Complaints Procedure
Introduction and aims
IntroductionThis document sets out the school?s procedure for addressing complaints.
Please note that this procedure does not apply to issues concerning the curriculum, collective worship, admissions, exclusion appeals, decisions about your child?s special educational needs or grievances by school staff. These are subject to separate complaints procedures. Information about these procedures can be obtained from the school.
All other complaints are handled by the school according to the arrangements set out below.
At Farnham Common Infant School our aims are
~ To provide an atmosphere that ensures pupils feel secure, promoting spiritual, emotional, moral and cultural development, thereby strengthening academic and personal progress.
~ To recognise positively the achievements of individuals, developing self-esteem, motivation, concentration, the desire to learn, thinking skills and the ability to communicate.
~ To provide all pupils with access to and enjoyment from the National and wider curriculum, regardless of their beliefs, gender, ethnic origin, ability and family circumstances.
~ To have high expectations of all pupils, setting challenging but realistic goals in all aspects of school life.
~ To encourage and teach all children how to be good citizens, behaving in a manner appropriate to being part of a community and as individuals in the wider world, enabling them to understand the part they can play and developing with them the skills they will need.
~ To instil a sense of involvement and responsibility in a three-way partnership between child, parents/guardians and school.
~ To develop strategies with parents and pupils to promote and demonstrate acceptable use of language and standards of behaviour. Back to top
Aims and Objectives
The school will give careful consideration to all complaints and deal with them fairly and honestly. We will provide sufficient opportunity for any complaint to be fully discussed, and aim to resolve it through open dialogue and mutual understanding. Back to topComplaints procedure
Most complaints are best dealt with informally. If there are concerns about the school or the education provided, the matter should be discussed with the class teacher at the earliest opportunity.Stage 1 ~ informal
If the concern has not been addressed through discussion with the class teacher, or that the concern is of a sufficiently serious nature an appointment should be made to discuss the concern with the headteacher. The headteacher considers any such complaint very seriously and most complaints can be resolved at this stage with further discussions between all parties involved.
Stage 2 ~ formal
If the matter cannot be resolved, or the complaint is about the headteacher then it is appropriate to write to or speak to the Chairman of Governors to make a formal complaint. (Verbal complaints will be taken just as seriously.) The nature of the complaint should be stated, the steps taken to resolve it and the action you would like to see taken to remedy the concerns. The Chairman of Governors will review the way in which the complaint has been handled by the school and ensure that issues have been dealt with properly and fairly. The Chairman of Governors will normally write with the outcome of the process within 15 working days of receiving the complaint.
Stage 3 ~ formal
If a satisfactory conclusion has not been reached, the complaint may be referred to Stage 3 of the procedure. At this Stage a panel of 3 governors will meet to consider the complaint and make a final decision about it on behalf of the governing body. The panel will consist of governors who have no detailed prior knowledge of the complaint, or connection with the complainant. The meeting will normally take place within 15 day of the request.
The decision of the panel is final. If a satisfactory conclusion has still not been reached, the complaint may be put to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills. Back to top
Monitoring and review
The governing body monitors the complaints procedure, in order to ensure that all complaints are handled properly. The headteacher will inform governors termly in her written report to governors of any formal complaints received by the school and how they were resolved. Governors will review the procedure annually and consider the need for any changes to the procedure. Back to topAvailability
A copy of this procedure will be made available to parents on request.J Coleman January 2003 Back to top