Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the school the complainant’s child attends. We cannot consider most complaints about what happens in schools and so the complaint is outside our jurisdiction.

The complaint

1. The complainant, Miss X, complained about various issues with her child’s school. These include the school recording her daughter as having SEN without telling Miss X and failing to provide a school report. Miss X says the school failed to record her daughter as being home educated and is unhappy with the appointment of the school’s acting headteacher.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. We cannot investigate most complaints about what happens in schools. (Local Government Act 1974, Schedule 5, paragraph 5(2), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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Final decision

5. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because it is about what happened in her child’s school. The law says we cannot consider complaints about the conduct, curriculum, internal management, or discipline in schools. Miss X’s complaint is outside our jurisdiction with no discretion to investigate.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman