School Appeals Manager

Golearnleicestershire; Glenfield; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Leicestershire County Council is seeking a full-time Appeals Manager within the School Admissions and Pupil Services team to lead the School Appeals Service, ensuring timely and fair decision-making for children, families, schools and academies within the local authority area.

The postholder will lead a small Appeals Team, oversee tribunal documentation, and coordinate admission appeal hearings with schools and partner agencies, while aligning with national legislation and Local Authority

Qualifications

• Experience in managing and developing a School Appeals Team or a similar service, including leading, supporting, and developing staff through regular supervision, performance management, annual appraisals, and professional development activities.
• Knowledge and experience of preparing and presenting appeal or tribunal documentation, including drafting comprehensive appeal statements, liaising confidently with schools and other stakeholders to gather and analyse information, and presenting cases effectively.
• Experience of working within a legislative, regulatory, or policy framework, with the ability to interpret and apply legislation, guidance, and procedures appropriately and provide professional advice, support, and constructive challenge to schools and academies in accordance with national legislation, local authority policies, trust policies, and best practice.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience of handling sensitive, complex, and confidential information, with a sound understanding of data protection requirements and information governance.
• Strong organisational skills, including the ability to prioritise workloads across the team, monitor performance, and report directly to the Service Manager.
• Experience of operational planning, including the annual scheduling and coordination of school admission appeal hearings.

Responsibilities

• Lead the School Appeals Service and manage the Appeals Team to deliver high‑quality outcomes for children, families, schools and academies.
• Oversee preparation and presentation of appeal statements and tribunal documentation; coordinate hearings with schools and partner agencies.
• Ensure compliance with national legislation, local authority policies, and safeguarding and information governance requirements.
• Foster strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders and provide professional guidance to schools and academies as needed.

Job description

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Work Location: County Hall, Glenfield, LE3 8RA

Salary: £36,621 - £40,458 per annum (pro rata for part-time)

Working Hours:37 hours per week

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing Date: 26/10/2026

Interview Date(s): TBC

The School Admissions and Pupil Services team is seeking to recruit a full-time Appeals Manager to lead and oversee all aspects of the School Appeals Service. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced professional to lead a vital service that supports children, families, schools, and academies across the local authority area.

About the Role

We are looking for a highly motivated and organised individual ideally with experience and understanding of school admissions appeals, tribunal processes, or significant experience in a senior school leadership or management role. The successful candidate will lead a small Appeals Team, working collaboratively with schools, academies, and a range of partner agencies to ensure the effective delivery of a high‑quality appeals service.

About You

To apply for this post, you must:

• Experience in managing and developing a School Appeals Team or a similar service, including leading, supporting, and developing staff through regular supervision, performance management, annual appraisals, and professional development activities.
• Knowledge and experience of preparing and presenting appeal or tribunal documentation, including drafting comprehensive appeal statements, liaising confidently with schools and other stakeholders to gather and analyse information, and presenting cases effectively.
• Experience of working within a legislative, regulatory, or policy framework, with the ability to interpret and apply legislation, guidance, and procedures appropriately and provide professional advice, support, and constructive challenge to schools and academies in accordance with national legislation, local authority policies, trust policies, and best practice.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience of handling sensitive, complex, and confidential information, with a sound understanding of data protection requirements and information governance.
• Strong organisational skills, including the ability to prioritise workloads across the team, monitor performance, and report directly to the Service Manager.
• Experience of operational planning, including the annual scheduling and coordination of school admission appeal hearings.

In addition, we also expect you to shareour commitment to our valuesandto delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability. We are a Disability Confident Employer.

Interested in Flexible Working?

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term‑time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.

For more information or an informal discussion,please contact:

Gurjit Singh Bahra, Service Manager - Admissions

Telephone: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]