As Education Secretary, and as a parent myself, I know how worrying it can be when something doesn't feel right for your child at school. Whether it's a concern about their learning, wellbeing, or something more serious, parents tell me the same thing: they just want to know how to get their voice heard.
That's why I'm really pleased to support Parentkind's new guide to school complaints for parents – a straightforward, practical resource developed with government, to help families navigate the process of raising concerns with their school.
At its heart, this is about relationships. The love and support children get at home, and the experiences they have at school – these things work together. When families and schools are pulling in the same direction, children thrive. In fact, strong partnerships between families and schools help make sure children want to go to school and can even help them make more academic progress.
These relationships last for years, and when there's trust on both sides, it creates the kind of environment where children can really flourish.
In many cases, concerns can be resolved quickly when you know who to speak to. A quick word with a class teacher can often sort things in minutes. But when parents don't know where to start, small worries can grow into bigger frustrations. And when families feel unheard, it's all too easy to feel disconnected from school life altogether.
This guide is designed to stop that happening. It sets out clear steps on who to talk to, when to escalate a concern, and how to do so constructively. It offers practical tips to help parents feel prepared and reassured – because raising a concern shouldn't feel daunting.
Ultimately, this is about keeping children at the centre. When a concern lingers unresolved, it's children who lose out – whether it’s additional support not being received, a friendship problem spiralling, or a child starting to dread the school day. The sooner issues are addressed, the sooner children can get back to what they're there for: making progress, building confidence, and succeeding in the classroom. That's why this guide doesn't just help parents feel more confident – it helps get children the support they need, faster.
For far too long, schools and families have been left to navigate these challenges largely on their own. We expect this guide – developed with Ofsted, headteacher unions and school leaders – to help strengthen those partnerships and prevent concerns from escalating. But we know there's more to do.
That's why this forms part of wider reform in our upcoming Schools White Paper – our vision for how education and childhood in this country should look. We want every school to be a place of high expectations and real opportunity for every child – and that only works when families feel they're genuinely part of the conversation.
The White Paper will set out more about how the government will work with schools and families to strengthen relationships and make sure that in the rare cases complaints happen, they are resolved as fairly and simply as possible.
Parents and teachers all want the same thing – a brilliant school experience for every child, that stretches them academically, opens doors, and is built on strong relationships.
By working together, listening to each other, and knowing how to speak up when something isn't right, we can make that a reality for every family.