Complaints
GOVERNOR’S POLICY STATEMENT ON COMPLAINTS
Introduction
The Education Act 2002 requires Governing Bodies of all maintained schools to have a procedure in place to deal with complaints relating to the school and to any community facilities or services that the school provides. The law also requires the procedure to be published.
Scope of the Policy
Norwood Primary School recognises the difference between a concern and a complaint. Our policy is always to take a concern seriously and to satisfy the person who has raised it so that the concern does not become a complaint. If a person raising a concern is not satisfied and wishes to take the matter further the formal complaints procedure will be followed.
A person making a complaint may be a parent, a pupil, a member of staff or a member of the general public.
This procedure does not override the Local Authority’s procedures relating to curriculum and collective worship complaints. Staff grievances and disciplinary matters follow separate procedures.
Principles behind the Policy
Norwood Primary School values good home/school relations and will do everything we can to establish and maintain them. This includes seeking to resolve complaints as soon as possible and to the satisfaction of all concerned. We will treat all concerns and complaints seriously and courteously and will advise parents and others of the school’s procedures for dealing with concerns.
All school staff, teaching and non-teaching; and members of the Governing Body, will receive a copy of this policy statement and will be familiar with the school’s procedures for dealing with parental concerns and complaints, to which they will have access as required.
Investigations should be full, fair and swift. Everyone involved in the complaint will be kept informed of progress and the decisions reached. Every effort will be made to respect confidentiality. This policy is published on the school’s website.
The Head Teacher will report termly to the Governing Body on the complaints dealt with so that the overall level, nature and outcome of complaints can be reviewed and any necessary changes implemented.
The Procedure
- Stage 1 (informal): complaint heard by staff member (though not the subject of the complaint)
- Stage 2 (formal): complaint heard by Head Teacher or Chair of Governors if it is about the Head Taecher
- Stage 3 (formal): complaint heard by the Governing Body’s Complaints Committee
- Stage 4 (formal): further recourse, i.e. to the School Complaints Unit (DfE)