It’s stressful, emotional — and confusing. One question often comes up immediately:

👉 Should I hire a solicitor or education consultant to help win my school appeal?

Some legal firms promise to “fight for your child’s future” — but is it worth the cost?

This guide will give you the facts, not the fear, and help you decide whether paying for legal help is the right move — or an unnecessary expense.

🎯 What Solicitors Can and Can’t Do for School Appeals

Some solicitors offer:

  • Professional drafting of appeal letters
  • Strategic advice about school admissions criteria
  • Representation at appeal hearings

Sounds useful, right? But here’s the reality: you do not need a lawyer to win your school appeal — and hiring one doesn’t guarantee success.

📉 Why Most Parents Don’t Need to Pay for Legal Help

Most school appeals succeed (or fail) based on:

  • How well you understand the admissions criteria
  • The evidence you provide (not just emotional pleas)
  • Your ability to clearly explain why your child needs this school

The key isn’t expensive legal language — it’s clarity, honesty, and preparation. You can absolutely do this yourself.

✅ When a Solicitor Might Be Helpful

There are a few exceptions. Legal advice might help if:

  • Your child has SEND or an EHCP and you believe your case involves discrimination
  • There are serious mistakes in how the school or local authority applied the rules
  • You’re facing complex legal arguments about residency, care status, or safeguarding

Even then, charities and parent advocacy groups often offer free support that’s just as effective.

🧠 What Successful Parents Actually Do

Parents who win appeals tend to:

  • Read the school’s admissions policy line-by-line
  • Show how their child meets the criteria (e.g. proximity, SEN, specialist interests)
  • Include strong, relevant evidence — not just passion

You don’t need legal training. You need preparation and guidance — and that’s freely available online.

💸 Don’t Let Panic Cost You

Some firms charge £500–£2,000+ to handle appeals — but many use templates and information you can find yourself.

Before spending a penny, ask:

  • Can I do this with the help of a reputable guide?
  • Have I explored free support from charities or forums?
  • Am I paying for reassurance — or real expertise?

❤️ Final Word: Trust Yourself

You don’t need to be a lawyer to fight for your child. With the right knowledge and support, many parents win their appeal themselves — and you can too.

Comments

One response to “🎓 Should You Hire a Solicitor to Help You Get Your Child Into the Right School?”

  1. My daughter applied for grammar school , we live in out of catchment area but unfortunately she is 5 marks away the out of catchment area. I am appealing because on the day of the exam she was ill. had a bad cold and was administered medication during the exam. could this be accepted ground to offer her a place?

    Ruth Frem

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related reading

  • How you can win your school appeal

    I wrote this article to support parents across England who feel overwhelmed and disappointed after learning that their child hasn’t been offered a place at their chosen state school. Each year, thousands of families find themselves in this difficult position — and while the government advises that they can appeal, many are unsure where to start, what to say, or whether it’s even worth the effort.

    This article demystifies the school appeal process and offers clear, practical guidance on how to improve your chances of success. Drawing on my experience as a teacher, author of Parent Power, and education expert, I explain what really matters to appeals panels, how to avoid the most common mistakes, and how to present your case with confidence and honesty.

    Whether you’re facing secondary or primary school placement issues, the piece outlines the key principles behind successful appeals — from understanding admissions criteria to gathering the right evidence and highlighting your child’s specific needs.

    Above all, it’s a message of reassurance: while the system can feel impersonal and bureaucratic, there is hope. With preparation, persistence, and support, many parents do win their appeal — and your voice, when clearly and thoughtfully expressed, can make all the difference.

  • Has your child missed out on a primary school place? Our expert guide for worried parents: The New Day

    This article provides some invaluable advice for parents, helping them deal with the disappointment of not getting their preferred place for their child at a school of their choice.

  • School choice – an overrated concept

    As a teacher for 20 years, I can tell parents that with their support children can flourish anywhere The agony of waiting is over. Yesterday was national offer day, when parents learnt if their children had got into their favoured secondary schools. Unfortunately, as many as 100,000 children and their families have been bitterly disappointed. […]

  • How to cope with secondary school trauma

    It may be a year away, but parents need to act now to get their child into a chosen school There was an atmosphere of panic among the parents in the sticky assembly hall with all of us secretly worrying: would we find the right school for our children? Being the parents of Year 5 […]

  • Should parents take their children out of school during school time?

    I argued on BBC Breakfast that they should not. I cited the example of ‘Katie’ (not the pupils’ real name) who had missed weeks of school because her parents were taking her out regularly of school during term time, going on cheap holidays. They lied to the school and said that she was ill. There […]

Sign up for my mailing list

Get curated content!