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The 11+ appeal helper
Didn't get the grammar school place you hoped for? The appeal helper takes you through it one step at a time: whether an appeal is worth it, your deadlines, the evidence that helps, a draft letter to edit, practice for the hearing and a tracker for your waiting list position. It's free, and nothing you type is kept on our servers.
What it is
A free, six-step tool for parents in England thinking about a grammar school appeal or sitting on a waiting list. It follows the rules in the School Admission Appeals Code 2022, explained in our guide to 11+ appeals, and turns them into things you can do: dates in your calendar, a checklist of evidence, a letter to edit and questions to practise out loud.
You can open any step at any time and come back later: your answers are saved in this browser, so you don't need an account for the first five steps.
- Free, with no sign-in for steps 1 to 5
- Your answers stay in your browser
- Honest about your chances: no made-up success rates
- Estimated deadlines plus a calendar file
- A draft letter you edit, copy, download or print
- Waiting list tracker with a free parent account
Guidance, not legal advice.Every admission authority sets its own appeal deadline and form. Always check the school's or council's appeals page and use the dates in your own letter.
Who it's for
Parents who have just had the offer letter
Didn't reach the qualifying score
The helper explains what the panel looks at when a score is below the qualifying mark, and how close your child was to the figure we hold for the school.
Qualified, but no place offered
When your child qualified, the appeal is about the place, not ability. The helper explains what that means for your case.
On the waiting list
You can appeal and stay on the list. Track each position you're told and see how it moves.
How it works
Six steps, at your own pace
Step 1: Your situation
Pick the school, the year your child starts Year 7, their score and what happened. Where we hold them, you'll see the school's checked qualifying score with its source and figures from past years, such as the lowest score offered. Then an honest "is an appeal worth it?" panel for your situation.Step 2: Your deadlines
Estimated dates from National Offer Day using the Code's school-day rules: the earliest lodging deadline, the latest hearing, notice and decision. Add the deadline from your letter for a countdown, and download a calendar file.Step 3: Evidence checklist
12 kinds of evidence in three groups (what happened on test day; evidence of ability; supporting documents), each with what makes it strong or weak. What you tick goes into the draft letter.Step 4: Draft my appeal letter
Tell it what happened and why this school, choose a tone (warm and personal, formal, short and to the point) and our AI writing service drafts a letter with tips. Edit it, then copy, download or print it.Step 5: Hearing practice
11 questions appeal panels often ask, each with a tip and what a good answer covers. Start the 90-second timer and answer out loud.Step 6: Waiting list tracker
Signed in to a free parent account, note each waiting list position you're told (and the list size, if you know it). You'll see a small chart for each school.
What you'll see
Plain screens, one step at a time
A countdown once you add the date from your letter.
Each item says what makes it strong or weak.
Edit freely: only keep what is true.
Answer out loud, as if the panel were in front of you.
What parents get
Less guesswork at a stressful time
An honest starting point
What the panel looks at in your situation, with the school's figures where we hold them, and no invented odds.
Dates you won't miss
Estimated deadlines from the Code's rules, your own deadline counting down, and a reminder in your calendar.
A letter to start from
A clear first draft in your chosen tone, built from your facts and ticked evidence, ready to edit.
Privacy by default
Your answers stay in your browser. Letter details are sent only to draft the letter, then forgotten.
Free or Premium?
Free for everyone
- Your situation, with the school's figures where we hold them
- Estimated deadlines, countdown and calendar file
- The evidence checklist
- Draft letters (up to 5 an hour and 15 a day)
- Hearing practice: 11 questions with a timer
- The waiting list tracker, with a free parent account
Questions parents ask
Is the appeal helper free?
Yes, completely. You don't need an account for the first five steps. The waiting list tracker (step 6) needs a free parent account so your positions can be saved.
Is this legal advice?
No. It's guidance based on the School Admission Appeals Code 2022, which covers appeals in England. Every admission authority sets its own deadline and form, so always check the school's or council's appeals page and use the dates in your own letter.
Will it tell me my chances of winning?
No. We don't show success rates: they vary by school and year, and no official source publishes them consistently. Instead the helper explains what the panel looks at in your situation, so you can decide whether an appeal is worth it.
Are the deadlines exact?
They're estimates. The Code counts school days, and we can't know each area's term dates, so we skip weekends but not holidays. Easter and half term fall in this window, so the real dates are usually later. Add the deadline from your own letter and the countdown and calendar reminder use that instead.
What happens to what I type?
Your answers are kept only in your browser, not on our servers. When you ask for a draft letter, the letter fields are sent to our AI writing service to write the draft and then forgotten: we don't store them or the letter.
Does the AI write the whole appeal for me?
It writes a first draft from what you tell it, in the tone you choose, with a few tips. You then edit it, and should only keep what is true. Many authorities want the appeal on their own form, with your letter as the written grounds.
How many letters can I draft?
Up to 5 drafts an hour and 15 a day, which is plenty for trying a different tone or adding more detail. You can edit the draft as much as you like without using another one.
My child qualified but wasn't offered a place. Does this still help?
Yes. When a child has qualified, the appeal is about the place rather than ability, and the helper explains what that means for your case, with practice questions on why your child's needs outweigh the school being full.
Does it cover Northern Ireland?
Partly. Appeals in Northern Ireland go to an independent tribunal through the Education Authority on a different timetable, and the helper says so when you pick a Northern Ireland school. The evidence checklist and hearing practice still help.