Royal Borough of Greenwich (20 007 840)
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We cannot investigate Mrs X’s complaint because we have no powers to consider complaints about what happens in schools.
The complaint
- The complainant, whom I shall call Mrs X, complains about the conduct of staff in her child’s school and the governing body’s investigation into her concerns.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
- We cannot investigate complaints about what happens in schools. (Local Government Act 1974, Schedule 5, paragraph 5(b), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered Mrs X’s complaint to the Ombudsman and the information she provided.
What I found
- The exception at paragraph 3 applies to Mrs X’s complaint. The law prevents us from investigating complaints about conduct, curriculum, internal organisation, management, or discipline, in any school or other educational establishment. Mrs X’s complaint is not therefore one we can consider.
Final decision
- We cannot investigate Mrs X’s complaint because we have no powers to consider complaints about what happens in schools.
Investigator’s decision on behalf of the Ombudsman
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman