Every school in England is legally required to have a complaints procedure that parents can use when concerns are not resolved informally. Understanding the process — from informal chat to formal written complaint to independent review — means you can advocate effectively for your child without the situation escalating unnecessarily.
Why do schools have a formal complaints procedure?
Since 2003, all maintained schools in England have been required by law to have and publish a complaints procedure. Academies and free schools are required by their funding agreements to have one too. The procedure exists to ensure that when parents have genuine grievances — about teaching quality, pastoral care, bullying, discrimination or school policy — there is a clear, fair and documented route to resolution.
Having a formal process protects both parents and the school: it ensures concerns are heard properly, decisions are made by someone with authority, and there is a clear record of what was raised and how it was addressed.
What is the difference between a concern and a complaint?
Most schools draw a practical distinction:
| Term | Meaning | How to raise it |
|---|---|---|
| Concern | An informal worry or query | Email or speak directly to the relevant teacher or head of year |
| Complaint | A formal dissatisfaction that has not been resolved informally | Written submission via the school's formal complaints procedure |
Always try to resolve a concern informally first. Most issues — a marking dispute, a misunderstanding about homework, a social incident at lunch — can be resolved with a single conversation with the relevant teacher. The formal procedure is for situations where informal contact has not worked, or where the issue is serious enough to warrant a written record from the start.
How to raise a concern informally — step one
- Identify the right person. For classroom or subject issues, contact the subject teacher directly. For pastoral issues (friendship problems, wellbeing concerns, behaviour), contact the form tutor or head of year.
- Use the school's preferred channel. Most schools request email rather than phone calls for non-urgent matters, as it creates a record and gives the teacher time to prepare a considered response.
- Be specific and factual. State what happened, when, and what outcome you are seeking — without attributing blame in the opening message. "My daughter has told me X happened on Tuesday and she is upset. I would like to understand the school's view and what support is available" is more likely to get a productive response than an accusatory message.
- Give a reasonable timeframe. Expect a response within three to five working days for a non-urgent matter.
How to make a formal complaint — step two
If the informal approach has not resolved the issue — or if the issue is serious enough to require a formal record from the outset — you move to the formal complaints procedure. Steps:
- Obtain the school's complaints policy. It must be published on the school website. Download and read it before submitting your complaint.
- Submit a written complaint to the headteacher (or the chair of governors if the complaint involves the headteacher). Include:
- A clear description of the issue and when it occurred
- What you raised informally and when
- What response, if any, you received
- What resolution you are seeking
- The headteacher must respond within the timeframe stated in the policy — typically ten to fifteen working days.
- Request a panel hearing if you are not satisfied with the headteacher's response. The school must convene an independent review panel of governors (and sometimes an independent person) to hear your complaint.
What to do if the school's process does not resolve your complaint — step three
If the school's internal process is exhausted and you remain dissatisfied, the routes forward depend on the type of school:
- Maintained schools (LA schools): You can escalate to the Local Authority (LA), which may investigate if the school has failed to follow its own procedure.
- Academies and free schools: Escalate to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) via GOV.UK, which oversees compliance with the funding agreement.
- All schools: You can contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman if a public body has not followed due process, though this applies to broader governance failures rather than individual educational decisions.
- Ofsted: Does not investigate individual complaints, but if a complaint reveals a pattern of concern about a school's culture or leadership, it may inform inspection risk-rating. You can submit concerns via the Ofsted website.
What should parents avoid when complaining?
A few approaches tend to make matters worse rather than better:
- Going directly to governors before exhausting informal routes — governors are not set up to resolve day-to-day concerns; escalating prematurely can close down goodwill.
- Copying in multiple staff members on the same email — it creates confusion about who is responsible for responding.
- Using social media to air the complaint publicly — this can harm your child's experience at the school and complicate any formal process.
- Making threats (of legal action, media coverage, etc.) in initial communications — keep the focus on resolution.
Frequently asked questions
Can a school ignore a formal complaint?
No. Maintained schools are legally required to follow their complaints procedure. If a school fails to respond within the stated timeframe or refuses to convene a review panel when requested, this is itself grounds for escalation to the local authority or, for academies, the ESFA.
Should I involve my child in the complaints process?
This depends on the child's age and the nature of the complaint. For younger secondary pupils, parents typically lead the process. For older teenagers, involving them in drafting the concern gives them a sense of agency and ensures the facts are accurate. Avoid putting a child in the position of messenger between parent and school.
Does complaining about a school affect how my child is treated?
A well-run school treats a parent's formal complaint entirely separately from the child's day-to-day experience — staff are expected to remain professional. If you have concerns that your child is being treated differently after you raise a complaint, document specific incidents and raise that directly with the headteacher or chair of governors.
Are there time limits on complaints?
Yes. Most schools require complaints to be submitted within three months of the incident, or within three months of finding out about it. Complaints submitted outside this window may still be heard at the school's discretion, but you may be asked to explain the delay.
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