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Middlesbrough Council
Data availableNorth East
23
appeals registered, 2024 (official DfE figure)
28
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.
- South Tees 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 · 01642 300774 EX: 225.
- 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 — 2019-01-01 to 2024-10-01 (aggregate)
real, from FOI response
Resolved before hearing — 0 (0%)
Contested, council lost — 3 (100%)
Contested, council won — 0 (0%)
Of 40 appeals received, only 3 were decided by tribunal (all found for the applicant, 0 for council). The remaining 37 were not decided by tribunal but their specific resolution (conceded/withdrawn/pending) is not stated, so resolved_before_hearing is left null rather than inferred by subtraction.
By decision type
By decision type — 2023
| Category (council's own wording) | Appeals | Overturned |
|---|---|---|
| challenged through First-tier Tribunal [Q2(b)] | — | — |
By decision type — 2024
| Category (council's own wording) | Appeals | Overturned |
|---|---|---|
| challenged through First-tier Tribunal [Q2(b)] | 0 | 0 |
By decision type — 2025
| Category (council's own wording) | Appeals | Overturned |
|---|---|---|
| challenged through First-tier Tribunal [Q2(b)] | 5 | — |
Freedom of Information responses
Awaiting classification
'Between 1st January 2019 and 1st October 2024 how many SEND appeals were received by the council? Response: 40 applications were received. Of these appeal cases decided by tribunal, how many were in favour of the council? Response: 3 of those appeals were decided by tribunal, all of which were in favour of the applicant not the council.' SEND spend by FY: 19/20 £26,087,613; 20/21 £27,061,262; 21/22 £32,684,276; 22/23 £36,073,105; 23/24 £38,036,191. External legal cost total: £3,480.
Awaiting classification
Q8 SEND Tribunal appeals and concessions - Total appeals registered against LA decisions: 2023: 12; 2024: 19; 2025: 30. Number of those appeals conceded by LA before final hearing: 2023: 11; 2024: 19; 2025: 20. (Registered appeals based on year appeal paperwork received; conceded appeals based on whether consent order signed in a given year before hearing.) Q2 refusal-to-assess challenges: (a) challenged through mediation: 2023 not held / 2024: 21 / 2025: 48; (b) challenged through First-tier Tribunal: 2023: <5 / 2024: 0 / 2025: 5; (c) decisions overturned/conceded by LA: 2023: <5 (tribunals only; mediation info not held for 2023) / 2024: 17 / 2025: 51.
Caveat: Numbers below 5 given as '<5' to avoid risk of identifying individuals. Q1, Q3, Q4, Q5 answered with actual figures in the same response (EHCP phase-transfer compliance, EP advice timeliness/provenance).