LEA and head of education refusing to meet

[dazed]

Long story short: I have full PR for my son. When my son was 10, the school suddenly stopped providing me with educational records or copies of work, while continuing to provide the same to his mother.
They were coming up with weird stuff like talking about his "Gillick competency" which seems irrelevant in this situation.
They also mentioned advice from the ICO, but when I called the ICO to tell them what the school had told me, they said it doesn't sound like something they would advise on.
The school and LEA then refused to expand any more, provide any SAR response, the portfolio holder for education vanished off the face of the planet.
Now there's a new head of education, I thought I'd request a meeting - I was met with the following response, most of which is not correct.
Do I not have a right to request such a meeting in any case, whether THEY like it or not?

Following you[sic] request to meet I have carried out internal conversations with my team and my understanding is the issues you have raised have been previously resolved and there is no need for us to meet to discuss further.

In terms of your first point regarding XXXX school withholding information to which you have a right, and you receiving no explanation is not correct. Following internal discussions and a review of the relevant paperwork I can confirm the correct processes were followed and the School and Information Compliance Team made the decision based on the advice from the ICO, the Mothers consent and the child’s wish to confirm his position in relation to the SAR. This decision and explanation was presented to you at the time.

The second matter regarding a name change at XXXX High School has been resolved by the school and therefore there is no further action for the School Service.

Kind regards, XXXX

[Scot22]

Go higher. Involve your M.P. I was a head teacher and would never have excluded one parent in this manner. Good luck.

[dazed]

Go higher. Involve your M.P. I was a head teacher and would never have excluded one parent in this manner. Good luck.

I've tried that- I had written to the portfolio holder for education, who did nothing, then told me incorrect information, then delayed.
The MS (this is Wales) had got involved and intervened, forcing the portfolio holder to reply to me, who then lied to me about what had been done.
He then stopped responding to me when I emailed for clarification.
I then filed a complaint with the public ombudsman; while sympathetic, they couldn't do anything because I couldn't prove he deliberately lied, delayed etc.

He was then resoundingly sacked as Tory councillor by quit a substantial margin in the recent local elections, and suddenly the MS (also a Conservative) seems extremely salty about it when I emailed again, specifically pointing out that that the council had refused requests for a meeting, and therefore missing the point with his reply below. Note also that I never asked him to take on casework of a legal nature, merely to assist/intervene on my behalf with two matters he should assist with, mainly the LEA and CAFCASS Cymru. It's like this pretty much every day for me at the moment... 3 years to the day since this a;; started.

"I reiterate that there is nothing to stop you from writing to the council yourself to request meetings. Unfortunately, as I have said previously, I have reached the end of the road with how I can help you and my office has been clear that we are not able to take on casework of a legal nature. I appreciate that that solicitors can be expensive and so I suggest you take some advice from citizens advice and/or the organisations which I have previously provided you with the details of.

I repeat again that there’s no further support that my office or I can provide.

[Scot22]

Have you asked for a meeting with schools chair of governors ?

[dazed]

Tried thar right at the start. The secretary said it would "not be appropriate" for the govenrers to respond because...

"a governing body has strategic responsibility for the school and the headteacher has responsibility for day-to-day management, organisation and control of the school, School Governors' guide to the law | GOV.WALES. It is not part of the governing body’s remit to conduct an investigation into the questions that you are seeking answers to or to meet with the LA."

All I can tell you is that responses take a very very long time I'm and I know from a subject access request that all my correspondence was being forwarded to the local education authority's head of legal, before legally approved responses were sent to me.

They are really REALLY prepared to spend a lot of time and money to block any sort of answer.

[Scot22]

Don't like to suggest this, but......... You can complain to Ofsted.
Not sure what would happen but it would go on the school file.
Have they given any reason for their actions ? Curious that they claim this was the child's wish.
It is in the child's best interests to have good communication between the significant adults in his/her life. Do you have regular contact ? This, in my view, is much more important than paperwork.

[Scot22]

Have you made any progress ?

[dazed]

OFSTED can't do anything because... https://www.gov.uk/government/organi...ints-procedure

Ofsted cannot:

• consider issues about individual pupils
• investigate specific incidents
• judge how well a school responded to a complaint
• mediate or resolve disputes between you and the school

However, I did leave a phone message for ESTYN 2 days ago. No reply yet... https://www.estyn.gov.wales/ - will update if any progress...

[Scot22]

Thanks. It should be stored on school folder.
Media might be able to help. They do anonymous articles to protect privacy. More knowledgeable people might advice whether or not you could seek something like an injunction to compel disclosure.
Can you perhaps get a free initial consultation with a solicitor.

[Scot22]

Can you conceive of any cause for this apparently uninformed and callous action ? If they make accusations then you can defend your position.

[dazed]

No. Or, possibly yes, but they won't tell me, and that's the frustration.

[Scot22]

I can't fully understand your frustration. However, as someone who cares about home school relationships I am really angry. Have you looked at Times Educational Supplement. They used to have a legal experts article. It's well respected and may have a question page. I'll have a look and it may be worth trying to find an education forum.

[Scot22]

ChildLawadvice. Sorry not technical enough to provide link.
Looks promising.

[dazed]

Thank you - unfortunately, I'm in Wales:
"We provide specialist advice and information on child, family and education law to parents, carers and young people in England."

There's more information in two other related threads I started:
https://legalbeagles.info/forums/for...y-o-son-s-work

At the same time, the local GP said I could no longer discuss my son's welfare:
https://legalbeagles.info/forums/for...d-refusing-exp

The local council themselves were problematic too - you were also involved in this thread:
https://legalbeagles.info/forums/for...his-even-legal

I even thought about private prosecution, but no-one on any forum ever replied, so I gave that idea up:
https://legalbeagles.info/forums/for...tion-authority

As a reminder, I've got full PR, my son is (still) under 12, and I've never been convicted of anything to do with child harm, drugs, alcohol, abuse or domestic violence.

[Scot22]

Have you tried a subject access request. You are legally entitled to know within a month what personal information they hold on you .I
Are you entitled to contact with your child ?