Below are a few comments from our previous clients :-

Mr HK - Cheltenham

Thank you for your help with getting the boys into xxx school.

Having tried and failed conducting my own school appeal, I knew we needed help. After speaking to a few solicitors who could offer legal help, I knew that school appeals were so much more than that. You gave us creative help on how to research and write up our case, sharp concise angles to weaken the schools case and brilliant help from years of experience into the psychology putting our case to the panel. On the day we felt confident and well prepared. We knew, whatever the result, you had earned every penny of your fee, so when we won it felt like the best investment we had made in years.

I will whole heartedly recommend to any who think they can do it alone to think again and give you a call.

All the best in the future,

Mr and Mrs WR - Hertfordshire

Won their appeal for an excellent Herts school in March, 2009 after having lost appeals at two previous schools without assistance

Dear Matt

Mr KW - Hampshire

Won his appeal in May 2008

“Having had a 121 with Matt, I worked with him over a few months getting my personal statement spot on. While I considered representation, I opted for Matt’s new coaching package  and went to see him for an hour and a halfs appointment one evening (in fact he spent closer to two hours with us and didn’t charge extra). It was long drive but well worth it as we won our appeal two days later. I even managed to get hold of Matt on his mobile in an adjournment during my hearing for some last minute advice.

Mr and Mrs DK – Newport, South Wales

Won their secondary school appeal in June 2007

“We weren’t happy with the high school our son was offered by the LEA due to some sensitive issues. As we had no experience of the appeal process, we decided to seek help from School Appeals Services. Initially we downloaded the booklet and were impressed with the guidance given, enabling us to compile our first draft of our appeal statement. We received some excellent pre-appeal coaching, with Matt providing objective guidance on the strong and weak points of our case.

Matt also agreed to represent us at the appeal hearing in Newport (South Wales), well outside of his usual working area. He demonstrated his detailed understanding of the appeal process and our particular case, successfully challenging the education authority’s and school’s arguments.

Thank you Matt for your help and guidance! We couldn’t have gone through this difficult process without your help. Due to the success of the appeal our son is now looking forward to attending year 7 in his new school. We will definitely be recommending School Appeals Services to others in the area.”

Mrs SF – West London

Won her appeal in January 2007 on Stage 1 (ie the LEA were judged not have proven their case)

“Whilst preparing for an appeal for our eldest daughter, we came across the schoolappeals.com site. We obtained a copy of the 50 page manual, which we were really impressed with. We then opted for the 1 to 1 session, during which Matt advised us on which aspects of our case were technically the strongest. He looked objectively at our appeal, which as a parent is difficult when emotions are running high. He helped us present the strongest possible case, both in advance of, and at the hearing itself.

We won our appeal to a faith school at Stage 1!!!

We cannot thank Matt enough.”

Mr SL – Essex

Won his appeal in December 2006 (having convinced himself he would lose !)

“Hi Matt, Still in shock! Words cannot describe how excited we are after winning an appeal for our daughter. This wouldn`t have been possible without your excellent guidance, support and presentation on the day. Overall an excellent, affordable service which I would recommend to any parent in a similar stressful situation.Thanks again!!!”

Mr JB –Wiltshire

Won his appeal in December 2006 on Stage 1 (ie the school were judged not to have proven their case)

“Thank you for your help. The letter from the panel confirmed that our second appeal was successful at stage 1 and I believe that the success is due to your preparation work and comprehensive presentation.
Your support and advice throughout this anxious time has always been timely, informative and constructive.
My only regret is that we did not enlist your help for the first appeal!

Thanks again”

Mrs RB – Hampshire

Won her appeal in June 2006 and secured a month later (having become involved with five other parents in a High Court Case over the Appeals Panel decision)

“After successfully winning our appeal, only then to be notified two weeks after that Hampshire County Council were taking the Appeal Panel to the High Court – we knew that this had now become a battle that we could not fight alone and we needed to call in an expert – that expert was Matt Richards, from the Schools Appeals Service.

Having spent only a short time in conversation with Matt, he demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of the appeals process and suggested a clear, well thought-out plan of action. This was exactly the approach we needed at such a stressful time and we felt relieved that we had the School Appeals Service working with us.

Although, our pending High Court case presented the Matt with a unique situation, Matt instantly took control of the situation and suggested that we needed a two-pronged approach:

(1) The School Appeals Service would tackle the legal element, such as: liaising with the High Court; contacting the lawyers for the defence at Bracknell Borough Council and ensuring that the Independent Appeals Department at HCC were fully aware of our concerns regarding the potential new appeal hearing that would take place if the Court Case was lost.

(2) We, the parents, with Matt in the background, would launch a co-ordinated media/’moral’ campaign, which would include local press, regional TV & Radio stations (BBC South Today, ITV Meridian), Eagle Radio and BBC Southern Counties Radio).

Matt’s persistence was another key strength that he demonstrated through-out the process. During the three week period, there were times when our morale became extremely low and we doubted our ability to keep fighting. However, Matt’s contagious enthusiasm and tenacity gave us the strength to continue. Also, Matt’s systematic approach, detailed documentation of conversations and clearly defined next steps made it easier for us to keep focused and motivated.

Without Matt’s advice, support and friendship throughout our ordeal we would not have had the courage to launch such a successful ‘moral’ campaign, which ultimately led to HCC’s decision to allow our children to attend the school on compassionate grounds. We will always remember how you supported and believed in our case and would like to sincerely thank the School Appeals Service for providing such an excellent level of service (which often went way beyond the call of duty) and for being our pillar of strength and navigating our families through such a dramatic time.”

Mrs MV- Dorset

Won her appeal in August 2006 with assistance with her appeal submission and representation on the day

" A big thank you isn't enough. You turned the whole appeal process right around. I felt empowered and in control, and believe it or not I wasn't stressed at all.

This was because of the thorough preparation, briefings and support you gave me before and on the day. I appreciated your directness.

Even if we had had failed I would have thought the money was worth it, because I felt we had given it 120%.

Finally, I also enjoyed working with you. You were very professional but also very supportive."

Mr and Mrs JC – Waltham Abbey, Essex

Won their appeal in July, 2006 after assistance with their submission and coaching for the day

“Hi Matt

“Just to let you that we won xxx’s appeal!!

So we are obviously very pleased! We felt it had gone well after the actual appeal as we went in so much more prepared – questions listed out etc, but you never know, but we won and unanimously too!

So a very big thank you to you for all of your help and advice – I don’t think we could have done it without you.

If you ever need a testimonial or anything from us please let us know as we’d be more than happy to provide one and will be recommending you to anyone we know that ever happens to be in our position!

Take good care“

Mr MD – Surrey

Won his appeal in July 2006 after working with us for around three months on preparation, coaching and representation on the day

“If you’re reading this, then I truly believe you have already taken a crucial first step towards improving your chances of winning your appeal. When I found this site myself, I was angry, upset, and daunted by the appeal process ahead of me. I bought the Guide, and started to see there might be a way forward. So I opted for the 40 min 1-2-1, and Matt put things in perspective for us, and set us on the way to preparing our appeal. Throughout the process, he encouraged us when we needed it, and wisely held us back when we were at risk of going too far. On the day of the appeal, he sat through it with us, and together we presented the best case we could have made. And the outcome was – WE WON! – against all the odds. We still can’t believe it, and the difference it will make to all our futures is only just starting to sink in.

Whatever the LEA says about it being an informal hearing, it isn’t. It is a competitive, even adversarial process, but you can manipulate the system to give yourself the best chance of winning. To do this effectively, you need someone who knows the process inside out, from every point of view. I am confident that Schools Appeals Services offers the most cost effective option you can take if you are serious about winning. You will still need a great deal of patience, effort, and concentration, but in the end, even if the result goes against you, you will have the peace of mind of knowing you did the best you could, and all for a very reasonable charge.

We feel like we moved a mountain, but if we did, then Matt was driving the dumper truck! If you’re really committed to winning your appeal, then you’d be mad not to retain Matt or one of his colleagues to fight in your corner.”

Mrs WP – South London

Won her appeal in June, 2006 for a top grammar school having had appeal documentation drafted and representation on the day of the hearing

“We received excellent guidance on how to prepare our case for xxxxx Grammar school appeal, additional points to strengthen our argument, and much personal support and consideration through this stressful time. Mr Richards planned the presentation and was present during the hearing. He raised points in such a logical and valid way that the Grammar school appeal was upheld!!

This service succeeded in offering our daughter a grammar school education and we would wholeheartedly recommend it for any parent considering a Grammar school appeal! And the cost is very reasonable! “

Mrs P K – East London

Secured a school place at the school of her choice after being appalled by the advice of another Education “consultant” and turning to School Appeals Services for help

“After finding out my son had failed to gain a place at our preferred choice of secondary schools I was faced with the daunting prospect of going through the appeals process. I initially employed the services of a ‘Consultant’ and I use that word very loosely. I was charged an extortionist price for their services but encountered problem after problem in being able to contact them either by telephone or email and my calls went unanswered.

With my appeal just around the corner I thankfully found Matt’s website, by this point I was stressed, exasperated and totally unsure where to turn. With Matt’s expert counsel I firstly received a refund from the ‘Consultant’ and as my appeal was only days away Matt offered invaluable advice and guidance. He was extremely generous with his time, was professional, understanding and his knowledge of the whole appeals process is exemplary. The outcome was my son gained a place at his first choice school. Having Matt on hand throughout this process took a huge burden off my shoulders. I would recommend any parents who find themselves in a similar position to not hesitate in using the services provided by Matt and his team at a very reasonable charge.”

Mr P M - Cornwall

Won his appeal after advice and coaching for the appeal hearing

"We were surprised and delighted to discover this website with its offer of excellent professional help at such a reasonable price. The advice was swift, personal and extremely valuable. Matt really did care about the outcome for our child, and was generous with his time. Do not be deceived into thinking that the appeal is only an informal chat.

The arrangements and atmosphere may be intimidating, despite the panel's attempts to set you at your ease.

There will be 5 or 3 'judges' arrayed before you, as well as the representatives from the school and the LEA, all of whom know the procedures inside out. The LEA can try to use the procedures for their advantage; in our case the LEA was
holding back vital information, which was only extracted by fairly aggressive questioning by a group of parents.

The book by Matt Richards is essential reading, as is his advice on how to write your appeal case. "

Testimonials for Vince Monaghan

Mr TB- Kent

Won his appeal after coaching in February 2009

Dear Vince,
It is with great pleasure that I can confirm that our appeal on behalf of xxxx was successful. The whole session lasted 50 minutes following an address from the LA, our statement and questions.

Overall, I really appreciate your invaluable advise during the preparation for our appeal and the subsequent coaching session. It was crucial not only for us to have someone who knew the appeal process from back to front but was always there to keep our statement in perspective and above all, focused on our daughter. A thoroughly comprehensive statement inspires confidence and surety in what you say to the panel as parents - I believe this was evident to the Panel. You allowed us to make the most of a once in a life time opportunity – for that, I will forever be truly grateful.

Mr and Mrs EB – London

Won their grammar school appeal –May 2008

“Dear Vince,
We won our appeal for St Michele's Roman Catholic Girls Grammar School! We are so pleased and we want to thank you from the bottom of our heart for getting (childs name) the place we always dreamt of. We had been in a public school and could no longer afford that but could not let her go to the community school.

Your help from writing the statement coaching at our home, and representing on the that evening were first class and I would recommend you to any one.”

Mr and Mrs MR – Essex

Won their grammar school appeal – June 2007

“We thank you on a personal note for your help throughout in what is an extremely stressful process.

We benefited enormously from your visits to our home and your “cool head” whilst the preparation of the statement was agreed.

On the day we were able to give our best following the coaching we received from Vince and the help and support in presenting our case.

We are immensely pleased and proud that we were able to secure a place for our daughter at Woodford County High School for Girls and we understand that were the first successful appeal in10 years! Our alternative was private education and you therefore saved us thousands of pounds. “

Mr VI – West London

Won his Grammar school appeal – June 2007

“Thank you very much for your much appreciated help with the appeal. Thankfully I came across your website just a few weeks before the appeal. Your advice and guidance for the submission of the appeal and your presence during the hearing was very much appreciated as it gave us the confidence and support we needed. With your help we were able to submit and present our case very professionally and we were able to succeed. Once again, we thank you for your great understanding, dedication and effort that you put into helping us accomplish a successful appeal.”

Mrs JP – Berkshire

Won her secondary school appeal – May 2007

“Hi Vince,

We are delighted and relieved after 4 months of stress and xxxxx had the biggest smile on his face for hours after I told him on Wednesday we won.

I don't know if I said on the previous message that very few appeals were successful according to the woman I rang in appeals to find out.

Thanks for you invaluable help again. We felt very well-prepared as a result, and the stuff that we anticipated, thanks to your advice, did come up.”

Testimonials for Jeremy Haw

Mr NC - Cheshire

Mr NC won his secondary school appeal in December, 2009. Mr NC is a qualified solicitor and a partner in a law firm and yet still sought advice from us !

Dear Jeremy,

I would like to thank you for your invaluable assistance and representation in my son's school appeal to XXXXX. As you know he was successful, and after checking the admissions details only 3 of the 24 appeals were successful. (There were 37 over subscribed first choices). Max loves his school and I feel it is the best investment in my sons education I could have made and would not hesitate to recommend your services to any parent worried over their child`s school placement. I certainly do not believe I would have been successful had I prepared my own appeal.

Thank you once again.

Mr and Mrs PC – Leeds, Yorkshire

Won their Reception (infant class's size) appeal in May 2008

“Hi Jeremy,

Just wanted to drop you a line to let you know that our appeal against Education Leeds was successful.

The panel was not satisfied that class size legislation applied in this instance and they deemed that it was unreasonable of the LEA not to have looked into xxx's special educational needs which we outlined to them in the original admissions form.

We wanted to thank you for the information and advice you gave us during our 1-1 telephone consultation. It gave us a good understanding of ICP legislation and where our case could be won. We> structured our written case, submitted in advance of the hearing, using the format of "Example One" in the Schools Appeal Services parent guide. Please pass on our thanks to Matt as this was invaluable.

We wish you every continued success in helping other children and parents with their appeals as we fully appreciate the upset and stress that going through this process can cause.

Regards, Mr and Mrs P C – Leeds”

Dr S A. - Lancashire

Won his appeal in January, 2008

We thank you very much for your assistance in preparing for the appeal and for representing us at the hearing itself. I think it made all the difference because we found out that all the other appeals that day were  refused!

Mr ML – Nottingham

Won his appeal in June 2007 on Stage 1 (i.e. the LEA were judged not have proven their case) It should be noted that Mr ML is a practicing solicitor who asked us to represent him. Set out below is a brief extract of his letter to us.
“after your devastating submission the whole audience both clapped and cheered. For me it was something akin to a scene in a movie and got a bit surreal, the rest of the hearing became a mopping up of a mortally wounded LEA submission.

To be frank in short the LEA’s case was annihilated by you. Even the panel’s demeanor went from impartial to displeasure with the LEA submission. It took them less than ten minutes deliberation to announce the LEA had not proven its case.

In short to succeed in wholesale undermining of the LEA submission and then its systematic destruction in less than 15 minutes of the submission commencing is outstanding.

The result of that appeal was that not only our son was admitted to the school of preference hitherto denied by the LEA but to also directly influence the admission of 27 other children to the school as well. In short that appeal was 100% successful at what looked the most difficult stage .An awesome outcome no matter how you look at it.
I do not think it is to overstate the situation to say that the resultant outcome for our son has profound positive implication for his future. I am looking back so glad we hired your services. Please again convey my thanks to all concerned.”

Mrs MG – Cockermouth, Northumberland

Won her appeal in June 2007

“Just a quick e-mail to say thanks so much for all your help. We are thrilled with result - xxxxxx starts back tomorrow! Back into her old class with her old mates.

Apologies for hysteria on my part - there's so much packed away that if you lift the sticking plaster at all, it all seems to come tumbling out. Anyway, the appeal was a big thing which is now over.

Can't tell you how much stress it did lift knowing that you were familiar with what and how to do everything that alone was worth it and representation on the day was a lifesaver”

Testimonials for Nabil Dance

Mr HR - Berkshire

Mr HR won his appeal for a high performing Berkshire grammar school in January 2010

Thank you for the work you did for us on Paul's appeal for a place at Grammar School.

As you know , early yesterday , we found out that Paul had been successful in getting a place at Grammar School
The thoroughness and detail you took us through was a crucial contribution. Without your help we would not have had a clue on how to approach the formulation of our case nor how to handle the day itself. Not only was the guidance effective it was also hugely reassuring during this difficult time.
Before we went into the appeal meeting I knew that we had done a very thorough job on the evidence and the arguments.

We took on board ALL your advice and when I walked out of the hearing I just knew that we had done everything we could and that we had left nothing to chance. Then came the nervous wait …. and yesterday we got the result we wanted!
When we told Paul  - he screamed out load and then cried. Its something I will not forget for the rest of my life.

I have already recommended you to a friend !!!

Best wishes and keep up the excellent work !

Mr and Mrs KG - Wiltshire

Mr and Mrs KG won their secondary school appeal with Nabil's assistance in June 2009

Hi Nabil

Apologies for the delay in getting back to you. Things have been very busy around here so have not had the time to sit down and drop you a line.

We would just like to thank you for all your help in preparing us for our appeal for a school place for our daughter. The coaching session we had with you was extremely helpful. You prepared us well with hard hitting questions for the panel and guided us on how to put together our appeal in writing in a clear and informative way.  You are very easy to communicate with and made us feel at ease.

The end result was a good one and we believe that we got that result due to being well prepared by taking your advice to gather  with good evidence and reasons when putting our appeal together, and by practicing our presentation skills. We could not have done this without your expert advice and guidance.

Mrs O, Surrey

Mrs O, Surrey, reflected on Nabil's support and assistance, following her successful appeal to the SENDIST for her daughter R:

"I would like to take the opportunity to extend our thanks for all the help and support Nabil provided at such a stressful time for the family. He was able to provide me with a clear direction in order to get the relevant reports required and broke the whole process into manageable chunks so that I did not feel completely overwhelmed. Contact was maintained via phone and email and at all times Nabil was quick to respond and dealt impeccably with the many varied and heightened emotions I experienced.

His support throughout the whole process was invaluable and we will always be grateful for the part he played in helping us achieve the right school placement for our daughter. We were spared the trauma of Tribunal thanks to the hard work and diligence of Nabil and feel privileged to have worked alongside such a consummate professional.

On paper R is a very complex child and she has been at her new school a whole term now and it is evident that this was the right placement for her. I will always be grateful for the help and support we received during this process, so with heartfelt sincerity although it seems inadequate THANK YOU."

Mrs G, London

Mrs G, London, reflected on her successful appeal to the SENDIST and how her daughter C was doing at her preferred school:

"So you may appreciate how relieved I felt, not just that C's settled in so well at school, but more importantly that her long term educational & future success is virtually guaranteed by her placement there. I am keenly aware of what an achievement this outcome has been, but also know it was a team effort & that I could not have done it without your help, encouragement & advice. We, J & I, are both very grateful for everything you have done to help us in this rather long, drawn our process. It has been well worth all the stress & effort!"

Mrs S, Brighton

Mrs S, Brighton reflected on her successful appeal to SENDIST for her grandson T and the difficulties she encountered before seeking advice:

"Everything is going well regarding T. The LEA have now contacted the school to say that he will be starting with them on the 8 September. I would like to say that we have found you absolutely invaluable to us in getting through the Tribunal process, which is very daunting when you know nothing about such things. I don't know how we would have managed without you!

In hindsight, the only thing I wished perhaps we had known earlier was when to apply for the necessary expert reports. It would not have been so stressful as trying to get these carried out at the last minute had I realised back in February when the whole thing began that we ought to have these to support our case.

Once more, thank you for everything you have done to help us. I feel we have had an excellent working relationship with you, and you have more than put yourself out to help us on our way to what has been a very happy conclusion."

Testimonials for Janet Tobin

Mrs MS - Gloucestershire

Mrs M won her secondary school appeal in June 2009 with Janet's assistance

Hi Janet

Just thought I'd let you know that you can add another success to your repertoire. Thanks for all your help - I'm sure that we were by far the best prepared parents there, - and I didn't cry!!

We will definitely recommend you to anyone else who needs similar help.

Mr & Mrs L E - Middlesex, London

Mr and Mrs LE won their secondary catholic school appeal in June 2009

We won our appeal thanks to Janet's wealth of knowledge of the appeal system and her 1-2-1 with us before the appeal and support on the day.

Money well spent. Thank you.

Mrs F – Brighton, Sussex

Won her appeal in May, 2009 after one unsuccessful appeal the previous year. 

My daughter and I are still both in complete shock!  We cannot believe that this week she has started at xxxxxxxxx secondary school where she has been longing to go for over the past year.  The difference it has made to our lives is unbelievable and for the first time in a very long time, my daughter is happy and has said she cannot wait for Monday mornings!  The smile on her face when she posed for a photo in her new school uniform said it all ……

Without the advice, support and assistance I received from Janet Tobin, however, both in advance and on the day, I’m not sure we would be where we are today.  I discovered Matt’s website only a week before the date of my appeal and knowing just how our lives depended upon it, I made no hesitation in getting in contact.  The initial response and advice I received was instantaneous and I was put in touch with Janet, who immediately gave up her time at very short notice.  We spent two evenings emailing each other back and forth and a coaching session was arranged for just a couple of days later - on a Saturday during which should have been Janet’s time with her family!  She was more than generous with the time she gave me and the help which she provided was invaluable,  It made me realise just how unaware and unprepared I had been and it was also evident how much Janet really cared about the outcome of my case.  It was then that I decided I also needed her support on the actual day and Janet simply dropped everything and made last minute arrangements to accompany me.  Having already been through one appeal previously, I knew how stressful and intimidating it could be and that my brain would turn to cotton wool.  I felt I at least needed someone to ‘hold my hand’ and be there to tackle the areas which I felt completely out of my depth with. Although I felt I had a very strong Stage 2 case anyway (based on medical grounds), I still felt I couldn’t go it alone and that a two-pronged approach was needed.  On the day, Janet was my rock and when it did come to Stage 2 for me to present my case, I had much more confidence than I would have done without her advance coaching and support.  When the letter came to say we had WON, my daughter and I cried. We will be forever truly grateful to Janet for her help. 

Miss C & Mr S – Crawley, Sussex

Won their appeal in May, 2009

We give our heartfelt thanks to Janet Tobin in relation to our son's appeal to the school of our choice.

Without Janet's knowledge, guidance and support, we do not for one minutethink we would have won our case. YES, WE WON!!
She thoroughly prepared us for both the plenary and the actual appeal before the panel - both very daunting situations to find ourselves in.

We would highly recommend her.  Money well worth spending as an investment
into your childs future.