Recent statements in this category are shown below:
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Statement Closed after initial enquiries Alternative provision 23-Sep-2025
Summary: We will not investigate Ms M’s complaint about arrangements for her daughter G’s education because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.
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Surrey County Council (24 019 139)
Statement Upheld Alternative provision 21-Sep-2025
Summary: The Council failed to consult sufficient school placements for Ms X’s child, Y, when they stopped attending school. The Council also failed to properly consider whether the alternative provision it offered Y was reasonably accessible to them and failed to ensure Y received key therapies in their Education, Health and Care Plan. The Council’s faults have caused Y and Ms X uncertainty and caused Y to avoidably miss out on special educational provision for eleven months. The Council has paid Ms X £3,250 to recognise the injustice caused by these faults. We have also recommended that the Council make service improvements.
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Hampshire County Council (24 002 186)
Statement Upheld Alternative provision 21-Sep-2025
Summary: The Council was at fault. It provided Mrs X’s child ,Y, with intermittent alternative provision and did not provide all the special educational provision to which they were entitled. Y’s father, Mr X was caused frustration supporting Y. The Council will apologise and pay £1,250 to Mrs X to acknowledge Y’s missed education and provision and make a symbolic payment of £300 to Mr X. The Council has already put in place actions to improve its service.
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East Sussex County Council (24 011 027)
Statement Upheld Alternative provision 21-Sep-2025
Summary: Mrs X complained that the Council delayed in providing alternative education to her daughter and that, when it was provided, it was unsuitable. We find that there was fault by the Council on the first complaint and a lost opportunity on the second but with limited injustice. The Council has agreed to make symbolic payments for the loss of education and opportunity. The Council has already amended its alternative education policy for pupils medically unfit to attend school and has agreed to consider further service improvements.
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North Somerset Council (25 004 488)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Alternative provision 19-Sep-2025
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to make alternative provision for the complainant’s son while he is unable to attend school full-time. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault on the Council's part to warrant investigation.
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Statement Closed after initial enquiries Alternative provision 19-Sep-2025
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has failed to make alternative educational provision for the complainant’s son while he has been out of school. Investigation would not lead to a different outcome and is not therefore warranted.
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Devon County Council (24 020 011)
Statement Upheld Alternative provision 18-Sep-2025
Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to provide alternative provision for Z when Z was unable to attend school. I have found fault in the Council failing to properly consider if it had a duty under s.19 Education Act 1996 to provide alternative education in early 2025. The Council has agreed to apologise and review the situation by taking fresh decisions.
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Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (24 010 104)
Statement Upheld Alternative provision 17-Sep-2025
Summary: Ms X complained about the Council’s handling of her son’s Education, Health and Care needs assessment and alternative provision after he stopped attending school in September 2023. We found the Council failed to properly assess its section 19 duties after March 2024 and failed to consider putting alternative provision in place for the child. This caused Ms X and her son uncertainty about what support he would have received had the Council made a decision about its duties. The Council agreed to our recommendations on remedying the injustice its actions caused to Ms X and her son.
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Hampshire County Council (25 004 330)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Alternative provision 16-Sep-2025
Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint that the Council failed to provide suitable educational provision for her child. Some of the complaint is late, and Ms X has a right of appeal to Tribunal that it is reasonable for her to use.
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Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (24 015 738)
Statement Not upheld Alternative provision 15-Sep-2025
Summary: Ms X complained that the Council failed to provide suitable education to her daughter after she was permanently excluded from school. We have found no fault with the Council. It met its statutory duties to Ms X’s daughter by offering what it considered to be suitable education and considering Ms X’s objections before making its decision. As there was no fault in how the Council decided the education was suitable for Y, we have no power to question its judgment.