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Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Data availableWest Midlands
152
appeals registered, 2024 (official DfE figure)
156
appeals registered, 2025 (official DfE figure)
Data available. At least one Freedom of Information response gives real, extractable figures on tribunal appeals or outcomes for this council.
Thinking about appealing, or partway through it? These are free, independent sources of advice — not run by this site, and not run by any council.
- Dudley SENDIASS — this council's own free SEND information, advice and support service. Every council is legally required to fund one, at arm's length from itself · 01384 817 373.
- IPSEA — Free, independent legal advice on SEN law — including EHC plans and tribunal appeals.
- SOS!SEN — Free helpline and 1:1 advice specifically on preparing a SEND tribunal appeal.
- Coram Children's Legal Centre — Free education law advice line, including SEN appeals and EHC plan reviews.
- GOV.UK: appeal an EHC plan decision — The official government guide to the appeals process itself — who can appeal, mediation, costs.
Structured outcome breakdown
Structured breakdown — 2022 ("this year"; inferred from Dec 2022 request date)
real, from FOI response
Resolved before hearing — 2 (66.7%)
Contested, council lost — 1 (33.3%)
Contested, council won — 0 (0%)
Refusal to assess stream. Of 7: 3 still live/no decision, 1 'upheld' (ambiguous -- could mean the appeal was upheld [parent win] or the council's decision was upheld [council win]; left unmapped per guidance on ambiguous 'upheld' terminology), 2 consent orders (resolved_before_hearing), 1 'ordered to assess' (a tribunal ruling compelling the council to assess -- mapped to contested_and_council_lost). Figures sum exactly to 7 (3+1+2+1).
By decision type
By decision type — 2022 ("this year")
| Category (council's own wording) | Appeals | Overturned |
|---|---|---|
| refusal to assess appeals | 7 | 4 |
| refusal to issue [appeals] | 13 | 2 |
| contents and placement appeals | 59 | — |
Freedom of Information responses
Successful
Provided in full inline text: 'How many refusal to assess appeals have been registered this year? 7. How many of these were upheld? 3 are still live and no decision as yet. 1 upheld, 2 consent orders, 1 ordered to assess. How many refusal to issue have been registered this year? 13. How many of these were upheld? 11 are still live appeals and no decision as yet. 1 upheld, 1 order to issue plan. How many contents and placement appeals have been registered this year? 59. How many of the parental preference for placement were named? 40 still live and no decision yet. 15 parental preference named either via a hearing or consent order.' Context also supplied: EHCPs in LA 2,478 (Reception-Y11, as at 12/12/2022); mainstream 1,193; specialist: Hospital Schools/Alternative Provision 6, Maintained special schools or special academies 914, NMSS or independent schools 200; EOTAS 6; no placement currently: SEN awaiting placement (school) 5, CME school 15.
Caveat: Figures are a snapshot at the point of response (Jan 2023) and a large share of the 'refusal to assess'/'refusal to issue' cohorts are recorded as 'still live, no decision as yet', so the upheld/registered ratio understates the eventual outcome rate once those cases resolve. Not fully clear whether 'appeals' here means SEND Tribunal appeals specifically or also captures pre-Tribunal review stages.
Re-use terms stated by the council: 'You are free to use any information supplied for your own use, including for non-commercial research purposes. The information may also be used for the purposes of news reporting. However, any other type of re-use, for example, by publishing the information or issuing copies to the public will require the permission of the copyright owner.'