Complaints procedure

If you have a Concern or Complaint:

We would like you to tell us about it. We welcome suggestions for improving our work in the school. Be assured that no matter what you want to tell us, our support and respect for you and your child in the school will not be affected in any way. Please tell us of your concern as soon as possible. It is difficult for us to investigate properly an incident or problem, which has happened some time ago.

What to do first:

Most concerns and complaints can be sorted out quickly by speaking with your child's class teacher. Any teacher or the school office can help you find the right member of staff.

If you have a complaint, which you feel should be, looked at by the Head teacher in the first instance you can contact her straightaway if you prefer. It is usually best to discuss the problem face to face. You may need an appointment to do this, and can make one by ringing or calling in to the school office. You can take a friend or relation to the appointment with you if you would like to.

All staff will make every effort to resolve your problem informally. They will make sure that they have an understanding of what you feel is the problem, and they will explain their own actions to you. They will ask what you would like the school to do to put things right. Of course, this does not mean that in every case they will come round to your point of view but it will help both you and the school to understand both sides of the question. It may also help to prevent a similar problem arising again.

What to do next:

If you are dissatisfied with the teacher's response (or with the Head teacher's initial reaction if she has already been involved) you can make a complaint to the Head teacher. This should be made in writing. Help with this is available from the school office or Local Authority.

You may also find it helpful at this stage to have a copy of the full School Complaints Procedure as this explains in detail what procedures are followed. This is available from the school office or website.

The Head teacher will ask to meet you for a discussion of the problem. Again you may take a friend or someone else with you if you wish. The Head teacher will conduct a full investigation of the complaint and may interview any members of staff or pupils involved. You will receive a response to your complaint, verbal or written.

If your complaint is about an action of the Head teacher personally, then you should refer it to the Chair of Governors, Mr Cyril Holland via the school office. This should be made in writing.

If you are still unhappy:

The problem will normally be solved by this stage. However, if you are still not satisfied you may wish to contact the Chair of the governing body to ask for referral or your complaint to a Governors' Complaints Panel. It will then be heard by a group of three governors who have no previous knowledge of the problem and so will be able to give it a fresh assessment. You will be invited to attend and speak to the panel at a meeting, which the Head teacher will also attend. The School Complaints Procedure statement explains how these meetings operate.

Further action:

Complaints about school problems are almost always settled within schools but in exceptional cases it may be possible to refer the problem to an outside body such as the Local Authority or the Secretary of State for Education and Employment. Again there is more information on this in the School Complaints Procedure.

Lynsey Ankers

Headteacher