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What can be done if you have serious misgivings about the way a school have handled something

2 replies

Elwyn · 07/07/2022 11:13

I don't want to give away too many details as it would be potentially outing but what can be done if you have serious concerns about the competence of a school's senior management and the way they have handled something? (think using outdated and discredited attitudes in dealing with the mental health and emotional well-being of multiple children). I suppose the obvious answer is making a complaint through the official procedures; first have meeting with headteacher then, if not resolved, go to Governors with Headteacher present. However, these involve being in face to face meetings and we have experience of face to face meetings with the headteacher and they are not very fruitful. The Headteacher side-steps questions, uses categorical statements that cannot strictly be used (e.g. saying "this did not happen" when instead they should say "I am not aware of this happening"). We do not feel on a level playing-field because we are more measured and we are hindered by the fact that we do not want to have any vindictiveness directed towards our children (I know of one previous example of this sort of thing happening so it is not an unwarranted concern). There will be many other parents going down the official complaints procedure path and we may as well but I do not have confidence in what it will achieve. I'm just hoping that there is something else I can do? I want Ofsted to be aware of what outdated attitudes the headteacher is practising and I want the HT to be reprimanded/sent on refresher courses or something. The school is rated "good" but "outstanding" in leadership. I feel if Ofsted knew what she had done, there is a risk this would be downgraded and that would send her a very clear message that she should learn from her mistakes. I would like the HT to apologise to the children and explain that she will never put other children through what she put them through (because there were far kinder and gentler methods she could have used that would have resulted in the same outcome she is trying to achieve). There is a breakdown in the relationship between school senior management and the rest of the school community (this has been eroding for years) and surely Ofsted would want and need to know about this? I have been on Ofsted's Parent View and filled it in for this year but there are just some tickboxes, there is nowhere to fill in any detail about our concerns. Thank you for reading.

OP posts:
Mischance · 07/07/2022 11:19

Contact Ofsted - nothing to stop you.

But if enough people go through the formal procedures in school and alert the governors it would be reasonable to expect some change.

This is beginning to sound as if it should be on a Boris must Go thread!

NeverDropYourMooncup · 07/07/2022 11:26

www.gov.uk/complain-about-school

Safeguarding - local authority

Equality advisory and support service

DfE if maintained or EFSA if an academy or free school

SEND provision - local authority

SEND tribunal

Hope that helps. Can't do the direct links but they're all on the website I gave first.

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