Working with your school to solve problems
Good communication is vital for building a partnership between home and school and it also builds understanding and co-operation between parents, staff and governors. However, if you are unhappy about a situation at your child’s school you must direct this contact directly to your child’s school.
If you want to make a complaint about your child’s school or academy, these must go through the school or academy complaints procedure as set out in Section 29, Part 1 of the Education Act 2002. The complaints procedure can be found on a school or academy's website, or you can ask to see a copy.
We cannot investigate school matters on behalf of a parent, nor can we review how the school has dealt with a complaint. If a complaint is still not resolved after following the school's complaints procedure, write to the Secretary of State for Education.
|
Stage |
Action |
Response |
|
Informal contact |
complaint heard by a member of staff (informal) |
Contact the school or academy and try to sort out the problem informally, speak to your child's teacher about your concern in the first instance. |
|
Stage 1 |
Complaint heard by the headteacher |
If your concern can't be resolved informally, write to the headteacher. It will give the headteacher time to make enquiries if you include:
|
|
Stage 2 |
Complaint heard by chair of governors |
If you are still dissatisfied, or your concern is about the headteacher, write to the chair of governors. |
|
Stage 3 |
Complaint heard by governing body's complaints appeal panel |
If you are still dissatisfied after the chair of governors has investigated your complaint you can write to the clerk to the governing body to ask for your complaint to go before the appeal panel. |
|
Final stage |
If still dissatisfied, contact the Department for Education or the Ofsted. |
The Local Authority is not responsible for the day to day running of schools, therefore, any complaint received will be directed back to the school to resolve in liaison with the complainant. However, depending on the nature of the complaint, we may make enquiries with the school before we refer your enquiry back to them.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The school will be very pleased to hear that things are going well, and your comments will let them know that you appreciate their efforts.
Contact the school.
They will want to know if something concerns you or your child.
They can then look into the matter and let you know what the position is. If necessary, they can clear up any misunderstandings or take steps to put things right.
You might consider making a complaint if
- You are unhappy about something that happened at school
- If you are unhappy about the way that the school handled something
- If you think something is seriously wrong, you should get in touch with the school
Notes
- Always try to discuss matters with the school. Let them know about the problem and allow them to investigate and sort out anything that needs to be put right
- Putting your complaint in writing will help to make your concerns clear
The school's response to a complaint will be based on the policies agreed by its governing body and will try to be fair to everyone concerned. You should bear in mind that the school might not agree with your view of a particular situation
Who should I contact at the school? What if the problem can't be resolved informally? What happens next close
The panel of governors will write to you and let you know their view of the complaint. Their decision is usually final.
If you are still unhappy, you can contact the Secretary of State for Education or the Local Government Ombudsman.
The school's complaints procedure exists so that your views on a particular situation, and those of the other parties involved, can be heard. Parents and carers have a right to be heard. And so do school staff and school governors. While you may not always agree with the response from the school, the complaints procedure aims to make sure that your concerns are handled properly and fairly.
Contact us
Education Welfare & EOTAS Service
Loxley House
Station Street
Nottingham
NG2 3NG
educationwelfareservices@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
Tel: 01158762965
Feedback submitted to us on this form is monitored but you won’t receive a reply. If you need a response please contact us.
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