If you are making a complaint about a school, you must make it directly to the school.
Each school will have its own policy and procedure. The procedure will tell you who to address the complaint to and when you should expect a response by.
You will find the school’s complaints policy on the school website, or you can contact the school office to request a paper copy. A list of all Knowsley schools can be found here.
How to raise a concern or make a complaint
Any concerns you have about your child’s education can normally be settled, in the first instance, in an informal way by speaking to your child’s teacher, the office staff, Head of Year or another key staff member.
Building positive relationships is important to schools, and schools recognise that it is in everyone’s best interest that complaints are resolved as soon as possible. Your concerns will be taken seriously, and every effort will be made to resolve matters in accordance with school policy. If you are unsure who to speak to, contact the school office for advice.
You should not approach individual governors to raise concerns or complaints—they have no power to act individually, and this may prevent them from considering any formal complaint made at a later stage.
When the school receives a complaint, they will investigate it in accordance with their own procedures.
Formal complaint
If, after the informal stage, the issue is not resolved and you wish to make a formal complaint, you should refer to the school’s complaints procedure for the next steps you need to take.
The school complaints procedure will tell you how to make a formal complaint. There are generally a few stages to this, which are outlined below, but referring to each individual policy for the school’s individual process is essential.
Stage 1
The first step is to complete a complaint form or put the issues in writing to the Headteacher. Individual school policies will indicate support that can be extended should it be difficult to express concerns in writing.
You should make it clear:
- Why are you complaining?
- Who have you spoken to already?
- What do you want to happen as a result of your complaint?
The Headteacher will then investigate the complaint and provide a written response.
Stage 2
If the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of the Stage 1 response, the complainant can move the complaint to Stage 2 of the process, where a written complaint is received directly to the Governing Body/Trust Board. The Chair of Governors/Trust Board will ensure that the complaint was dealt with appropriately at the previous stage and that the complaint is presented to an independent Complaints or Appeal Panel drawn from the governors/trustees.
A written response detailing decisions and recommendations will be provided.
Stage 3
If the complainant remains unhappy with the way in which procedures have been carried out, the complaint can move to Stage 3 of the process. The complainant will be notified of the right to appeal to the Secretary of State for Education.
Anonymous complaints
Schools do not investigate anonymous complaints unless there is sufficient information to warrant an investigation.
How long will it take to deal with a formal complaint
Timescales for dealing with complaints are detailed in individual school complaints policies for each stage.
What to do if you are not satisfied with how the school has handled your complaint
Knowsley Council does not operate a review service for school complaints or have the authority to intervene or overturn decisions made by the governors. If you remain dissatisfied with the school response, and you have exhausted the school complaints procedure in full, you can contact the Department for Education and request that they review your complaint.
This can either be online or in writing:
Department for Education
Piccadilly Gate
Store Street
Manchester
M1 2WD
Telephone: 0370 000 2288