Islington
Data availableLondon
116
appeals registered, 2024 (official DfE figure)
100
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.
- Islington SEND Community Support Service — 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 · Advice Line: 020 3031 6651.
- 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.
Estimated outcome breakdown
Estimated, not reported
Resolved before hearing — 73 (73%)
Contested, council lost — 18 (18%)
Contested, council won — 5 (5%)
Partially split — 4 (4%)
This council's own answer doesn't give a usable outcome breakdown. This estimate applies the pooled England-wide outcome rate (no regional sample was large enough to trust on its own) to this council's own real, officially-published appeal volume for 2025 (100 appeals) — see how estimates work.
By decision type
By decision type — 2019-2024
| Category (council's own wording) | Appeals | Overturned |
|---|---|---|
| Section B | — | — |
| Section F | — | — |
| Section I | — | — |
Freedom of Information responses
Response to 'Levels of demand, supply and parent challenge re: SEND provision in the borough' (ref FOI 5531510). Q3, SEN Tribunal Appeals registered by calendar year: 2019-32, 2020-31, 2021-43, 2022-52, 2023-102, 2024-114. Q3i-iii, % of appeals disagreeing with each EHC plan section (percentages of that year's total, not mutually exclusive): 2019 - Section B 13%, Section F 22%, Section I 44%. 2020 - B 26%, F 32%, I 48%. 2021 - B 37%, F 42%, I 44%. 2022 - B 25%, F 23%, I 29%. 2023 - B 37%, F 39%, I 38%. 2024 - B 32%, F 36%, I 37%. Q4/5, number of appeals progressing to a formal hearing and % of those decided in the Council's favour (excluding cases split in favour of both parties in part, and excluding withdrawn appeals): 2019 - 11 hearings, 45% in Council's favour. 2020 - 17 hearings, 24%. 2021 - 21 hearings, 14%. 2022 - 22 hearings, 9%. 2023 - 44 hearings, 9%. 2024 - 29 to date, 'Figure not yet available'. Q6, internal legal hours: 'This information is not held.' Q7, external legal costs on SEND cases (net) by calendar year: 2020 - £8,685; 2021 - £13,680; 2022 - £24,020; 2023 - £31,035; 2024 - £25,120 ('We can provide this information for 2020 onwards' -- 2019 not given).
Caveat: Q1/Q2 (parental preference for maintained special school) answered as 'not held' since placements are made by individual assessment rather than a preference-ranking process, so no figures there. The steep rise in appeals registered (32 in 2019 to 114 in 2024) alongside a falling win rate for the Council (45% in 2019 down to 9% in 2022-2023) is as stated in the source, not an inference.