Raising a concern or making a complaint about a school

Most parents and carers have a positive relationship with our schools but sometimes things may go wrong. 

Step 1 – Informal Discussion with the School

It is always useful to talk through your complaint with the person responsible, either by telephone or face to face. The school may request that you make an appointment, as this will ensure they can listen to your concerns fully and allocate an appropriate amount of time.

In a primary school the person to contact may be your child’s class teacher. In a secondary school you may contact the form tutor or head of year.

Step 2 – Formal Complaint to the Headteacher

You will be asked to confirm the complaint in writing to the head teacher (or chair of governors if the complaint is about the head teacher) and it will be acknowledged in writing. 

The headteacher will then look into the complaint and contact you when it has been investigated.

Step 3 – Complaint to the Governing Body

The next step would be to make a formal complaint to the governing body. You should contact the school’s Chair of Governors by letter and you may wish to send him or her a copy of your original letter as well as giving a reason for your unhappiness. 

Letters should be sent to the Chair of School, c/o Governor Support Team, Education Directorate, P O Box 101, Civic Centre, Sunderland, SR2 7DN, alternatively you can send a letter via the school.

The responsibility for dealing with your complaint lies with the school and it’s governing body. The LEA will, however, investigate any complaints about schools, subject to the governing body’s approval, involving allegations of gross misconduct or illegal actions and in the following areas:

• The school curriculum, collective worship and religious education and the provision of information required by law
• Appeals about admissions
• Appeals about exclusions
• Appeals about assessments and statements of special educational needs

For further details or enquiries you can e-mail us or telephone on 0191 520 5555.

Making a complaint to your child's school