Parent/Carer Complaints Policy

Purpose: To provide a formal route for parents/carers to raise grievances

It is the aim of Llangattock School Monmouth to provide the best possible service to parents and their children as amplified by our Working Together Policy.

Nevertheless, it is possible that, occasionally, some parents will think that an aspect of the school is not working as they would wish.

Llangattock School Monmouth Complaints Procedure

The steps below are open to all parents/carers who wish to take up a grievance on any aspect of your child’s education or welfare.

Stage 1 – In most cases it is best initially to approach the individual staff member concerned for an informal discussion. If they cannot deal directly with the problem,

the member of staff will let you know to whom the matter should be addressed.

Should a parent/carer be unsure who to speak to or, for any reason be reluctant to approach the member of staff concerned, they can always contact the Headteacher

who will take the matter forward. A written record will be made by the member of staff or Headteacher of the informal discussion. The discussion can and may be

shared with all concerned.

Stage 2 – If the grievance remains unresolved, a formal complaint should be made in writing to the Principal who will arrange a meeting with the complainant to discuss

it within 7 working days and will reach a decision within a further 7 working days.

The Principal’s decision will be confirmed in writing to the parent/carer. The Complaint/Concern Log will record if the complaint/concern has been resolved at this

preliminary stage or has proceeded to stage 3. If the Principal has already been involved in Stage 1, the formal complaint may go straight to Stage 3.

Stage 3 - If the parent/carer is not satisfied with the response at Stage 2, the complaint will be referred to the chair of the Board of Advisors who will arrange for

the complaint to be heard before a panel, appointed by or on behalf of the Principal, within 14 days. The panel will comprise the chair of the Board of Advisors, a second

member of the Board of Advisors and David Hope, who is independent of the running and management of the school. The parent/carer may request which second

member of the Board considers the complaint if they so wish, according to availability. If any member of the Board of Advisors has been directly involved in the

matters subject to complaint, they may not form part of the panel and a different member of the Board of Advisors will be appointed.

The parent(s)/carer(s) have the right to attend the panel hearing and the right to be accompanied if they wish.

The findings and recommendations of the panel will be recorded in writing and provided to the relevant people (complainant, Principal, Headteacher, chair of Board

of Advisors and where relevant the person complained about) within 7 working days of the panel hearing. This Complaints Procedure has then ended. The

Complaint/Concern Log will record when Stage 3 has been completed.

Record Keeping

All correspondence, statements and records of complaints will be kept confidential except where the national assembly or a body conducting an inspection under

section 163 of the 2002 Education Act requests access to any documents relating tothe complaint.

Additional and Related Documents

Complaint/Concern log

Complaint records (if any) – confidential

Working Together Policy

Issue date: 8 May 2021 - Reviewed 27 May 2022 & 30 May 2023

Withdrawal date: Current

Next review by: 30 May 2024