General Chat

Hi Your first step, after the Headteacher, is the Chair of Governors. If you're still not satisfied, then contact the Education Department at your County Council. Good luck! Mandy :)

Hi found this factsheet http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/Schools/YourChildsWelfareAtSchool/DG_4016106

Hi All, Does anyone on here know who I can contact to make a complaint about a school. I have been to the school many times and spoke to the Head Teacher who has done nothing at all. It is a delicate matter so will not say on here. Many thanks.x

Hi All, Many thanks for your help, I have warned the Head that I will take it further if it continued and he just sat there in his smart little chair and patonized me on the whole situation, Then to top it off when he seen my daughter at school he smile at her so she smiled back and then said to her 'what are you smiling at'. Thanks again Everyone.x

You could try the Board of Governors, or the LEA office (Local Education Authority) - try the yellow pages, or google. Liz

The school governers are the next step i think....Also, make sure the head is aware that you intend to persue any complaint, sometimes the threat of you taking it further is enough to get something done.... LOUXXXXXXXXXXXX Ps. I hope you get it sorted...x

Dipsy mmmm wonder if your daughter is at the same school as my sons????? got horrid head teacher.. who has been complained about many times.. but each time he smarms his way out of it... ggrrrrr good luck

Hi Shelli, You know I have tried to see the Head Teacher on many ocassions and was always told he was busy and got some one else to try and sort it out, In the end I rang the school and demanded to speak to him or at least give me his E-Mail Address, Well they gave it to me so I mailed him and he arranged for me to go in which I did, I gave him the list of everything that had happened whilst he was too busy to sort it out, He read through it and sat there with a smug look on his face and patronized me as if he was above me, I won't say what I felt like doing to him but I can honestly say it wasn't nice. The school is in Derby. Thanks.x

The first step may be to ask the school for a copy of their complaints / grievance procedure. The fact that you ask to see it may bring results without having to go any further. Contact the Governors giving a date by which you require a satisfactory response. After that contact Ofsted (type in Ofsted in search to get contact numbers) if you have had no joy. Good luck.

I have had problems with my sons school the last few days, definatley write to the school governers to arrange a meeting with them to see if they can help you. If you still have no joy, contact your local council they should be able to put you in touch with the educational authority who deal with matters that the school are not dealing with properly. Hope you manage to solve your problem Take care Jackiexx

Put your complaint in writing to him - this makes it formal and not just an informal chat with no minutes taken and therefore no record of what was/wasn't resolved. Send a copy of the letter to the Chair of Governors and advise the head in your letter that you are doing so. Also find out who the parent governors are and approach one of them. Jay

Dipsy Just another suggestion for you, and this is from personal experience. If you do write to the Head/Governors, which I strongly recommend you do, do not accept a telephone call as their response to sorting out the issue. A phone call will probably not be recorded and your letter of complaint mysteriously vanishes from the filing cabinet for the OFSTED visit!! Tell them you want a WRITTEN response by return, this will then have to be kept on file. Good luck and hope you get it sorted Kim

I think I would put it in writing and make a complaint to the Headteacher, also a letter the Local Education Authority and if still no joy, then I would contact the Ombudsman for England, Scotland or Wales whichever you come under. Good Luck. Stella X

Hi, Thanks so very much to you all for your advice, I have just rang the school and ask for a copy of their complaints procedure and as loud as the receptionist could be said 'O Dear Mrs ????? you want a copy of our complaints procedure'. Well she said she will send me one but she don't know where they are, Derrrrrrrrr I felt like saying 'Well you work there' stupid woman. I am really so very angry cause this has been going on since last January and everytime I have rung or gone in I get passed about and it has never been resolved. I am gonna have to blurt some of it out you know cause I am just so angry, A teacher has called my Daughter 'Thick and Stupid' and it is so knocked her confidence so bad but it is the nasty comments she gets aswell, her work started to go downhill and she is just below what she should be now and they are going at me about it, The phone calls I have had from staff there about how I should re-educate my Daughter at the fact that teachers do not treat kids in that way, I got so angry cause she has learnt that at that school and not at home. I can honestly sit here and say I have never experienced any problems with her at home. I did say to the teacher once that maybe an under cover reporter owt to come in that school and see what really goes on, The amount of parents I have spoken to are having problems aswell but like me don't like to cause a fuss but I have really had enough now I am going to take it further. Sorry to moan but thanks again to all of you, Your advice has really helped me.xx Updated .... Just had a phone call from the School they are sending her home for her behaviour how convienient is that ?????

Hi there - I was a School Secretary/Admin Officer for 38 years and I am not defending her when I say don't blem the Secretary. Undoubtedly she has been primed by the head as to what/what not to say when you ring. Poor soul was probably only follow9ng orders and I know how she probably feels. Regarding the complaint. I agree with what the others have to say BUT beware of only writing to the Chair of Governors - sorry to say it, but many are hand-in-glove with the Head. Your best bet is to write to the Chair of Govs re the complaint BUT inform him that you have sent a copy of your letter direct to the local education authority. This way, he will have to pursue the matter and the LEA will realise something is amiss at the same time. Hope you have a satisfactory result.

Hi Margaret, No I have never blamed the secretary in fact when she see's me at the school we laugh as she says you here again and I always tell her I will bring my bed next time, But yes I do agree about them being hand and gloves so yes what you have said is the way I am going to do. Thanks a million all of you, you are a great lot.x

hope you get something sorted out soon It feels like an endless task and feels like you are banging your head against a brick wall sometimes to get through to some of these people. I went through a terrible time with my 2 daughters when they were at school. I went to the appeal panel with a social worker to try to get one of my daughters to change schools and it was a delicate situation but we explained it all to the panel and they still refused. She was so brave to return to school and tried her hardest to just get on with things but it was an impossible situation for her. But she is doing really well at university now. So dont give up hope some good can still come out of a bad situation.

Had my share of problems with my son's schooling altho not so bad as you are dealing with, I am so glad my son is grown up now but wish I had had the benefits of advice from others as we have on here, I didn't even know how to use a computer back then! I hope you can sort this out so your youngsters are happier at school, it is awful for their confidence to be knocked, my son had it at his senior school - a RC one. The teacher who was so sarky to my lad for no reason other than his voice breaking, is now a head at another school in Norfolk. Hope he has improved in his teacher/pupil skills. Good luck with your efforts on behalf of your children. Liz