Decision Report 201302087

Summary

Mr and Ms C complained because the council decided to transfer their child to a composite school class (a class in which there are pupils from two or more year groups). Mr and Ms C said that this was done without any proper prior notice or discussion. They also said they learned this three days before the end of term and suspected that this was intentional. Mr and Ms C also complained that their child was being discriminated against in terms of age and questioned whether the council had followed their stated policy.

When investigating the complaint, we took into account all the relevant information, including the complaints correspondence, phone notes, emails and the policy concerned. We did not uphold the complaint, as our investigation found that the council had taken action under the policy to inform parents (through newsletters and the parent council) about what was happening. Council documents also showed that it had not been possible to tell Mr and Ms C earlier, as the school did not know its final roll until near the end of term, and further changes to the roll could have led to further restructuring. Although Mr and Ms C also believed that their complaint had not been handled correctly, the evidence showed that they had been advised of a delay and the reasons for it, and that they had said they were happy with this.