Leeds City Council (19 015 220)
Category : Education > School admissions
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 21 Dec 2019
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Miss A’s complaint that the Council has declined to offer a place for her daughter at the school of her choice. This is because we cannot achieve the outcome Miss A wants.
The complaint
- The complainant, who I will refer to as Miss A, complains that the Council has declined to offer a place for her daughter at the school of her choice.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word ‘fault’ to refer to these. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint. I refer to this as ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we believe we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I have considered what Miss A has said in support of her complaint.
What I found
- Miss A says that she applied for a school place for her daughter in 2017 at the same school her son attends. The Council refused the application and Miss A’s subsequent appeal.
- Miss A says having two children at different schools has caused significant difficulties for her and her daughter. She did not renew her request for a place at the school and therefore missed out when a place became available. She says she was unaware of the need to renew the request. Miss A believes the situation is untenable and wants the Council to make a place available.
- The Ombudsman will not investigate Miss A’s complaint. We cannot compel the Council to make a school place available. Miss A is entitled to make a new application for a place for the current school year and, if the Council refuses it, she has the right to appeal against the Council’s decision to an independent school admission appeal panel. This is Miss A’s recourse. The Ombudsman will not intervene.
Final decision
- The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint. This is because we cannot achieve the outcome Miss A wants.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman