Summary

Complaint from three parents that an appeal panel provided by St Edmund Arrowsmith RC High School, Wigan failed to follow the requirements of the School Admission Appeals Code 2012

The complaint

Complaint from three parents that an appeal panel provided by St Edmund Arrowsmith RC High School, Wigan failed to follow the requirements of the School Admission Appeals Code 2012. It failed to reach a clear decision on whether the school was full or to show clear reasons for its decisions to admit some children and not others. The panel's decision letters were brief and almost identical. They wrongly stated the school's case had been very strong when the clerk's notes showed the panel failed to reach a clear decision.

Finding

The Ombudsman upheld the complaint and found fault causing injustice.

Recommendations

To remedy the injustice caused, we recommend the school offers fresh appeals for all the unsuccessful appeallants, using a new clerk and panel. Although the school does not accept there was fault, it has agreed to offer fresh appeals to the complainants but not for the other unsuccessful appellants.

Ombudsman satisfied with School's response: 10 July 2015

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