Staffordshire County Council (20 013 025)
Statement Upheld School admissions 20-Jul-2021
Summary: Mrs G complains about her son not being allocated a place at their chosen secondary school. The case was heard before an appeal panel, and the clerk did not properly record the decision making as detailed in the Schools Admissions Appeal Code. This has caused Mrs G, and her son, stress and anxiety. The Council has agreed to hold a fresh appeal with a new panel and clerk.
Warwickshire County Council (20 013 034)
Statement Upheld School admissions 14-Jul-2021
Summary: Mr C complained about a school admissions appeal hearing for his son. We have stopped investigating the complaint because Mr C's son has now been offered a place at his preferred school and we could not achieve a better outcome than this for the complainant.
Warwickshire County Council (20 013 061)
Statement Upheld School admissions 14-Jul-2021
Summary: Mr C complained about a school admissions appeal hearing for his son. We have stopped investigating the complaint because Mr C's son has now been offered a place at his preferred school and we could not achieve a better outcome than this for the complainant.
London Borough of Redbridge (20 005 291)
Statement Upheld School admissions 13-Jul-2021
Summary: The Ombudsman found some fault by the Council on Miss D's complaint of it failing to properly consider her late application request for her summer born daughter to start Reception class when she reached compulsory school age in September 2021. While an email it sent could have given clearer information about the process, this caused her no injustice. There was no fault on her remaining complaints about its decision.
Tranmere Park Primary School (20 013 582)
Statement Not upheld School admissions 09-Jul-2021
Summary: Mrs M complains about the Independent Appeal Panel's decision not to admit her daughter to the school. There is no fault in the Panel's decision. The Ombudsman cannot question decisions taken without fault.
Lancashire County Council (20 011 139)
Statement Upheld School admissions 21-Jun-2021
Summary: Mr R has a brought a complaint about the school admissions appeal panel's decision to refuse Child Z admission to his preferred school. The Ombudsman has found fault by the Panel for failing to record its deliberations properly. However, we do not consider the fault caused Mr R an injustice because if the decision had been properly recorded, it is likely the Panel's decision would have been the same.
Lancashire County Council (20 011 140)
Statement Not upheld School admissions 10-Jun-2021
Summary: Mr R has a bought a complaint about the school admissions appeal panel's decision to refuse his Child Z admission to his preferred school. However, the panel properly followed the School Admissions Appeal Code and we cannot question the merits of a decision made properly. The Ombudsman has not found any evidence of fault by the panel or Council.
London Borough of Bexley (20 010 068)
Statement Upheld School admissions 10-May-2021
Summary: Mrs X complains about the Council's decision not to allow her summer born daughter, who has special educational needs and developmental delay, to start school at age 5 in Reception year rather than Year One. Mrs X complains the Council has not followed the correct process and its decision will mean her daughter will miss out on the Reception year. The Ombudsman finds fault with the Council's decision-making process. The Council has agreed to review the decision, apologise to Mrs X, and pay her £100 for her time and trouble pursuing the complaint.
Bury Metropolitan Borough Council (21 000 313)
Statement Upheld School admissions 28-Apr-2021
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X's complaint about an unsuccessful school admission appeal. This is because the Council has now offered Mr X's child a place at his preferred school and so we could not achieve anything more.
Benton Dene Primary School, Newcastle (20 010 553)
Statement Upheld School admissions 21-Apr-2021
Summary: Mrs X complained the admission authority did not properly consider her request for her summer born son to delay starting school into reception until after he reaches compulsory school age. We have found fault with the admission authority's decision-making process. It has agreed to apologise to Mrs X and reconsider her application.