Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the actions of the complainant’s daughter’s school. Such matters are outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction and the law prevents us from investigating them.

The complaint

1. The complainant, Miss X, complains that her daughter’s school was at fault in that its actions towards her and her daughter amounted to bullying and harassment, in making a false safeguarding referral and in failing to respond properly to a subject access request.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate. We cannot investigate most complaints about what happens in schools. (Local Government Act 1974, Schedule 5, paragraph 5(2), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Miss X’s complaint concerns her daughter’s school. She says the actions of the Headteacher amounted to bullying and harassment, in that the Headteacher unreasonably made a visit to her home and made a false safeguarding referral. She further complains that the school failed to ensure that her daughter had the free school meal provision to which she was entitled.
6. Miss X says she has made a subject access request and is not satisfied with the school’s response.
7. We cannot investigate this complaint because it concerns the actions of a school. School’s actions fall outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction and the law prevents us from investigating such matters.

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Final decision

8. We cannot investigate Miss X’s complaint because it concerns the actions of a school and, as such, falls outside our jurisdiction by law.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman