Form SEND20A: SEND Tribunal Appeal Permission UK

What this document is

Form SEND20A is the official application used to request permission to appeal a decision made by the First-tier Tribunal (SEND). Appeals from this Tribunal go to the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber), but before the Upper Tribunal will hear the case, permission must first be sought, normally from the First-tier Tribunal itself using this form.

Appeals at this level are not a second chance to re-argue the facts. They must be based on an error of law, meaning the Tribunal misapplied the legal framework, failed to give adequate reasons, ignored relevant evidence, or took an unreasonable approach to the decision.

The form is open to either side of the original dispute, so a parent who lost their appeal against an EHC plan decision can use it, and equally a local authority that was ordered to amend provision can use it. It must be filed within a strict time limit after the Tribunal's written decision is sent out, and late applications need a separate request for an extension with reasons.

How to use this document

1. Check you have grounds based on law, not disagreement. Permission to appeal is only granted where the Tribunal arguably made an error of law. Before completing the form, identify exactly what the legal error is, whether that is misinterpreting the Children and Families Act 2014, failing to give proper reasons, or ignoring key evidence. Feeling the outcome was unfair is not itself a ground.
2. Act within the time limit. The application must reach the Tribunal within the period set out in the Tribunal Procedure Rules, typically measured from the date the written decision was sent. Missing this window means you must also ask for an extension and explain why it was not filed on time, which the Tribunal is not obliged to grant.
3. Complete the applicant and case details. Fill in your full contact details, the names of both parents or those with parental responsibility where relevant, the child's name, the original appeal or claim reference number, the local authority or responsible body, and the hearing date. If a legal representative is acting, their details go in too.
4. Set out your grounds clearly. Use the form to explain, in numbered points if helpful, why you say the decision was wrong in law. Reference specific paragraphs of the Tribunal's decision where you can. Vague complaints about the outcome are less persuasive than focused arguments pointing to identifiable legal errors.
5. State the outcome you want and submit. Make clear whether you want the decision set aside, the case reheard, or a specific direction made. Sign and date the form, and send it to the Tribunal at the address given. Keep a copy of everything you submit and proof of the date of submission.

Common questions