Sumamry

Complaint from a woman that the council refused to give her son a place at her preferred school. She says an Education Admissions Appeals Panel failed to properly consider her appeal against the council's decision to refuse her son a place

The complaint

Complaint from a woman that the council refused to give her son a place at her preferred school. She says an Education Admissions Appeals Panel failed to properly consider her appeal against the council's decision to refuse her son a place. Specifically she says the panel failed to take account of why she didn't send an application for a place on time and it didn't appreciate why she wants her son to go to this particular school.

Finding

The Ombudsman upheld the complaint and found fault causing injustice.

Recommendations

To remedy the injustice caused, we recommend the council:

• review and amend all template letters, the decision record form and guides used for infant class size appeals
• remind clerks to appeal panels that they must record how a panel made its decision and how it voted
• review procedures so all information presented at a hearing is sent to appellants beforehand
• ensure it gives more information in support of any claim of prejudice, and
• apologise to the woman for the fault found.

The council has confirmed it has offered the child a place from the waiting list at the school. It had already agreed to a fresh appeal and to review materials used for infant class size appeals.

Ombudsman satisfied with the council's response: 2 July 2015

Print this page