We are proud of the care and education we provide our children and we hope parents are satisfied with every aspect of our school. Should you have a concern, however small, we want to work with you to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.
Complaints Policy
You can request a copy of at the school office
Meanwood Primary School Complaints Procedure
This complaints procedure summarises the stages of the Complaints Policy.
Stage One (informal): Complaint Heard by Staff Member
In the first instance, please approach the person who is most likely to be able to address your concern; usually this will be your child’s class teacher. Alternatively you can speak to Mrs Parker, Assistant Head, regarding children in the Infants Building, and Mrs Fletcher, Deputy Head, regarding children in any year group. If your first contact is with the headteacher, she may refer you back to another member of staff who is better able to try to provide an immediate resolution to your concern. The member of staff you speak to will listen to your concern and if they are unable to respond immediately, will get back to you as soon as possible, usually on the same day. The majority of concerns can be resolved informally in this way through discussion.
Stage Two (formal): Complaint Heard by Headteacher
If you have already raised your concern with another member of staff and it has not been resolved, the next step is to contact the headteacher to make a formal complaint. You can do this in person, on the phone, by email, letter or by using the school’s “Complaints Form.” The headteacher will acknowledge receipt of your complaint and may contact you to gather further information. The headteacher will investigate your complaint, or instruct another senior member of staff to investigate, then will contact you again within 5 working days to offer a response. If for any reason, more time is required to fully investigate your complaint, the headteacher will notify you of the reasons for the delay and give you a new timescale for a response. The headteacher will write to you to confirm the outcome of your complaint and this letter will also tell you how you can proceed if you are still dissatisfied.
Stage Three (formal): Complaint Heard by the Chair of Governors
If you are dissatisfied with the headteacher’s written response to your complaint, or your complaint is about the headteacher, then you should write to the Chair of Governors to request that your complaint is considered further. Letters for the chair of governors can be posted to or handed to the school office, who will forward them to the chair of governors. The chair of governors will investigate your complaint and will respond to you in writing within 10 working days of receiving your letter. If for any reason, more time is required to fully investigate your complaint, the chair of governors will notify you of the reasons for the delay and give you a new timescale for a response. The letter from the Chair of Governors will include details of how you can escalate your complaint if you are still dissatisfied.
Stage Four (formal): Complaint Heard by Governing Body’s Complaints Committee
The complainant needs to write to the Chair of Governors giving details of the complaint. The Chair, or a nominated governor, will then convene a Governing Body Complaints Committee panel. The governors’ hearing is the last school-based stage of the complaints process, and is not convened to merely rubber-stamp previous decisions.
The Remit of The Complaints Committee Panel:
The panel can:
- dismiss the complaint in whole or in part;
- uphold the complaint in whole or in part;
- decide on the appropriate action to be taken to resolve the complaint;
- recommend changes to the school’s systems or procedures to ensure that problems of a similar nature do not recur.
Notification of the Panel’s Decision
The Chair of the Panel will ensure that the complainant is notified of the panel’s decision, in writing (including reasons for decision); within ten working days of the panel hearing.
The letter will explain if there are any further rights of appeal and, if so, to whom they need to be addressed.
The final stage of ‘appeal’ is to the Secretary of State for Education.
Complainants should write to The School Complaints Unit (SCU) at:
Department for Education 2nd Floor, Piccadilly Gate ,Manchester M1 2WD
What will the Department for Education do?
If a complaint has exhausted the local procedures, SCU will examine if the complaints policy and any other relevant policies were followed in accordance with the provisions set out. SCU also examines policies to determine if they adhere to education legislation. However, the department will not re-investigate the substance of the complaint. This remains the responsibility of schools.
If legislative or policy breaches are found, SCU will report them to the school and the complainant and, where necessary, require remedial action to be taken. Failure to carry out remedial actions could ultimately result in a formal Direction being issued by the Secretary of State.
