Summary: We cannot investigate Mrs X’s complaint about how the Council dealt with her concerns of bullying at her child’s school. This is because the law prevents us from investigating what happens in schools and about how councils investigate these matters.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complains about how the Council carried out an investigation into a school after she raised concerns about her child being subject to racist and ableist bullying. Mrs X says the investigation carried out by the Council into these matters was inadequate.

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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.
3. 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

4. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. We cannot investigate this complaint because it concerns the actions of a school. Schools’ actions fall outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction and the law prevents us from investigating the actions of the school or how the Council investigated them.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because the law prevents us from investigating what happens in schools and about how councils investigate these matters.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman