Deal Parochial School's ambiguous admission criteria misled parent

Archived press release

Date Published: 27/01/09

The Ombudsman asks Deal Parochial School to admit child after a parent was misled by its ambiguous admission criteria.

Deal Parochial School’s admission criteria were not clear, fair and objective, finds Local Government Ombudsman, Tony Redmond. In his report, issued today (27 January 2009) he says “Here I consider the admission criteria to be ambiguous and capable of a number of equally reasonable interpretations”, and recommends the School to admit the complainant’s son with immediate effect.

‘Mrs Mitchell’ applied for a school place for her son ‘Ed’ (not their real names for legal reasons). The Governors’ admission criteria were ambiguous and could be read in different ways. As such, it did not conform to the mandatory School Admissions Code. Ed was not allocated a place at the school.

The key point was this: one of the school’s criteria referred to children from certain named parishes but, while the Governors admitted children on the basis that they worshipped in one of those parishes, Mrs Mitchell thought it meant that they lived there. If the criteria were read in the way Mrs Mitchell understood them, Ed would have been awarded a place.

Mrs Mitchell appealed to the independent appeal panel against this refusal. She was not provided in advance with the reason for the refusal of the application. The Appeal Panel did not consider the ambiguity of the criteria and refused her appeal.

The Ombudsman says: “As I consider Mrs Mitchell had a reasonable expectation that Ed would be admitted to the school I have asked the Governors to admit him with immediate effect.”

The Governors have already amended their admission criteria for 2009/10 and made them clearer.

Report ref 08 007 692