Appeals

Following an unsuccessful In-Year Application, you can appeal for a school place. You must complete the Notice of Appeal form and submit this to the Diocesan Board of Education. They can be contacted at:

E-mail: education@peterborough-diocese.org.uk

Postal Address: Diocesan Board of Education, Bouverie Court, 6 The Lakes, Bedford Road, Northampton, NN4 7YD

All appeals are managed through the Independent School Appeal Clerk, Robert Hartgroves.

Note from the Independent School Appeal Clerk

"Your appeal will be heard remotely.

All Admission Authorities are required to comply with the School Admission Appeals Code. This was most recently updated in October 2022 and allows for the Admission Authority to make arrangements for appeals to be heard by video conference or, in the absence of that, by telephone. That is the decision of the Admission Authority for Bishop Stopford School.

All admission appeals for this school have been heard remotely since the beginning of the Pandemic in March 2020.  This format offers benefits to all participants including efficiency and convenience.

All you need is access to a PC, a mobile telephone, or a tablet. You can choose the most comfortable place from where to present your appeal case, you will not have to appear within a more formal setting, and you will not have to travel to a venue to be heard. Any unexpected issues that have arisen with the use of technology have been overcome to prevent any disadvantage and provide all appellants with a fair opportunity to put their appeal case to the Independent Appeal Panel.

If you have any personal issues or restrictions that you feel might undermine your appeal being heard in this way, you can contact the appeal administrator, and he will look to provide any reasonable adjustments to give you the chance to participate in the same way and to the same level as any other appellant.

The most important aspect for me is that you are offered a fair chance to present your appeal circumstances to the Independent Appeal Panel. If so, you will have had every opportunity to try and secure a place at this school by making an appeal.”