Speeches

Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many appeals were heard by the Education Funding Agency and Local Government Ombudsman in relation to admissions decisions made by (a) academies, (b) academies which were previously maintained schools and (c) free schools in each year since 2009-10; how many such appeals were upheld; which schools were subject to those appeals; and what proportion of academies and free schools those schools represent.

Edward Timpson

Parents have the right to complain to an admission authority regarding its decision to refuse admission of a child. The admission authority must establish an independent appeals panel to hear the complaint. On behalf of the Secretary of State, the Education Funding Agency (EFA) will investigate complaints about the appeals process operated by independent appeal panels for academies and free schools.

The table below provides information on admission appeals complaints assessed as being in scope for investigation by EFA since April 2012, when it was established. EFA has no record of admission appeal complaints in the last four financial years from any Civil Society Organisations.

The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) handles the appeals process operated in respect of maintained schools. The Department does not hold information on the number of admission appeals complaints heard by the LGO. The LGO should hold this information.

Financial year 2012-13

Financial year 2013-14

Financial year 2014-15

2015-16 Current financial year to date

PQ25402 (A) Total number of admission appeal complaints about academies investigated by EFA

127

163

144

203

PQ25402 (B) Total number of admission appeal complaints about academies which were previously maintained schools investigated by EFA

115

150

130

193

PQ25402 (C) Total number of admission appeal complaints about free schools investigated by EFA

Not recorded centrally for this financial year

4

8

4

Total number of admission appeal complaints fully upheld by EFA

15

13

26

15

Name of schools where EFA has investigated an admission appeal complaint subject to appeals

See attachment

See attachment

See attachment

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Total appeals complaints investigated, as a proportion of open academies and free schools

5% (of 2,796)

4% (of 3,874)

3% (of 4,881)

4% (of 5,447)