Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the information provided and process to apply for an out of cohort school admission. There is insignificant injustice to Mrs X and we are unlikely to achieve more than the service improvement proposed.

The complaint

1. Mrs X says the Council failed to provide the correct advice and delayed in offering a school place.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Mrs X which included the Council’s reply to her complaint.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mrs X’s child Y attended primary school in the year below their cohort. Mrs X says she did not realise, and no one had told her, that she needed to apply for a secondary school place whilst Y was in year five rather than wait until they were in year six. She complained to the Council in September 2025.
6. By March 2026, the Council had accepted Mrs X had not been properly informed and there needed to be improvements in the communication about how to handle applications like hers. Y had been offered a place at their preferred school to start in year seven in September 2026 and to remain a year below their cohort. Y has missed no education.
7. Mrs X says she incurred time and trouble in pursing her complaint and getting the situation sorted. She says she needs a full apology.
8. Having to complain is not significant enough injustice to warrant our investigation. The Council in its final reply to Mrs X said: “be assured your family’s casework has delivered lesson learnt on how we can work with schools to improve the process for others and we will be publishing this on the Newham website.” Our investigation is unlikely to achieve more than this service improvement.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because there is insufficient injustice to warrant an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman