Complaints about schools

A guide for parents and carers

What do we mean by “complaint?” 

If your child has a problem at school you should be able to sort it out through an informal discussion with your child’s teacher. If you can’t resolve a problem informally the school should have a formal complaints procedure that you can follow. Generally a school complaint is any communication made by a person with a legitimate interest in the school, a parent for example, which expresses dissatisfaction about the standard of teaching, or about the conduct of members of staff employed at the school. The feedback received from complaints helps schools as they strive to improve services.

Do all schools use the same complaints procedure? 

No. For example, voluntary aided Church schools may choose to follow the Diocesan Board's procedures rather than the Local Authority's guidance. Ask at your child's school for a copy of their complaints procedure so you know what steps to take to progress your complaint. By law, all schools must have a complaints procedure and make it available. 

Who do I complain to? 

The school itself. In the case of schools that have adopted the guidance of the Local Authority (LA), there are three main steps in making a complaint.

Stage 1 (informal) 

You should contact the school first and tell a teacher or the headteacher about your complaint. The majority of school-related concerns and complaints are dealt with successfully in this way. Few people want a long drawn out process, so the aim is to ensure that complaints are addressed promptly and resolved informally wherever possible. It may help to make an appointment with the headteacher to discuss your concerns at this stage.

Stage 2 

Where it is not possible to resolve the matter informally, or if your complaint is specifically about the headteacher, the next step is to write to the chair of governors, who may be contacted via the school. The chair of governors will either: 

• Investigate your complaint
• Ask the Local Authority to investigate your complaint                   

At the end of the investigation, you may be invited to a meeting to get feedback or you will receive a full written response by post. 

Stage 3 

If you are still unhappy after this investigation, an independent panel of governors will convene a complaints committee to hear your case at a mutually convenient time and place.

Timescales 

Stage 1 

The school will reply to your complaint within 15 school days

Stage 2 

You should receive a reply within 15 school days

Stage 3 

You should receive a reply within 20 school days

There is a longer time limit at stage 3 because your complaint may be complicated and take longer to investigate. If more time is needed you will be notified. 

Why are complaints referred to governors rather than the Local Authority? 

Under the Local Management of Schools legislation, headteachers are directly accountable to the governing body of the school, and not to the Local Authority. Complaints and concerns must therefore be dealt with by the governors of a schools, with guidance and advice from the LA where the request it.

Are there any exceptions to these complaints procedures? 

Some complaints about educational issues are dealt with in a slightly different way. There are special arrangements in law if you want to appeal about the following: 

• Admissions to school
• Exclusions from school
• School reorganization proposals
• Special education provision
• Religious education and collective worship
• Curriculum issues                   

Set procedures must be followed for each of the above. If your complaint relates to any of the above areas please contact the children's services department on 020 8753 3621 or email 
ci@lbhf.gov.uk 

What if I remain dissatisfied after the governors' complaint committee hearing? 

Stage 3 is the last school-based stage of the complaints process, however if you remain dissatisfied there is one further possible course of action: 

• Complainants have a lawful right of appeal to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families that the LA has acted unreasonably. In such cases, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) will examine the complaint against the LA and adjudicate. The DCSF has the power to require the LA to take certain actions (including the issuing of instructions to school governing bodies in appropriate circumstances).                   

For further information and advice please contact the schools' information section of the children's services department on tel: 020 8753 3668 or email ci@lbhf.gov.uk