We believe that we provide a good education for all our children, and that the Head Teacher and other staff work very hard to build positive relationships with all parents and carers. However, the school is obliged to have procedures in place in case there are complaints by parents, carers, visitors or members of the local community.
This complaints procedure is not limited to parents or carers of children that are registered at the school. Any person, including members of the public, may make a complaint to Queen Margaret Primary School about any provision of facilities or services that we provide. Unless complaints are dealt with under separate statutory procedures (such as appeals relating to exclusions or admissions), we will use this complaints procedure.
A concern may be defined as ‘an expression of worry or doubt over an issue considered to be important for which reassurances are sought’.
A complaint may be defined as ‘an expression of dissatisfaction however made, about actions taken or a lack of action’.
It is in everyone’s interest that concerns and complaints are resolved at the earliest possible stage. Many issues can be resolved informally, without the need to use the formal stages of the complaints procedure. Queen Margaret Primary School takes concerns seriously and will make every effort to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.
If you have difficulty discussing a concern with a particular member of staff, we will respect your views. In these cases, the Headteacher, will refer you to another staff member. Similarly, if the member of staff directly involved feels unable to deal with a concern, the Headteacher will refer you to another staff member. The member of staff may be more senior but does not have to be. The ability to consider the concern objectively and impartially is more important.
We understand however, that there are occasions when people would like to raise their concerns formally. In this case, Queen Margaret Primary School will attempt to resolve the issue internally, through the stages outlined within this complaints procedure.
It is normally appropriate to communicate directly with the member of staff concerned, or the Head Teacher if the concern is about any member of staff. This may be by letter, e-mail, telephone or in person by appointment. Many concerns can be resolved by simple clarification or the provision of information and it is anticipated that most concerns or complaints will be resolved by the informal stage.
In the case of serious concerns, it may be appropriate to address them directly to the Head teacher (or to the Chair of the governing body, if the concern or complaint is about the Head teacher or a governor).
If there is uncertainty about who to contact, then advice may be sought from the school office or Clerk to the governing body.
Complainants should not approach individual governors to raise concerns or complaints. They have no power to act on an individual basis and it may also prevent them from considering complaints at Stage 2 of the procedure.
Complaints against school staff (except the Headteacher) should be made in the first instance, to the Headteacher via the school office. Please mark them as Private and Confidential.
The teacher, Head Teacher or Chair will endeavour to resolve the concern informally. During the course of any investigation they may invite a third party in to observe any relevant meetings. Any member of staff complained about will be kept fully informed of the content of the complaint and will be given an opportunity to explain their actions. During this period the person raising the concern will be regularly updated as to the progress of the investigation.
If the concern is not resolved at the informal stage, or the concern is of a sufficiently serious nature, a formal complaint should be made in writing using the Complaint Form. This should be addressed to the Head Teacher, who will be responsible for ensuring that it is investigated appropriately. The form should be sent to the Clerk to the Governing Body, for the attention of the Chair.
Complaints that involve or are about the Headteacher should be addressed to Emily Bytheway, the Chair of Governors, via the school office. Please mark them as Private and Confidential.
Complaints about the Chair of Governors, any individual governor or the whole governing body should be addressed to Heather Evans (the Clerk to the Governing Body via the school office. Please mark them as Private and Confidential.
A written acknowledgement will be provided to the complainant within 5 school days of receiving a complaint. If a complaint is received during the school holidays, acknowledgement will be within 5 school days of the start of the new term. The acknowledgement will give a target date for providing a response to the complaint which should normally be within 10 school days.
If the target cannot be met because, for example, an independent investigation is needed, then a further letter should be written explaining the reason for the delay and providing a revised target date. The Head Teacher (or Chair) may invite the complainant to a meeting to discuss the complaint and to seek a resolution.
If the complainant accepts that invitation, they may be accompanied by a friend if they wish, to support them in explaining the nature of the complaint. If a meeting is arranged a full record of the meeting must be kept. A copy of the record of the meeting should be available to all parties after the meeting.
Once all of the facts have been established a written response will be sent to the complainant outlining the decision reached and the reasons for it. Where appropriate this should also include what action the school will take to resolve the complaint. The letter should also inform the complainant how they can proceed to the third stage of the procedure if they are dissatisfied with the outcome, and that they must do so within 10 school days of receiving the response.
When the investigation has been concluded all parties concerned will also be informed of the outcome. If no further communication is received from the complainant within 10 school days it is deemed that the complaint has been resolved and should end.
For ease of use, a template complaint form is included at the end of this procedure. If you require help in completing the form, please contact the school office. You can also ask third party organisations like the Citizens Advice to help you.
In accordance with equality law, we will consider making reasonable adjustments if required, to enable complainants to access and complete this complaints procedure. For instance, providing information in alternative formats, assisting complainants in raising a formal complaint or holding meetings in accessible locations.
Complainants who are not satisfied may make representation to the Governing Body, requesting a review of the process followed by the school in handling the complaint. A request must be made in writing to the Clerk to the Governing Body using the Review Request Form. This must be done within 10 school days of receiving notice of the outcome of the complaint, and include a statement specifying any perceived failures to follow the procedure.
The Chair will decide the make-up of the panel to hear the complaint review.. The review panel will consist of at least three people who were not directly involved with the matters detailed in the complaint. The panel must include one person who is independent of the management and running of the school. The review panel will appoint a clerk/note taker to keep a written record of proceedings. The Clerk/note-taker will write to the complainant, acknowledging the review request within 5 school days and informing the complainant of the arrangements for undertaking the review, which should take place within 10 school days of writing to the complainant. The review panel will normally consider written submissions, but will sympathetically consider any reasonable requests to make oral representations. Should this be the case the panel will ensure that the review is heard in private, and the complainant informed they may be accompanied to the meeting by a friend/ interpreter if they wish.
The panel will receive written evidence from the complainant of perceived failures to follow the procedure. The panel will invite representatives of the school (usually the Head Teacher or the Chair of the Governing Body that originally considered the matter), as appropriate, to make a response to the review request. The panel may also have access to the records kept of the process followed.
The complainant, where relevant the person complained about, and the Headteacher will be informed in writing of the finding of the review and any recommendations , usually within 5 school days of the panel meeting. If the review panel decides that due process has not been followed they may consider a number of outcomes.
The panel may decide to:
The matter will then be closed as far as the school is concerned.
We will not normally investigate anonymous complaints. However, the Headteacher or Chair of Governors, if appropriate, will determine whether the complaint warrants an investigation.
You must raise the complaint within three months of the incident or, where a series of associated incidents have occurred, within three months of the last of these incidents. We will consider complaints made outside of this time frame if exceptional circumstances apply.
| Exceptions | Who to contact |
|---|---|
| – Admissions to schools – Statutory assessments of Special Educational Needs – School re-organisation proposals |
Concerns about admissions, statutory assessments of Special Educational Needs, or school re-organisation proposals should be raised with Gloucestershire Local Authority |
| – Matters likely to require a Child Protection Investigation | Complaints about child protection matters are handled under our child protection and safeguarding policy and in accordance with relevant statutory guidance.
If you have serious concerns, you may wish to contact the local authority designated officer (LADO) who has local responsibility for safeguarding or the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). The Children’s Helpdesk on 01452426565 or [email protected] |
| – Exclusion of children from school∗ | Further information about raising concerns about exclusion can be found at: www.gov.uk/school-discipline-exclusions/exclusions.
*complaints about the application of the behaviour policy can be made through the school’s complaints procedure |
| – Whistleblowing | We have an internal whistleblowing procedure for all our employees, including temporary staff and contractors.
The Secretary of State for Education is the prescribed person for matters relating to education for whistleblowers in education who do not want to raise matters direct with their employer. Referrals can be made at: www.education.gov.uk/contactus. Volunteer staff who have concerns about our school should complain through the school’s complaints procedure. You may also be able to complain direct to the LA or the Department for Education (see link above), depending on the substance of your complaint. |
| – Staff grievances | Complaints from staff will be dealt with under the school’s internal grievance procedures. |
| – Staff conduct | Complaints about staff will be dealt with under the school’s internal disciplinary procedures, if appropriate.
Complainants will not be informed of any disciplinary action taken against a staff member as a result of a complaint. However, the complainant will be notified that the matter is being addressed. |
| – Complaints about services provided by other providers who may use school premises or facilities | Providers should have their own complaints procedure to deal with complaints about service. Please contact them direct. |
| – National Curriculum content | Please contact the Department for Education at: www.education.gov.uk/contactus |
If other bodies are investigating aspects of the complaint, for example the police, local authority (LA)safeguarding teams or Tribunals, this may impact on our ability to adhere to the timescales within this procedure or result in the procedure being suspended until those public bodies have completed their investigations.
If a complainant commences legal action against Queen Margaret Primary School in relation to their complaint, we will consider whether to suspend the complaints procedure in relation to their complaint until those legal proceedings have concluded.
If a complainant wants to withdraw their complaint, we will ask them to confirm this in writing.
Formal complaints must be made to the Headteacher (unless they are about the Headteacher), via the school office. This may be done in person, in writing (preferably on the Complaint Form), or by telephone.
The Headteacher will record the date the complaint is received and will acknowledge receipt of the complaint in writing (either by letter or email) within 5 school days. Within this response, the Headteacher will seek to clarify the nature of the complaint, ask what remains unresolved and what outcome the complainant would like to see. The Headteacher can consider whether a face to face meeting is the most appropriate way of doing this.
Note: The Headteacher may delegate the investigation to another member of the school’s senior leadership team but not the decision to be taken.
During the investigation, the Headteacher (or investigator) will:
If the Headteacher is unable to meet this deadline, they will provide the complainant with an update and revised response date.
The response will detail any actions taken to investigate the complaint and provide a full explanation of the decision made and the reason(s) for it. Where appropriate, it will include details of actions Queen Margaret Primary School will take to resolve the complaint.
The Headteacher will advise the complainant of how to escalate their complaint should they remain dissatisfied with the outcome of Stage 1.
If the complaint is about the Headteacher, or a member of the governing body (including the Chair or Vice- Chair), a suitably skilled governor will be appointed to complete all the actions at Stage 1.
Complaints about the Headteacher or member of the governing body must be made to the Clerk, via the school office.
If the complaint is:
Stage 1 will be considered by an independent investigator appointed by the governing body. At the conclusion of their investigation, the independent investigator will provide a formal written response.
If the complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome at Stage 1 and wishes to take the matter further, they can escalate the complaint to Stage 2 – a meeting with members of the governing body’s complaints committee, which will be formed of the first three, impartial, governors available. This is the final stage of the complaints procedure.
A request to escalate to Stage 2 must be made to the Clerk, via the school office, within 10 school days of receipt of the Stage 1 response. The Clerk will record the date the complaint is received and acknowledge receipt of the complaint in writing (either by letter or email) within 5 school days.
Requests received outside of this time frame will only be considered if exceptional circumstances apply. The Clerk will write to the complainant to inform them of the date of the meeting. They will aim to convene a meeting within 20 school days of receipt of the Stage 2 request. If this is not possible, the Clerk will provide an anticipated date and keep the complainant informed.
If the complainant rejects the offer of three proposed dates, without good reason, the Clerk will decide when to hold the meeting. It will then proceed in the complainant’s absence on the basis of written submissions from both parties.
The complaints committee will usually consist of at least three governors with no prior involvement or knowledge of the complaint. Prior to the meeting, they will decide amongst themselves who will act as the Chair of the Complaints Committee. If there are fewer than three governors from Queen Margaret Primary School available, the Clerk may source any additional, independent governors through another local school or through their LA’s Governor Services team, in order to make up the committee. Alternatively, an entirely independent committee may be convened to hear the complaint at Stage 2.
The committee will decide whether to deal with the complaint by inviting parties to a meeting or through written representations, but in making their decision they will be sensitive to the complainant’s needs.
If the complainant is invited to attend the meeting, they may bring someone along to provide support. This can be a relative or friend. Where the complainant wishes to bring a supporter to the meeting the Clerk should be informed 3 days prior to the meeting together with any accessibility requirements. Generally, the attendance of any legal representative at the meeting is discouraged. However, there may be occasions when legal representation is appropriate in which case the Clerk should be notified 3 days prior to the meeting. For instance, if a school employee is called as a witness in a complaint meeting, they may wish to be supported by union and/or legal representation.
Note: Complaints about staff conduct will not generally be handled under this complaints procedure.
Complainants will be advised that any staff conduct complaints will be considered under staff disciplinary procedures, if appropriate, but outcomes will not be shared with them.
Representatives from the media are not permitted to attend.
At least 5 school days before the meeting, the Clerk will:
Any written material will be circulated to all parties at least 5 school days before the date of the meeting. The committee will not normally accept, as evidence, recordings of conversations that were obtained covertly and without the informed consent of all parties being recorded.
The committee will also not review any new complaints at this stage or consider evidence unrelated to the initial complaint to be included. New complaints must be dealt with from Stage 1 of the procedure.
The meeting will be held in private. Electronic recordings of meetings or conversations are not normally permitted unless a complainant’s own disability or special needs require it. Prior knowledge and consent of all parties attending must be sought before meetings or conversations take place. Consent will be recorded in any minutes taken.
The committee will consider the complaint and all the evidence presented. The committee can:
If the complaint is upheld in whole or in part, the committee will:
The Chair of the Committee will provide the complainant and Queen Margaret Primary School with a full explanation of their decision and the reason(s) for it, in writing, within usually 5 school days or where this is not possible inform all parties of a revised decision date.
The letter to the complainant will include details of how to contact the Department for Education if they are dissatisfied with the way their complaint has been handled by Queen Margaret Primary School.
If the complaint is:
Stage 2 will be heard by a committee of independent governors. The response will detail any actions taken to investigate the complaint and provide a full explanation of the decision made and the reason(s) for it. Where appropriate, it will include details of actions Queen Margaret Primary School will take to resolve the complaint.
The response will also advise the complainant of how to escalate their complaint should they remain dissatisfied.
If the complainant believes the school did not handle their complaint in accordance with the published complaints procedure or they acted unlawfully or unreasonably in the exercise of their duties under education law, they can contact the Department for Education after they have completed Stage 2.
The Department for Education will not normally reinvestigate the substance of complaints or overturn any decisions made by Queen Margaret Primary School. They will consider whether Queen Margaret Primary School has adhered to education legislation and any statutory policies connected with the complaint.
The complainant can refer their complaint to the Department for Education online at: www.education.gov.uk/contactus, by telephone on: 0370 000 2288 or by writing to:
Department for Education
Piccadilly Gate
Store Street
Manchester
M1 2WD.
The complainant will receive a more effective response to the complaint if they:
The investigator’s role is to establish the facts relevant to the complaint by:
The investigator should:
The Headteacher or complaints committee will then determine whether to uphold or dismiss the complaint and communicate that decision to the complainant, providing the appropriate escalation details.
(this could be the Headteacher / designated complaints governor or other staff member providing administrative support.
The complaints co-ordinator should:
The Clerk is the contact point for the complainant and the committee and should:
The committee’s chair, who is nominated in advance of the complaint meeting, should ensure that:
Committee members should be aware that:
The committee should respect the views of the child/young person and give them equal consideration to those of adults. If the child/young person is the complainant, the committee should ask in advance if any support is needed to help them present their complaint. Where the child/young person’s parent is the complainant, the committee should give the parent the opportunity to say which parts of the meeting, if any, the child/young person needs to attend. However, the parent should be advised that agreement might not always be possible if the parent wishes the child/young person to attend a part of the meeting that the committee considers is not in the child/young person’s best interests.
