Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council (19 005 739)

Statement Upheld School admissions 12-Sep-2019

Summary: Mrs X complains about the way the Council managed the process which considered her daughter’s school admissions appeal. She says the panel which heard the appeal did not properly consider the information she submitted in support of it, despite there being evidence the admissions criteria had not been applied correctly. The Ombudsman has found the Council was at fault because the panel decided Mrs X’s appeal without having all the information it needed to do so. Her daughter may have been offered a place at her preferred school if the distances and routes used to determine the initial application had been calculated incorrectly. Therefore, we recommend the Council arranges a new hearing so the appeal can be reheard and the panel can consider whether the initial calculations were wrong. We have also made a service improvement recommendation to prevent the fault we have identified from reoccurring. The Council has agreed to carry out these recommendations.

Bury Metropolitan Borough Council (19 003 185)

Statement Upheld School admissions 11-Sep-2019

Summary: The Council was at fault because an independent admission appeals panel relied on inaccurate information about the home to school distance Mr X ‘s son would have to travel if he attended his allocated school, instead of Mr X ‘s first preference. Mr X and his son suffered the injustice of not knowing what the outcome of the appeal would have been, if the panel had based its decision on correct information. Accordingly, I have asked the Council to arrange a fresh appeal hearing.

Leicester City Council (19 008 850)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School admissions 10-Sep-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about an unsuccessful appeal for a school place. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault and so we cannot question the merits of the panel’s decision.

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (19 005 200)

Statement Not upheld School admissions 10-Sep-2019

Summary: there was no fault in the way the Independent Appeal Panel made its decision not to admit Mr F’s daughter to School B.   The Ombudsman cannot question decisions made without fault.

Durham County Council (19 002 492)

Statement Upheld School admissions 09-Sep-2019

Summary: Mrs B complains that the independent appeal panel failed to properly consider her appeal against the refusal of a place for her son, C, at his preferred school. The Ombudsman finds the appeal panel was at fault in that it disregarded information provided by C’s head teacher and by medical professionals. The Council has agreed to remedy for the injustice caused by offering Mrs B a new appeal.

Blythe Bridge High School (19 004 373)

Statement Upheld School admissions 09-Sep-2019

Summary: Mr X complains that the independent appeal panel failed to consider his case properly when it considered his appeal for a school place for his daughter. The admissions authority has agreed to arrange a new appeal. The Ombudsman has discontinued his investigation on this basis.

Barnwood Park Arts College, Gloucester (19 006 967)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School admissions 06-Sep-2019

Summary: A parent complained about the way the school admission appeal panel dealt with her appeal concerning the refusal of a place for her daughter at her preferred secondary school. But the Ombudsman does not have reason to investigate this complaint because there is no sign of fault by the panel.

North Yorkshire County Council (19 007 817)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School admissions 06-Sep-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about an unsuccessful appeal for a school place. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the panel and so we cannot question the merits of its decision.

Sheffield City Council (19 007 190)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School admissions 03-Sep-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint that the Council’s Schools Admissions Appeal Panel failed to provide her child with a place at her preferred school. It is unlikely the Ombudsman would find fault which caused them to lose out on a school place.

Leeds City Council (19 007 410)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School admissions 03-Sep-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman should not investigate Miss X’s complaint about a school admission appeal. The Council has offered a new appeal and it is unlikely we could achieve more.