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Leeds City Council
Data availableYorkshire and the Humber
126
appeals registered, 2024 (official DfE figure)
171
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.
- Leeds SEND Information Advice 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 · 0113 3785020.
- 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 — 124 (72.9%)
Contested, council lost — 31 (18.2%)
Contested, council won — 8 (4.7%)
Partially split — 7 (4.1%)
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 (171 appeals) — see how estimates work.
Freedom of Information responses
Partially successful
"Prior to 2022, Leeds City Council does not hold centralised information in respect to First Tier appeals. 2019-2021 - Data not recorded. 2022 - 102 appeals registered. 2023 - 104 appeals registered. 2024 - 104 appeals registered (year to date)." "Of these appeal cases decided by tribunal, how many were in favour of the council? 2022 – of 102 appeals 3 (2.9%) were in favour of the LA. 2023 – of 104 appeals 2 (1.9%) were in favour of the LA. At present we do not have the figures for 2024." SEND provision spend rose from £61.655m (Apr2018-Mar2019) to £121.426m (Apr2023-Mar2024). "Legal Services dealt with just 2 SEND appeal cases within the defined period, with a total cost of £6,200.13."
Caveat: No centralised First-tier Tribunal appeal data held before 2022. The "in favour of the LA" percentages reported are notably low (under 3% in both years given), meaning the large majority of appeals reaching a tribunal decision go against the council - flagged as a headline finding for this authority.