Chosen Hill School, Gloucester (07B04356)

School admissions                      Maladministration causing injustice

16 April 2008

There were serious deficiencies in the conduct of admission appeals for Chosen Hill School, Gloucester. The Ombudsman criticises the failure to provide crucial information to parents, the absence of training for appeal panel members, and that appeals were heard by different panels, with decisions made after each one, instead of after all had been heard.

‘Mrs Parker’ (not her real name for legal reasons) appealed against the refusal of place for her son at the School in September 2007. Chosen Hill School is a foundation school and is responsible for its own admission arrangements and appeals.

Mrs Parker considered she had been misled by comments made by the Headteacher at a school open day about the likelihood of gaining a place for her son. The Ombudsman commented: “If similar comments were made to parents, no matter how prefaced, I could see that this could give parents the impression that they were very likely to get a place.”

The Ombudsman’s investigation uncovered serious deficiencies in how appeals were conducted, most significantly:

• there was inadequate training for panel members;
• no explanation was given to the appeal panel and appellants about how places had been allocated and why prejudice would be caused if a further child were admitted; and
• appeals were heard by different appeal panels and decisions were made before all the appeals had been considered. 

The Ombudsman finds maladministration causing injustice and recommends the Governors to:

• review the arrangements for the appointment and training of members of admission appeal panels, for multiple appeal hearings and the presentation of information to appeal hearings; and

• offer Mrs Parker a fresh appeal hearing, and abide by the decision.

Date Published: 14/10/08