Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the School’s admissions and appeals process. This is because the School is no longer a body within our jurisdiction. Therefore, there is no worthwhile outcome achievable through an investigation by the Ombudsman, and we cannot achieve the outcome Miss X wants.

The complaint

1. Miss X complained about an unsuccessful school admissions appeal for her child, Y. Miss X said the appeal panel failed to consider all the factors in her child’s case and said the appeal panel was delayed.
2. Miss X says the matter caused her distress and frustration.
3. Miss X wants the School to review its admissions criteria, review Y’s application, and to improve its timeliness.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

4. 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:

• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants, or
• there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by the complainant.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

7. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the school admissions and appeals process for her child, Y.
8. In summer 2024 the School converted to being an academy. The Ombudsman has no jurisdiction to consider appeals or matters relating to academies. Therefore, the School is no longer a body within our jurisdiction.
9. Consequently, although Miss X applied for a school place and engaged in the appeals process while the School was still within our jurisdiction, we cannot now make any recommendations about the process. Therefore, there is no worthwhile outcome achievable through an investigation by the Ombudsman. This also means we cannot achieve the outcome Miss X wants, and we will not investigate this complaint.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because the School is no longer a body within our jurisdiction. Therefore, there is no worthwhile outcome achievable through an investigation, and we cannot achieve the outcome Miss X wants.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman