Complaints

Heamoor Community Primary School welcomes feedback on the quality of the service it provides. Should anyone be unhappy with any aspect of the school, it is important that the school learns about this.

The school operates a staged approach to all complaints in line with Cornwall Council policy guidance.

Stage 1: Informal Resolution

Most enquiries and concerns are dealt with satisfactorily by talking with the class teacher, the headteacher or other members of staff without the need to resort to any form of formal procedure. The school values informal meetings and discussions. Should the face to face discussions appear unlikely to resolve matters, either party may initiate a move to the next stage (Stage 2 below) of the procedure

Stage 2: Complaining to the Headteacher

If you are not satisfied with their response, you can talk to the Headteacher more formally or you may wish to make a formal written complaint to the Headteacher (School Complaints Officer). All formal complaints should be started by completing the complaints form.

Stage 3: Complaining to the Governing Body

If your complaint is not resolved, the next stage is to approach the governing body of your child’s school. All complaints to the Chairperson of the Governing Body (Mr Roy Curnow) must be in writing. The governing body may need to have a special governors’ complaints panel to discuss your complaint. The School Complaints Policy will set out the process and procedures the school has agreed to follow.

Stage 4: Complaining to your Local Authority

If you are not satisfied with the way the school has dealt with your complaint and you have completed all the stages of the School Complaint Policy you may write to your Local Authority Complaint Manager. The Local Authority is responsible for ensuring that schools adhere to their Complaint policy and that the process has been followed appropriately. However the Local Authority cannot re-investigate school complaints.

The Local Authority usually requests access to the correspondence and files concerned and this documentation is reviewed. Consideration will be given to the following aspects of the complaint:-

-Whether the investigation by the school was conducted entirely in an impartial, comprehensive and effective manner.

- Whether the views of the complainant have been considered and responded to.

- Whether the response from the Head and the Governors provided an accurate and complete picture of the investigation.

If you believe that your school’s governing body or your local authority has acted unreasonably you can complain to the Secretary of State in the Department for Education and Skills.