RATIONALE
Every well governed and well managed school will from time to time have to deal with complaints from parents. The governing body must ensure, therefore, that proper procedures are in place. This policy should not be used to deal with complaints about curriculum or exclusions.

The governors will maintain a strategic overview, rather than day-day operational involvement. Governors need to avoid prior knowledge of any issues which might later be considered by an appeal panel of governors.

AIMS

The school will have:

• An informal stage
• A 1st formal stage where the Headteacher takes a lead
• A 2nd formal stage where the complaint may go to an Appeal Panel of Governors

DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS

Informal stage

• Parents should feel free to raise their concerns with the class teacher either in person by appointment, by telephone or in writing
• The school is committed to responding the same day where possible, by listening to concerns and will seek to reach a speedy and satisfactory resolution
• All concerns will be responded to within 3 days
• If the complainant is still not satisfied with this response, they will be referred to the Headteacher and the formal stage.
• Exception-any complaint which involves a claim for compensation or an allegation of misconduct about a particular member of staff should be put in writing to the Headteacher. A complaint about the conduct of the Headteacher should be put in writing to the Chair of Governors c/o the school. The governing body should consider appointing a designated governor to investigate the complaint

Formal stage 1 Headteacher

• The complaint should be put in writing to the Headteacher
• Receipt of the complaint will be acknowledged within 2 days and will specifiy how the complaint will be investigated, by whom and the timescale within which a full response will be made
• The Headteacher will ensure that a full response is made within 10 days. If the timescale needs to be extended, then parents will be informed
• The Headteacher should nominate a senior member of staff, who has had no prior involvement with the complaint to investigate. This allows the Headteacher to retain a degree of detachment and independence from the complaint
• During the investigation the Headteacher or nominated person, may contact the complainant to clarify the details of the complaint and speak to other persons as necessary
• A complainant will be allowed the opportunity to meet the person investigating and to be accompanied by a friend or relative to speak on their behalf or help them make their case
• The Headteacher, or nominated person investigating the complaint will interview relevant witnesses and take statement
• If the complaint involves a pupil, he/she should be interviewed with a Learning Mentor present or their parent
• The investigating person should keep written records of all meetings and telephone calls
• A full written response will be made to the complainant who may be offered a further meeting to explain how the investigation was carried out and how decisions were reached
• The complainant will be advised that if they are dissatisfied with the outcome they may refer the matter to the governing body. This should be done within 10 school days of receipt of the letter from the Headteacher

Formal stage 2: Appeal to panel of Governors-a further and final right of appeal to a specially convened panel of governors

• Appeals should be lodged with the Chair of Governors within 10 school days of receipt of the stage 2 decision
• The panel will meet within 20 school days of receiving the complaint and the complainant and Headteacher will be informed of the date, time and venue of the hearing
• The panel will comprise at least 3 governors who have had no prior knowledge or involvement in the case. The panel should not include staff governors
• The panel will appoint its own chair, normally the Chair or Vice Chair
• The panel meeting must be minuted
• The panel will consider the way the complaint has been investigated and handled by the school. The panel will carry out a review of the investigation carried out at Formal Stage 1 and any submissions on that report by the complainant. The review should not entail a rehearing of the case
• It will be open to the governors to uphold the complaint and/or direct a different remedy to that decided upon by the investigating officer at stage 1
• The complainant may be accompanied by a friend or relative
• The decision of the panel is final and will be communicated in writing to the complainant and the Headteacher within 3 school days
• If the complainant believes that the matter has not been dealt with fairly they may ask Education Leeds to examine the process which has been followed
• Education Leeds does not have power to set aside the decision of the Governors panel. It may only comment on the fairness of the process
• A further stage of appeal can be taken to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, but only on the grounds that the governing body or Education Leeds is acting or proposing to act unreasonably or illegally

Education Leeds should be informed of any complaint which reaches Stage 2. The Panel may request that an officer from Education Leeds attend the appeal hearing to offer procedural advice. Any such advice will take the form of a recommendation to the panel.