East Sussex County Council (18 012 500)

Report Upheld School transport 20-Jan-2020

Summary: Mr X complains about the Council’s decision to provide home to college transport for his adult learner son, Mr A, for four days a week instead of five days. Mr X says the Council considered irrelevant information when it made its decision.

North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council (19 005 777)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 20-Jan-2020

Summary: Mrs X complained about the statutory assessment and review process of her daughter’s, Y’s Education, Health and Care Plan. The Council has already accepted there were delays in the assessment process that affected Y’s provision and has paid Mrs X a financial remedy and made service improvements. However, there were further faults that occurred whilst the Council dealt with Mrs X’s complaint which has caused further avoidable frustration. The Council has agreed to apologise for those.

St Christopher's RC Primary School, Ashton (19 006 279)

Statement Upheld School admissions 20-Jan-2020

Summary: Mrs F complains about her appeal against the School’s decision to refuse a place for her child, G. There was fault by the School not providing details of how it allocated places and the names of the panel members to Mrs F before the appeal hearing. This did not cause injustice to Mrs F because the panel was still able to consider her appeal without fault. The School has agreed to amend its procedures to address the faults identified.

Isle of Wight Council (19 013 815)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 20-Jan-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr Q’s complaint about the school named in his son’s Education, Health and Care Plan. This is because he had a right of appeal to SEND.

London Borough of Southwark (19 015 758)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 20-Jan-2020

Summary: Ms X complains that the Council breached the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and failed to follow their complaints policy correctly when she complained about the breach. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint because there is another body better placed to investigate.

Staffordshire County Council (19 013 739)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School transport 18-Jan-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs B’s complaint that the Council is at fault in refusing her application and appeal for free school transport for her daughter. This because it is unlikely we would find fault on the Council’s part.

Derbyshire County Council (19 001 142)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 17-Jan-2020

Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to ensure her daughter, D, received a suitable education from February to July 2019 when she was not in school and failed to carry out her annual review according to the statutory timescales. The Council was at fault for not ensuring a suitable education for D from June to July 2019. It should make a financial payment to remedy the injustice this caused D. I have not investigated Ms X’s complaint that the Council failed to carry out D’s annual review within the statutory timescales.

Menorah High School For Girls (19 000 653)

Statement Not upheld School admissions 16-Jan-2020

Summary: there is no fault in the Independent Appeal Panel’s decision not to admit Mr P’s daughter, G, to the school. The Ombudsman cannot question decisions taken without fault.

Royal Borough of Greenwich (19 001 573)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 16-Jan-2020

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council delayed issuing an Education, Health and Care plan, failed to deliver the provision set out in the plan and failed to review it. She also complained about the alternative education provided whilst C was out of school. The Council was at fault for the delays in issuing the plan and a failure to review it. There was no fault in the alternative education it provided whilst C was out of school. The Council should apologise and pay Mrs X £350 for the time and trouble caused.

London Borough of Bexley (19 006 155)

Statement Not upheld School admissions 15-Jan-2020

Summary: there is no fault in the Council’s February 2019 decision to refuse B’s parents’ request for his deferred entry to Reception. The Ombudsman cannot question decisions taken without fault.