DO YOU NEED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT AN ISLINGTON SCHOOL?
Introduction
Parents want their children to be happy and successful at school, and all the schools in Islington want the children attending enjoy their time there and to do well. Schools recognise that you as a parent/guardian/carer play an important part in making this happen. Therefore, schools aim to provide as many opportunities to keep you informed and involved in your child's progress as they possibly can. Regular reports, open days and visits all help the process; and questions, concerns and misunderstandings are usually dealt with quickly and helpfully.
However, it is recognised that there are times when things go wrong, when concerns continue and differences of opinion develop. These can usually be resolved quickly by speaking to the right person at the school, where most concerns can be settled without too much trouble, but whatever the issue, even where you are seriously concerned about your child's future at the school, it's always important to try to find a solution. Disruption to a child's education would be the most damaging result of all.
Under the Schools Standards and Framework 1998, school governing bodies, (and not the local education authority) have the responsibility to deal with nearly all complaints about the school. Each school is therefore required to publish a Complaints Policy, and a copy should be available from the school office.
What to do first
Take a few minutes to read this leaflet. Then think the complaint through and write the details down. Try to be clear about:
i)what you are complaining about;
ii)when and where any incident happened. Remember there is often more than one view about an incident or situation;
iii)who else was involved;
iv)whether anyone saw it happen;
v)whom you have spoken to already; and
vi)what you hope to happen as a result of your complaint.
In doing this, it might help to talk it through with a friend or relative.
When you decide to make a complaint, remember that although you want to change a situation, you also want it to end on a positive note. In order to do this, you should try to follow procedures carefully, and calmly, and try also to be flexible, so a way to move forward can be reached and agreed by everybody.
What to do next
When you are clear in your own mind as to what you believe has happened, you then need to speak to someone at the school. In a primary school or special school, this may be your child’s class teacher; or in a secondary school, the form tutor or head of year.
Although some schools, particularly for younger children, can arrange to see parents who just 'pop in', this is not generally possible. It is always best therefore to try to make an appointment where you can sit and talk things through calmly and without any interruption.
If after contacting the appropriate staff member, you are still not satisfied, you should seek to contact the headteacher. This is usually done by asking the school office to arrange with the Head a time to meet with you (although some people prefer to write instead). If you are nervous about the meeting, you could ask a friend or relative to go with you.
Please do remember that investigating complaints does take time, and the answers won’t always be readily available. After the meeting therefore, the head may suggest you meet again, or else will arrange to write to you with the outcome, and you will then be able to decide whether any action to be taken would solve the problem.
If your complaint is about the headteacher or a governor, you should contact the Chair of Governors first. You can get the contact details for the Chair from the school.
If you are still unhappy
In most cases, the problem will have been solved by this stage. If, after this, you are still not satisfied with the answer, then you should ask to make a formal complaint to the Governing Body. How to do this will be clearly set out in the school’s Complaints Policy.
Complaints to the Governing Body
As this is a serious step to take, it is important that you have thought things through carefully, and that every possible attempt has been made to solve your concerns by other means. If you haven’t already done so, you should be sure that you have a copy and have read carefully the school’s own detailed Complaints Procedure.
A committee of governors will be called together to hear your case, and all sides will be invited to submit a written statement. You will also be asked to attend a hearing to present your side of the story. The decision of the governing body’s Complaints Committee will be sent to you in writing, and may include recommendations for action to help resolve matters.
And, if you are still unhappy
You will be able to refer your complaint to the Governing Body’s Complaints Appeal Committee.
Other points to note
It is important to note that the local authority (the council) cannotinvestigate school matters on a parent's behalf, nor can it review how the school has dealt with your complaint. If you feel that the school has acted unreasonably or has not followed the published complaints procedure, you may write to the Secretary of State for Education.
As explained above, nearly all complaints should go to the school to be resolved, but there are some issues for which separate formal procedures apply, such as the arrangements for school admissions, or matters to do with special educational needs. The school should be able to tell you how to pursue these, but if you are unsure, you should contact Islington Council on 020 7527 5786.
Please note, this leaflet is a guide only, and may not fully reflect the detailed complaints procedures used by individual schools or the specific arrangements within voluntary aided schools, or academies.
Who can help?
If you feel worried about making a complaint about the school, you may want to involve a friend, representative or interpreter to support you.
You may also find it useful to contact theCoram Children's Legal Centre They aim to provide free legal advice and informationto parents on state education matters. They can be contacted on 0808 802 0008 or on
You could also look at the website of the ACE Education Advice which provides information for parents of children in state schools