Concerns and complaints about schools

As a parent you may at some time have concerns about some aspect of your child's schooling. Most concerns and complaints can be sorted out quickly by speaking to your child's class teacher (in primary school) or your child's form tutor or head of year (in secondary school). If you have a concern and you are not sure who to talk to ask at the school office and they will be able to direct you and help you find a convenient time to talk to someone. Sometimes you may have a complaint which you feel is best dealt with by the headteacher.

You can in these circumstances contact the headteacher straight away. It is usually best to discuss the problem face to face and you will probably need an appointment to do this. You can make an appointment by ringing or calling in at the school office. You can usually take a friend or a relation to the appointment with you. If it will make you feel more comfortable, tell the school, when you book the appointment, that you would like to bring someone with you.

All staff will make every effort to resolve your problem informally. They will make sure that they understand what you feel went wrong and make very effort to explain their actions to you. They will ask you what you would like the school to do to put things right. Of course, this does not mean that in every case they will agree with your point of view. Sometimes schools are constrained by the law in what they can and cannot do. Whatever the outcome, it will help both you and the school understand both sides of the problem and may also prevent a similar problem happening again.

What to do next - for general school complaints?

If you are still dissatisfied with the teacher's response (or with the headteacher's initial response if you have already raised it with them informally) you can make a complaint to the headteacher and this should be done in writing. If your complaint is about an action of the headteacher personally, then you should write to the Chair of the Governing Body and address your letter to the school. Mark your envelope "private and confidential".

What to do next - for complaints about the school curriculum?

They cover complaints about matters such as:

whether the school curriculum meets the requirements of the Education Reform Act, 1988
the way in which the National Curriculum is being introduced and carried out
whether the syllabus for an external examination course and the qualification to which it leads are approved
the teaching of religious education and the act of collective worship
the temporary withdrawal of pupils from all or part of the National Curriculum
charging policies for certain school activities
the provision of information about the curriculum
whether or not a school complies with its legal duties connected with the National Curriculum

All formal complaints on these matters should be in writing.

Complaints should be sent to the Clerk to the Governors of the school if it is about religious education or collective worship in a voluntary school. The contact details of the Clerk to the Governors can be obtained from the school. All other curriculum complaints should be sent to:

Strategic Director of Children's Services
Unity House
Chorley Road
Swinton
M27 5AW

Formal investigation by the school

The headteacher (or Chair of the Governing Body, if the complaint is about the headteacher) will ask to meet you for a discussion of the problem. Again you will be able to take a relative or friend with you if you wish. The headteacher (or Chair of the Governing Body, if the complaint is about the headteacher) will conduct a full investigation of the complaint and may interview any members of staff and pupils involved. You will receive a written response to your complaint.

If you are still unhappy

Your problem will normally be solved by this stage but if you are still not satisfied you may wish to contact the Chair of the Governing Body. You should do this in writing and ask for your complaint to be referred to a Governors' Complaints Panel. Your complaint will be heard by a group of three governors who have no previous knowledge of the problem so will be able to give it a fresh assessment. You will be invited to attend to speak to the panel at a meeting that the headteacher will also attend.

Further action

Complaints about school problems are almost always settled within the school but in exceptional cases it may be possible to refer the problem firstly to the Local Authority or the Secretary of State for Education and Skills.

Complaints to Salford Local Authority should be sent in writing to:

Strategic Director of Children's Services
Unity House
Chorley Road
Swinton
M27 5AW

Get more details from your school

All schools should have a complaints policy that will tell how they will deal with concerns and complaints that you may raise at your particular school. Ask to see a copy at your school. It will tell you the best way to raise any concerns and complaints so that you can have them dealt with quickly and effectively.