Complaints
- Most schools take complaints very seriously and these are best resolved by an informal approach. However, occasionally parents are unable to resolve issues and need to resort to the school complaint procedure.You should make sure you have a copy of this - you are entitled to one on request - before following up a complaint past the informal stage. Always put any complaint in writing so that you have a record of the issues.
- I am happy to advise parents on procedures and support them through the process of achieving satisfactory resolution of problems. However, you need to be warned there may be no satisfactory solution.
- The Local Government Ombudsman is now able to consider complaints about internal school issues, where parents have followed the school complaints procedure. Before going down this route, you need to be aware that the procedure can take several months and you should give consideration as to what redress you would wish to seek at the end of the process. Further details here. Please note that the Ombudsman is unable to consider any complaints about Academies which should be referred directly to the Department for Education.
- For some Foundation and Aided schools, where complaint to the Governing Body is the final stage before the Ombudsman, it is particularly difficult to secure redress.