Wokingham Borough Council (19 007 795)

Statement Upheld School transport 16-Mar-2020

Summary: Mrs B complains there was fault in the Council’s consideration of a school transport appeal. The Ombudsman finds there is fault, but the Council has agreed an appropriate remedy.

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (19 008 389)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 16-Mar-2020

Summary: Miss X complained the Council failed to provide her son Y a suitable education for over a year and delayed in issuing his Education, Health and Care Plan. The Council was at fault for delays in issuing the Education, Health and Care Plan that meant it delayed in identifying suitable alternative education for Y. However, those delays did not cause Miss X or Y an injustice. The Council should review its statutory assessment processes to prevent a recurrence of fault.

Kent County Council (19 008 752)

Statement Not upheld Special educational needs 16-Mar-2020

Summary: There has been some fault by the Council in the way it has managed the complainant’s son’s Education, Health and Care Plan during 2018 and 2019. The Ombudsman has decided to wait the outcome of the complainant’s current Tribunal appeal before making decisions about the injustice caused. Therefore, the Ombudsman will discontinue this current investigation.

Wokingham Borough Council (19 020 318)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School admissions 14-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr B’s complaint that the Council refused his appeal for a school place for his daughter. This is because it is unlikely we would find fault on the Council’s part.

Lancashire County Council (19 017 975)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School exclusions 14-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman cannot investigate Mrs B’s complaint about the decision not to reinstate her daughter following her exclusion from school. This is because we cannot consider disciplinary decisions made by school governors.

Kent County Council (19 019 118)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School admissions 13-Mar-2020

Summary: A parent complained that the Council’s Head Teacher Assessment Panel did not properly consider his son’s suitability for admission to grammar school. But the Ombudsman will not investigate this matter because the parent has a right of appeal to an independent appeal panel about a refusal of a place at a grammar school.

North Yorkshire County Council (19 012 903)

Statement Upheld School transport 13-Mar-2020

Summary: Miss X complained about the Council’s decision to refuse to provide free home to school transport for her son, Z. The Council did not correctly follow its school transport appeal policy at stage one. However, this did not cause Miss X significant injustice as she was able to make her case to the stage two appeal committee which correctly considered her evidence and decided not to uphold her appeal. The Council has agreed to carry out actions to prevent injustice to others that could be caused by the identified fault.

Norfolk County Council (18 019 103)

Report Upheld Special educational needs 13-Mar-2020

Summary: Ms X says the Council failed to provide her son (Y) with suitable education when his school placement broke down. Ms X also says her son’s Education Health and Care (EHC) plan is not fit for purpose.

Essex County Council (19 009 936)

Statement Not upheld School transport 12-Mar-2020

Summary: Miss B considers that the Council was wrong to refuse her eldest child transport to the secondary school that he attends. The Ombudsman has found no fault in the Council’s decision to refuse transport, because there was a nearer available school for which Miss B chose not to apply.

Kent County Council (19 010 995)

Statement Not upheld School transport 12-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman finds no evidence of fault by the Council or the appeal panel in considering Mr X’s appeal for school travel for his daughter.