Comments on: Utter failure by Essex County Council on secondary school places & school transport https://www.residents4u.org/2016/09/12/utter-failure-essex-county-council-secondary-school-places-school-transport/ Love where you live Mon, 26 Sep 2016 21:04:27 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Neil Hargreaves https://www.residents4u.org/2016/09/12/utter-failure-essex-county-council-secondary-school-places-school-transport/#comment-498 Mon, 26 Sep 2016 21:04:27 +0000 http://www.residents4u.org/?p=8555#comment-498 Essex refusal to follow Dept for Education statutory guidance that nearest school means one with available places has been referred to the DfE and the MP

The referral to the Ombudsman is by a parent following Essex refusing on appeal. I understand residents in Chesterford and Debden have has successful appeals to the Ombudsman and compensation paid. Yes there does appear to be a stubbornness which causes distress, work and in the end costs for Essex and all of us

]]> By: Geoff Powers https://www.residents4u.org/2016/09/12/utter-failure-essex-county-council-secondary-school-places-school-transport/#comment-497 Mon, 26 Sep 2016 17:49:43 +0000 http://www.residents4u.org/?p=8555#comment-497 Things have moved on – a little – since I posted above, but I want to thank you, Neil, for your efforts in getting this matter sorted. I cannot believe that so-called senior county councillors can be so pig-headed. It’s nice to know that Mr/Ms Ombudsperson thinks so too!

]]> By: Neil Hargreaves https://www.residents4u.org/2016/09/12/utter-failure-essex-county-council-secondary-school-places-school-transport/#comment-492 Mon, 12 Sep 2016 21:46:10 +0000 http://www.residents4u.org/?p=8555#comment-492 One of the matters is with the Local Government Ombudsman. The ECC policy was done because they thought catchments for academies would expand and they could be paying for more distant schools. They didn’t think that their failure to build schools would result in shrinking catchments. They could easily fix the issue with a minor change to the definition of nearest school

]]> By: Geoff Powers https://www.residents4u.org/2016/09/12/utter-failure-essex-county-council-secondary-school-places-school-transport/#comment-491 Mon, 12 Sep 2016 20:15:57 +0000 http://www.residents4u.org/?p=8555#comment-491 Essex CC are being so intransigent, it seems to me, that nothing short of court action will shift them. Are there not national parents’ organisations that can advise on this situation? Or maybe recourse to the Local Government Association to get their advice on this crazy situation?

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