Disagreements, Complaints and Appeals

Whilst every attempt is made by everyone involved with a child’s education, to ensure that it is appropriate and meets the individual child’s needs, it is recognised that there may be occasions when, as a parent or carer of a child, you feel things are not going right.

This can be to do with the child, or the way you feel your concerns have been responded to.

Whatever your concern is, it is important that attempts to resolve it quickly should be made.

Small concerns can sometimes escalate into difficulties that can become more difficult to resolve or reach agreement over.

Complaints about the Borough Council or Schools

Oldham Council and the majority of schools have agreed set procedures for dealing with complaints.

If a complaint involves a school, an attempt should first be made to resolve it locally through agreed procedures.

Information and details about complaints procedures can be obtained from -

Complaints & Representations Officer,
Oldham Children, Young People and Families Directorate,
Level 8,  Civic Centre,
P.O. Box 40, West Street,
Odham, OL1 1XJ.

Telephone  0161 770 1129

School Governors

School Governors have legal responsibilities and are required to respond to complaints made to them. Complaints regarding a School Governing Body are matters that should be referred to the Secretary of State for Education.

Disagreements concerning the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs Provision

In every case, on request, Oldham Parent Partnership Service will seek, with the agreement and involvement of all the parties involved, to mediate a resolution, partial resolution or will clarify the reasons for disagreements arising.

There are also informal and formal ways of resolving difficulties or disagreements available to parents.

Disagreement Resolution

This is where with the agreement of all parties involved, an independent facilitator can arrange to seek to obtain a mediated resolution or partial resolution to a disagreement.

Further information is available on the Disagreement Resolution page.

Local Authority decisions relating to Statutory Assessment or Statements of Special Educational Needs

Where the local authority has made a decision not to carry out a statutory assessment, issue a statement of special educational needs, or for other specific reasons, parents have a legal right to register an appeal against such decisions with the Special Educational Needs Disability Tribunal (SENDIST).

Such decisions should always be made having explored and exhausted all other options in order to  resolve differences.

Oldham Parent Partnership Service can give confidential one-to-one advice about options and choices available to parents and can also offer support.

Further information is available on the SENDIST page.

Disability Discrimination

Local Authorities and Schools are required to promote disability equality in schools.Not only are schools responsible for meeting the needs of those with Special or Additional needs,  Local Authorities, Head teachers and School Governors have specific legal duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA)  to demonstrate and publish implementation of disability equality schemes for ·Employees (part 2 DDA) ·Other users of the school (part 3 DDA) ·Pupils (part 4 DDA) The requirements set out under the Disability Equality Duty were introduced in 2005 and require promotion of equality of opportunity between disabled and other prople, encouragement of  participation, develoment of positive attitudes and elimination of harassment and unlawful discrimination  in relation to any form of disability which includes the majority of Special Educational Needs. This is through If you wish you can contact Oldham Parent Partnership Service for further information.

Pupils or prospective pupils of the School (Part4)

Under this specific Section, schools discriminate if:

These relate to:

Further advice and information can be obtained from Oldham Parent Partnership Service or from: