Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Miss A’s complaint that her son’s school has delayed responding to her appeals against decisions to exclude her son. The law says the Ombudsman cannot investigate what happens in schools.

The complaint

1. The complainant, who I will refer to as Miss A, complains that her son’s school has delayed responding to her appeals against decisions to exclude her son.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We cannot investigate complaints about what happens in schools. (Local Government Act 1974, Schedule 5, paragraph 5(b), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I have considered what Miss A has said in support of her complaint.

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What I found

4. Miss A sys her son has been excluded from his school on a number of occasions. She wishes to appeal against the exclusions and complains that governors have not responded to her appeals within the timescale set out on the school’s website.
5. The Ombudsman cannot investigate Miss A’s complaint. The law prevents us from investigating the actions of schools relating to discipline and sanctions. This includes fixed-term exclusions. The Ombudsman can consider the actions of a Council when a child is permanently excluded, but a school’s actions fall outside our jurisdiction.

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Final decision

6. The Ombudsman cannot consider Miss A’s complaint because it concerns the actions of a school.

Investigator’s final decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman