Admission Appeals and Complaints to the Ombudsman
Clients will often seek advice from solicitors on problems relating to schooling where they believe there may be some legal redress. Many such problems will be in areas where the overwhelming majority of solicitors will have no experience or expert knowledge. Admission procedures for state schools are a minefield. A solicitor dabbling in this area does so at his own and his client’s peril. Clients facing an appeal will be very grateful if you recommend School Guidance Consultancy. We have years of experience in dealing successfully with Appeals and Complaints to the Ombudsman and turning what initially looked like no-hopers into winning cases. In order to assist a client successfully with appeals specialist knowledge and experience is required to know what issues are important and what arguments count. Many solicitors have no experience in this area and can put forward counter-productive representations to Panels. ADMISSION APPEALS At any stage in a child’s education, but particularly at the main entry points into state Primary and Secondary schools, parents may find that they are refused entry to their preferred school due to it being oversubscribed. Parents are entitled to go to Appeal and have their case decided by an Independent Appeals Panel. There is a statutory appeals procedure that has to be followed. To advise in this area requires highly specialised knowledge and experience. School Guidance has this necessary knowledge and experience in order to give clients the highest chance of success. The best presented cases are often more successful than the strongest ones. 11+ SELECTION / REVIEW APPEALS In counties where there are grammar schools, parents place enormous importance on getting their children into them. In some counties there is an appeals procedure called either a Selection or Review Appeal where the parents can attempt to persuade an Independent Appeals Panel that there were mitigating circumstances which resulted in their child failing to reach the required standard in the 11+ test. COMPLAINTS TO THE OMBUDSMAN Where parents are dissatisfied with the result of an appeal, it is possible to refer the matter to the Ombudsman. It is necessary to show that some form of maladministration has taken place. School Guidance deals regularly with Complaints to the Ombudsman and understands the arguments that should be used to maximise the parent’s chances of success.
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Penny Bysshe.
School Guidance Consultancy Orchard House, High Road, Cookham, Berkshire SL6 9JT Tel. +44 (0)1628 810696. Email. consult@school-guidance.co.uk |
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