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Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council
Data availableNorth West
43
appeals registered, 2024 (official DfE figure)
56
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.
- Trafford 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 · 0161 912 3150.
- 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 — 30 (85.7%)
Contested, council lost — 0 (0%)
Contested, council won — 5 (14.3%)
27 of the 87 undecided/pending at response time. Arithmetic residual (87-30-27-5=25) would imply 25 lost by the council, but this is not explicitly stated by the council itself - only inferable by subtraction, so left null per instructions; treat with caution if used elsewhere.
Freedom of Information responses
Awaiting classification
'3. ...how many SEND appeals were received by the council? 87. Of these appeal cases decided by tribunal, how many were in favour of the council? 5. Please note of the 87 rec'd 30 were settled prior to Tribunal or were withdrawn by parents. 27 have not yet [been decided].' Legal team spend approx. £240,000 (2019-2024).
Caveat: Exact request URL slug not confirmed (captured via search-result snippet); use the search link or search whatdotheyknow.com for 'LBC REQUEST Trafford' to locate the exact thread. Of 87 appeals received: 5 found in favour of council, 30 settled/withdrawn pre-tribunal, 27 undecided at time of response — remainder (25) implied decided against the council.
'Q1 - cases defended: 2019 - 4 / 2018 - 22 / 2017 - 8. Q2 - cases won by LA: 2017 - 3 / 2018 - 2 / 2019 - 0 (upheld council position). Q3 - legal costs: approx. £15,000 per year from the Education Budget contributes towards legal costs of Tribunals.'
Caveat: Legal cost figure is a stated annual budget contribution, not an itemised per-year actual spend.