Introduction

If you have a complaint or concern about any aspect of school life we would like you to tell us about it. We are committed to building and maintaining good relations with parents, carers and the community. We encourage pupils, parents and others to express their views on what goes on in school, so that staff receive early warning of potential difficulties, and problems can be prevented from arising. However we recognise that sometimes things can go wrong. When that happens we aim to resolve the concern as quickly as possible. This will usually be done informally through either the class teacher, the Headteacher or some other designated person. We strongly encourage parents and others to discuss concerns informally at the earliest opportunity and this must always be the first step.

Where a complaint or concern cannot be resolved in this way the school has a General Complaints Procedure that fulfils the requirements of the 2002 Education Act. This leaflet provides an outline of that procedure. Should you need to use the procedure fuller details can be provided. The procedure is intended to ensure complete fairness and openness where such complaints arise.

Scope Of The Procedure

This procedure is intended to cover general complaints. It does not cover the following issues, for which there are specific statutory regulations and Local Education Authority mechanisms:

• The LEA's decisions on special educational needs (SEN) Assessments and school placements

• School admissions and transfers

• Exclusions

• Employment

More specific procedures apply also to other areas such as:

• Staff disciplinary issues

• Financial impropriety or other criminal activity

• Alleged child abuse

How The Procedure Works

The procedure provides for a series of stages. Each one should be gone through before the next one is used. There is a preliminary informal stage and most complaints can normally be dealt with in this way. This leaflet then describes a progressively more formal three stage process to address unresolved concerns.

The Preliminary Stage - An Informal Approach

For most concerns the best place to start is with your child's class teacher. It is also possible to approach the Headteacher or Deputy Headteacher on an informal basis particularly where the concern is about a matter of general school policy or procedure. If you are not able to resolve your concerns by this method you can then consider moving to the formal stages.

The Formal Stages

Stage 1 - The Headteacher

Write to the Headteacher giving details of your concern and enclose any relevant paperwork. You will receive an acknowledgment of this within 5 working days from either the Headteacher or designated member of staff. In simple cases you will receive a full response in that time. Where in-depth investigation is necessary you will be informed and a full response will normally be forthcoming within 20 working days.

If the complaint results in any meeting with the Headteacher you will receive a letter summarising the outcome of that meeting.

If the complaint is still not resolved you will be referred on to the next stage.

Note: If the concern or complaint is especially about the Headteacher you may be advised to move directly to Stage 2.

Stage 2 - The Chair Of Governors

Write to the Chair of Governors at his address which can be obtained from the school and copy it to the Clerk to the Governing Body c/o the school. You should set out your complaint with any relevant paperwork explaining the reasons why you still wish to pursue the complaint. You will receive a response within 5 of his/her working days (these may not be the same as the schools). Where a complaint requires detailed investigation you will normally receive a full response within 20 of his/her working days.

For matters that are the headteacher's responsibility, the Chair of Governors is only empowered to look at whether the headteacher's decision was reasonable in the light of the information available at the time.

In the rare case where a complaint still cannot be resolved it is possible to move to a third stage.

Stage 3 - Governing Body Complaints Panel

Should you need to use this panel you will be given full information as to how to proceed.

Members of the panel will be governors who have not before been involved with the case. It is, therefore, very important that you do not make your complaint to individual governors or write to all the governing body at an earlier stage.

Conclusion

This is as far the school's general complaints procedure goes, unless the matter relates to the National Curriculum, or provision of collective worship or religious education. In this case you can ask the school for further details or contact the Local Education Authority.

Once again may we emphasise that most complaints and concerns can be dealt with informally. This is best done as soon as a concern arises.