Filing a formal complaint to a private school after your child has left

[Foxesandsquirrels]

Posting here for traffic. Don't want to get into the details, just want to find out. If a child has left an independent school, are you able to make a formal complaint? Or does this need to happen whilst they're still on roll?

What would you be trying to achieve with a complaint?

I imagine you'd have to look at individual school complaints procedures to see how complaints from ex-pupils would be dealt with, but I guess my real question is, what would be the point?

If it's a safeguarding issue, and you need to complain to keep other kids safe, then absolutely, you should go ahead, and report to any relevant authorities as well.

For anything else? I'm not sure if it would be worth the bother?

@MrsBennetsPoorNerves Complaints policy doesn't say anything about children who have left.

If you don’t complain then it is 100% certain that nothing will happen.
I would go ahead and make the complaint. They are certain to at least see it, even if they don’t act on it.

When you say a formal complaint, what do you mean?

I would have thought that either the head or the governor/advisor board would take a complaint letter seriously if it was a sensible one.

Since you have left, there is no fee redress, but if you wanted to draw attention to eg a bullying teacher or unsafe building, I would think they would take it into account.

What are you hoping to achieve?
A change that will benefit future pupils?
Did your child leave because of what you are complaining about? Why did you not do this before they left?

I think it is what you are complaining about that matters more than the fact your child has left the school.
If you are complaining about something long term in the school, a policy, a culture or practice that affects other children then complain. Anything that affects safety should always be acted upon.
If you’re complaining that your child didn’t like the dinners or there aren’t enough graphic novels in the library maybe it’s not worth the bother.

I'm not asking if it's worth complaining or what it's about. I'm asking if it's possible. The child hasn't left yet, I am just trying to figure out the time frame I have. I don't have strength to write the complaint now, it has been hell. I'm spending all my energy trying to move my child. However if me not writing it whilst they're still enrolled means the complaint is not taken forward, than I need to get writing.

Anyone can complain about anything at any time. It doesn't mean the complainee will do anything about it. You normally complain because you want something to change or compensation/redress. That's why people are asking you what you hope to achieve.

Thanks. It doesn't matter what I'm hoping to achieve. I'm asking if it's possible. Thank you for clarifying.

Free country nothing to stop anyone complaining to a private business which a private school is. Once you’ve left guess you don’t have much leverage though and are likely to be ignored.

Can you give a little background?

Is it bullying? From kids or teachers?

Teaching standards?

Curriculum?

Surroundings?

etc

What are you trying to achieve by complaining?

What do you want the outcome to be?

I didn’t complain about the independent school we left but wish I had. It felt like we couldn’t and once we were truly away from there it just seemed too late.

I appreciate everyone wants to know what I'm trying to achieve, but I am worried it's outing. We are still in the thick of it and I don't want me posting on a public forum to jeopardize my complaint.

It is to do with safeguarding and is massively effecting other children too.

This is my worry. I have no strength but they seem to beat to their own drum.

OP of course you can complain once your child has left the school - what people are saying is that there is likely to be less the school can offer in the way of redress, and their desire to mollify you when you are just a member of the public is likely to be lower than their desire to mollify you when you are still a few paying parent.

If it is a serious complaint (safeguarding etc) they should take that seriously regardless. If it is complaint about how Ms X spoke to your child, or how another child did something to yours and faced no consequences, honestly I doubt they’ll care after you’ve left, and I doubt they even care much now if they know you are unhappy and already planning to leave.

@Foxesandsquirrels , I recognise your situation from your previous posts in education. I would get legal advice. I hope your dc is ok and can leave at end of term.

Not sure it's me as I've purposely avoided mentioning specific things, but hopefully they're leaving before half term. Fingers crossed.

I really do understand. It is a serious safeguarding complaint. I honestly wouldn't bother otherwise. However, I'm worried for the other kids and I will write the complaint before they leave anyway. Just to be safe. Thank you for your help.

Anyone can complain to a school. They often publish their complaints procedure on their websites. Not sure how it works with private schools but you could also complain to the equivalent of the LA so maybe the Independent Schools inspectors? Sorry don’t know what it’s called.

Yes, the goal is the ISI and DfE as it's a safeguarding concern. However, I need to exhaust the schools complaints procedure first before I approach them. My worry was that if my child is no longer on roll, I won't be able to strat the complaints process in the school. There's nothing in the school complaints policy or on the website about children no longer on roll.

There was a similar post in Boarding OP - you may want to look there and see what that user suggested. I think she got a solicitor in the end as the school said the time to complain had run out...

I've just finished writing and will send it in the morning. Thank you so much for this though. I've just looked at that thread and will contact the poster directly. Thank you!

If you are worried about the safeguarding of children in any setting you should contact the local authority safeguarding team. Anyone can make a referral anytime.

I am going to contact the LADO as well.