Parents with concerns about the content and operation of a school’s complaints procedure can appeal to the Secretary of State. He has powers under Sections 496 and 497 of the Education Act 1996 to intervene in cases where a governing body has acted unlawfully or “unreasonably”, which is defined as conduct which no sensible authority or governing body, acting with due appreciation of its legal responsibilities, would have decided to adopt. Section 496 empowers the Secretary of State, where he is satisfied that a governing body has acted unreasonably with respect to the exercise of a power or the performance of a duty, to give such directions as to the exercise of the power or performance of duty as appear to him expedient.