School Complaints

The responsibility for dealing with school complaints lies with the Governing Body of each school.  All schools are required, by Section 29 of the 2002 Education Act, to establish a complaints procedure and to publicise that procedure. This means that the procedure should be easily accessible at the school.

Many schools have adopted the Cheshire East Model Complaints Procedure (PDF, 94KB) which was last revised in January 2010.

Where complainants are not satisfied with the outcome of their complaint they can ask that the Local Authority reviews the process which the school has undertaken.  Any queries relating to school complaints should be directed to the Governance and Liaison Service.

Complainants also have the right to appeal to the Secretary of State if they are not satisfied with the way the school has dealt with their complaint, once the school's complaints process has been exhausted.  However the Secretary of State is only able to intervene in particular circumstances - specifically where there has been a breach of a statutory duty or where the Governing Body has acted unreasonably with regard to the exercise of its power.  He/she must be satisfied that a decision is unreasonable in the sense that no reasonable Governing Body acting with due regard to its statutory responsibilities would have reached that decision.

In conjunction with the school's own complaints procedure, complainants have the right to raise concerns with Ofsted, and also with the General Teaching Council where they relate to the actions of a member of the teaching staff. 

Complaints about Academies

Academies are required to have a published procedure for dealing with complaints by parents or pupils, which must be made available on request.  This procedure must provide for complaints to be managed within clear timescales. 

Parents that are not satisfied a complaint has been dealt with appropriately by an Academy should contact the Education Funding Agency (EFA).  The  EFA will investigate complaints about:

• undue delay or non-compliance with published complaints procedures;     and
• allegations that the Academy has acted unlawfully or failed to comply with a contractual duty imposed on it under its Funding Agreement with the Secretary of State or any other legal obligation.