General Principles for dealing with concerns and complaints.

This General Complaints Procedure will:

• acknowledge the difference between a concern and a complaint;
• ensure complaints or concerns are dealt with informally wherever possible;
• ensure complaints or concerns are dealt with seriously, as quickly as possible and in confidence;
• be publicised and straightforward to use and understand (see guidance notes);
• be impartial and non-adversarial;
• ensure full and fair investigation, by independent persons where necessary;
• respect people’s desire for confidentiality;
• provide an effective response to the points at issue and appropriate redress where necessary;
• provide information to the school’s Management Team and Governors so that operations and procedures can be improved.

Concern and Complaints Procedure

• Stage One: concern heard by a member of staff and clarification of how the issue may be resolved;
• Stage Two: complaint made in writing to the Headteacher;
• Stage Three: complaint made in writing to the Governing Body’s Complaints Committee via the Chair of the Governing Body.

If your complaint is about an action of the Headteacher, then you should refer it to the Chair of Governors in writing via the school office.

If your complaint is about a member of the Governing Body, then you should refer it in writing to the Clerk to the Governing Body via the school office.
If, due to disability or learning difficulty a complainant requires to use an alternative method of contact, the school will support the complainant to do so. In this instance, brief notes of telephone calls and meetings will be kept. Recording devices may be used by the school to ensure that discussions may be accessed and reviewed at a later point. All records relating to formal complaints will be held centrally by the school.

An unsatisfied complainant can always take a complaint to the next stage and complete the complaints procedure in full. If necessary the complainant may contact the Local Authority to request mediation or may contact the Secretary of State if they still feel that their complaint has not been properly addressed. Parents may also contact Ofsted. However, complaints about a decision to ban an individual from the school premises cannot be escalated to the Department for Education. Independent legal advice should be sought on further options of appeal.

Please click on the link below which will take you to our Complaints Policy

This policy is available printed. To request a free of charge paper copy of a policy, please contact office@sunnyfields.doncaster.sch.uk