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Post-16 Transport to Education and Training: Transport Policy Statement 2026/27 10. Appeal process

If you wish to lodge an appeal against a decision about transport or travel assistance which has been made by Walsall Council, then there is a two-stage process as follows:

Stage one: Review by a senior officer 

A parent/carer/young adult has 20 working days from receipt of the Council’s decision to make a written request to the Council asking for a review of the decision. 

The written request should detail why the parent/carer/young adult believes the Council’s decision should be reviewed and give details of any personal and/or family circumstances which the parent/carer/young adult believes should be considered when the Council’s decision is reviewed. 

Within 20 working days of receipt of the parent’s/carer’s/young adult’s written request for a stage 1 review, a senior officer of the Council (who has not been involved in the case) shall review the original decision and send the parent/carer/young adult a detailed written notification of the outcome of their review, setting out the following details: 

  • the decision which has been made
  • how the review was conducted (including the standard followed e.g., national Road Safety standards and guidance)
  • information about other departments and/or agencies that were consulted as part of the process
  • what factors were considered
  • the rationale for the decision reached
  • information about how the parent/carer/young adult can escalate their case to stage two (if appropriate)

Stage two: Review by an independent appeal panel 

A parent/carer or young adult has 20 working days from their receipt of the Council’s stage one written decision to make a written request to the Council to escalate the matter to stage two. 

Within 40 working days of receipt by the Council of the parents/carers/young adult’s stage 2 written request the Council will convene an independent appeal panel to consider written and verbal representations from both the parents/carers/young adult and officers involved in the case and give a detailed written notification of the outcome, setting out the following details: 

  • the decision which has been made. 
  • how the review was conducted (including the standard followed e.g., National Road Safety guidance and standards). 
  • information about other departments and/or agencies that were consulted as part of the process. 
  • what factors were considered. 
  • the rationale for the decision reached.
  • Information about the parent’s/carer’s/young adult’s right to complain to the Local Government Ombudsman (see below) or where applicable, the Secretary of State. 

The independent appeal panel members will be independent of the process to date and be suitably experienced, to ensure that a balance is achieved between meeting the needs of the parents/carers/young adult concerned and the Council, and that road safety requirements are complied with, and that no student is placed at unnecessary risk. 

Local Government Ombudsman 

Parents/carers/young adults have a right of complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO), but only if there is evidence of a failure by the Council to comply with the applicable procedural rules, or if there are any other irregularities in the way in which their appeal has been handled by the Council. Any complaint to the LGO must normally be made within twelve months, otherwise it will be out of time. The LGO will not normally review the merits of any individual Council decision. The LGO decides whether organisations have followed the right steps to make decisions or take action. The LGO cannot criticise decisions or actions by organisations if they were taken correctly.

Secretary of State for Education

Students of sixth form age or their families can also complain to the Secretary of State for Education using the contact form on the government's education website. Any complaint should outline the case, set out the decision taken by the Council and include any other relevant documentation (such as any advice or decision made by the LGO). 

Judicial review

If the complainant considers the decision of the independent panel to be flawed on public law grounds, the complainant may also apply to the Courts for judicial review.