How do you go about complaining

[Thehusbandsatcricketagain]

about something in your dc school that you witnessed & are very distressed about.I saw something today that made me want to burst into tears.I have spoken to another parent who said this type of bahaviour has been going on for years,parents complain & they are then fobbed off & things swept under the carpet.I know the process is Head,chair of govenors,govenors panel & then higher.I want to do something as I am not the type of person that can just sit back & ignore a imo badly run school but as my ds will be there for another 5 years I want a happy child but if I upset the applecart I have been told I will not be liked & it may impact on my ds (opinion from another parent).So if I know it will already cause ructions how do I go about changing things as I came home & started looking at home ed (don't really want to as I would go insane & ds would miss out on friendships) but may have to.

Any help from anyone would be great.

[clutteredup]

You should be able to complain in confidence to the governors, try your parent governor, or if you are concerned complain higher explaining you have cause to believe your children will be treated differently for it and they should deal with it in confidence.
What is the problem - bullying?

[PandaNot]

I could have written this post 2 years ago. I did speak to the head because my only concern was the well-being of my ds. Although on the surface the head teacher appeared to deal with it very casually I know (from friends who work in the school) that she was immediately monitoring the teacher concerned much more closely and dealing specifically with the issues I had raised.

I'm sure she thinks I'm a fussy parent but that's not my concern and my ds certainly hasn't been affected, his teacher this year has been just lovely. When he gets this 'problem' teacher back next year I will deal very swiftly with any problems again.

So yes, you're right, speak to the head and agree action with her, clarifying that if that action isn't carried out and the situation continues that you will take it to the Chair of Gov and the Local Authority.

[IndigoBell]

I'm not sure what the question is.

You are right about the process. In the first instance you should discuss your concerns with the HT.

If your concern is about the HT then you should discuss your concerns with the chair of the board of governors. If you are complaining about them then you should discuss your complaint with the LEA.

There is no way to predict if your DC would suffer as a result of your complaint or not - presumably he's already suffering which is why you want to complain.....

Is there any way you can move school?

Home Ed can be brilliant. Check out the HE board.

[Thehusbandsatcricketagain]

Indigobell - It's the pastoral care that concerns me.My ds broke his arm recently & during play he had to stay in the classroom on his own (age5) unattended as teachers were in sr,apparently this happens regularly.Also the total lack of supervision at outdoor play (this is how ds broke his arm in first place) where they are allowed behind sheds & all sorts (I witnessed this at lunch play today).

What concerned me today was a TA dragging a boy into school with arm in air,I assume he had misbehaved outside but he was crying,I know he is a difficult child & I have seen this myself that he his not an easy one but imo no matter what a child has done no member of staff has the right to be holding onto a childs wrist with his arm in the air dragging him along when he is clearly visibly upset,I know there are ways of managing behaviour like this if a child has anger issues as I have to use these strategies for my ds for both mine & his protection on occasion (he has anger issues according to docs & is low on AS).My dc have hinted about this particular ta/lunchtime supervisor & that she is not very professional but I just brushed it off,now I can't as I witnessed it myself.

& I will ceck out the HE threads on here,could be an option as Idon't drive & we live in a rural village so another school would not be easy.

[PandaNot]

In the circumstances you describe I wouldn't hesitate to make your concerns known and ask that something be done. In those instances I would be putting my concerns in writing, asking for written responses and phrasing my concerns around child protection issues. Copy to the governor with responsibility for child protection.

[blackeyedsusan]

if the child wsa at risk of hurting himself or other children then holding him by the wrist is acceptable. have had to do this myself to prevent one child getting to another and beting them up. it is not pleasant. what you would need to know is what were the circumstances that led to this. by all means talk to the head and express your concerns because it is best to say something to make sure there was a real reason for this.

remember it may be your child they are protecting by restraining another one.

[CoffeeIsMyFriend]

You need to speak to the head teacher and then follow it up in writing - so it cannot be swept under the carpet or worse denied. This way there is a 'paper trail' for Ofsted/LEA should you wish to take it further.

An email to HT outlining your concerns is enough and if it is in writing then the school HAVE to follow up.

Hope things work out OK for you OP.