There were flaws in the way an independent appeal panel of the London Oratory School, Fulham acted, says Local Government Ombudsman, Dr Jane Martin.

In her report issued today the Ombudsman recommends the School to hold a new appeal hearing with a new panel.

The Ombudsman’s investigation found that the panel had failed to consider the appeal on its merits and the parents’ reasons for wanting their son to attend the school. Instead, the panel based its decision on the fact that the couple’s son did not meet the faith criterion.

The parents appealed against the refusal of a place for their son at the School. The appeal was unsuccessful and they complained to the Ombudsman about the way that the panel dealt with their appeal.

The Ombudsman found fault because:

• the complainants had not received a copy of the School’s case before the hearing
• the panel failed to consider two issues separately as the Code requires –¬ the parents’ reasons for wanting a place at the School and whether the admission criteria were properly applied
• the name of the panel members were not provided to the parents three days before the hearing (as the Code requires), and
• the School failed to respond to at least one of the couple’s requests for information.

The Ombudsman says: “A school must provide parents with its case for opposing the appeal, in order to satisfy the Code. The parents do not have to ask for it.”

The Ombudsman finds maladministration causing injustice and recommends the School to:

• hold a new appeal hearing with a new panel, and
• revise the training provided to panel members to prevent the same errors occurring in the future.

Report ref  no 11 003 563

Article date: 23 March 2012