Complaints Policy & Procedure

At Hawkhurst CE Primary School we seek to ensure that all children are in a happy and safe learning environment. To this end we will deal with complaints received in school, placing the children’s best interests first.

At Hawkhurst CE Primary School we seek to ensure that all children are in a happy and safe learning environment. To this end we will deal with complaints received in school, placing the children’s best interests first.

Complaints can come in to school from a variety of sources. If you have a concern or complaint we will always try to deal with it helpfully and reasonably. We use an open process that encourages dialogue with the complainant. The complaints procedure has several stages, beginning with informal discussion. Raising your concern using the steps outlined below helps to ensure that points are made clearly and limits the chance of misunderstandings arising during this process.

If you have a concern about the school, try to talk to someone at the school, preferably the teacher who is most closely involved. If you contact one of the governors first of all they can only give you general advice. They may need to ask you to take up your concerns with the member of staff best able to help you, or with the headteacher.

Your concern can usually be settled quickly and without fuss by contacting the right person in the school. This will be your child’s class teacher or, in some cases, the headteacher.

If your concern cannot be sorted out in this way, or you are not happy with the way it has been dealt with, you should take it to the next stage. This is to complain to the headteacher, who will investigate your complaint. You would normally do this in writing.

If you are not satisfied with the head teacher’s response your complaint can be submitted to the Chair of Governors via the Clerk to the Governing Body. Correspondence addressed to the clerk will be forwarded via the school office.

If the complaint cannot be resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction by the Chair of  Governors, it should be submitted to the Governing Body, again via the Clerk, through the school office. The Governing Body will decide how it will be investigated further. They may decide to convene a complaints committee for this purpose.

The procedure is outlined as a chart within Appendix 1, which some people may find clearer.

While complaints are being investigated, the complainant will be kept informed. Most complaints can be handled quickly and amicably, and indeed may form a welcome source of feedback to the school.

APPENDIX 1: Summary of the Complaints Procedure

If you have a concern or complaint the following steps outline how you should proceed.

Please remember that many concerns can be dealt with and resolved through discussion with your child’s class teacher, which is the first stage. Only move on to the next stage of the process if you are not satisfied with the response you have received. If your concern or complaint is about the headteacher go to step 3.