Making a complaint to your child's school
If your child has a problem at school you should be able to sort it out informally by talking to your child's teacher. If you can't resolve a problem through an informal discussion, your child's school should have a formal complaints procedure that you should follow.
Contacting your child's school
If you're worried about your child's learning or welfare in school, your child's class teacher or head of year is the best person to talk to first. Teachers will usually be in the classroom during the day, but you can leave messages with the school office and the teacher should get back to you.
If the teacher can't help with your concern, or you are not satisfied with their response, you can talk to the headteacher. You should be able to arrange a meeting or a telephone conversation with the headteacher through the school office. Failing this, you may wish to make a written complaint to the headteacher.
Complaining to the governing body
If the teacher can't help with your concern, or you are not satisfied with their response, you can talk to the headteacher. You should be able to arrange a meeting or a telephone conversation with the headteacher through the school office. Failing this, you may wish to make a written complaint to the headteacher.
If your complaint is not resolved, the next stage is to approach the governing body of your child's school. All maintained schools are required to have a procedure to deal with any complaints relating to the school or any community facilities or services that the school provides.
You should ask what your child's school's procedure is and whether you can have a copy of it. The governing body may need to have a special governors' complaints panel to discuss your complaint. All complaints to the governing body must be in writing.
Complaining to your local authority
You should ask what your child's school's procedure is and whether you can have a copy of it. The governing body may need to have a special governors' complaints panel to discuss your complaint. All complaints to the governing body must be in writing.
If your complaint cannot be dealt with at your school, or you are not satisfied with the way the school is dealing with it, your next step may be to contact your local authority.
All local authorities are required to have a complaints procedure. For more information visit the Cheshire LEA Website (external link)
Complaining to the Secretary of State
Finally, if you believe that your school's governing body or
your local authority is acting "unreasonably"
, you can
complain to the Secretary of State in the Department for Education and Skills
(external link).
This should be a last resort and you should highlight steps you have already taken to resolve the problem in your letter. You should note that usually the Department for Education and Skills will be unable to investigate if your child no longer attends the school where the incident took place.
You can make a complaint in writing, by fax, by e-mail, by telephone or in person.
If you are writing, faxing or e-mailing your complaint, please provide your telephone number if a response by telephone would be convenient. If you are e-mailing, please state if a reply by e-mail is required and, if not, please provide a full postal address
If you know the part of the Department which is relevant to your complaint, or the name or title of an appropriate member of staff, please make your complaint direct to them.
If you do not have this information please contact the
Departments Public Communications Unit who will give you the
contact details for the most appropriate person.
The Unit can be reached at:
Department for Education and Skills
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
Tel. 0870 000 2288
Textphone/Minicom 01928 79 4274
Fax. 01928 79 4248
Email : Complaints.PEU@dfes.gsi.gov.uk.
Print this page | Page Last Updated: 23 July 2007 09:35