Complaints to the Governors

[Nikky1331]

What is the procedure if you never receive a response from the Governors about your formal complaint submitted to the headteacher personally? In this case formal complaint was submitted to the headteacher but I never received a response. I have requested a meeting with the chair several times, but the headteacher kept avoiding it, implying that every time there was a problem, It had to be discussed with him first, although each time it was about the same thing, they were not new problems. I am hoping to be able to go to the DfE directly, as I have followed the procedure, although the school didn't. He lied about every query I had, and his responses are mainly lots of details containing nonsense, not related to the problem; or just prolonged confusing details that don't shed light on anything.

I'm a parent governor

It's possible the head hasn't passed on the complaint.
Does your school Website have an email to the chair of govs (or possibly their secretary) ?
If not try the LEA, they should have a contact .
What sort of timescale are you working on? If it is something that needs full council discussion it may have to wait until there is space on the agenda

Sorry about the shocking typing - on my phone

You should be able to contact the chair directly, either by their email on the school website or by letter via the school office. Their details will be publicly available on a gov.uk website - think it’s called edubase. Very bad form for the HT not to pass on any complaint, although most complaints procedures will escalate to the Chair directly rather than going through HT.

Usual complaints policy is that in the first instance a complaint must be investigated by the head. It will only be escalated to governors if the complainer is not happy with the initial response. If it is a maintained (ie local authority) school, the LA will only become involved to investigate whether the process has been correctly followed. Academies will have their own policies and procedures.

In your case, I would do what others suggest and try to contact the Chair directly, saying you wish to escalate the original complaint to the second stage.

If you can't get hold of an address, drop a letter into the school office marked 'private and confidential FAO Chair of Governors'.

The deadline for receiving a reply has passed about a week ago. In fact he didn't want to take the envelope at all when I gave it to him it and said "keep it and give it me later". I told him that I would like to submit it. I am sure he hasn't passed it on at all. Even before, after a couple of complaints, he said that I can't submit a complaint or talk to the Chair without talking to him, which I did several times. I emailed the Chair in March, requesting a meeting, but he never replied. My DS has been very unhappy complaining of constant shouting at school. They said that "they are preparing them not to get detentions later during education"! If DS complained they call him in the office and put words in his mouth, saying to him that he is unkind and says things "that are not clever". This is ongoing fir about 3-4 months. The responses by the head, in my understanding, imply that if you complain further we will make it harder for your child. He said it is the hormones! They are just primary!! Ds is high achieving and usually very polite, but gets anxious from aggressiveness or shouting. In addition, the school wasn't able to report on his progress this year "the class teacher hasn't seen enough of his work'! All this academic year! Which corresponds with what my DS complained - that for the whole year he didn't have any work corrected or explained. He is still in the top three, I work with him.

You have to go to the head teacher in writing to make a formal complaint, which you appear to have done. They have to reply to the complaint in writing, which they also clearly have not done.
At that point you should, assuming that their complaints procedure follows the normal path, be able to make a formal complaint to the Chair of Governors that the headteacher has failed to carry out the complaints procedure and has not responded at all in writing to your written complaint.
There should be a mechanism to get this written complaint to the Chair of Governors, which you do appear to have. Do that again in writing, because i would have expected that the previous occasion that they will have quite rightly passed it back to the headteacher to investigate as they had not done that bit of the procedure. You now need to get it in writing that the head teacher has failed to carry the procedure and also address any of the issues. At that point the Chair of Governors should not be passing it back down the line to the Head teacher but doing something about it.
Most LAs do not now have any jurisdiction over complaint to the school, it will need to go to the DfE. You however need to be able to show very clearly that the school are not following procedure with a paper trail before they will get involved. Even then the only likely action is to request the headteacher does do what is required.
I get the distinct impression that your faith in the school has totally broken down, so maybe you need to be considering whether a school move is an appropriate next move.

Never did get any response other than an acknowledgement it had been received when I took a complaint to the governors (we'd followed process and had gone to the Head first and half of the complaint was how badly the Head had mishandled it).

In the end we moved schools.

Yes no faith in the school. I have noticed that they take revenge on Ds when I try to talk. This is the end of primary, so removing Ds from the school earlier. Place in the next school, including a scholarship already secured. It is surprising that DfE will not investigate?! What about LEA? Thanks so much about your responses!

Do you have younger DC at the school, or will you never have to see these people again in 8 weeks’ time?

I think this would make a difference to my actions.

I would send any documents to them via email as well as giving them in by hand. That way they can't put them down and lose them accidentally on purpose.
If you have sent things by email, it's much easier to chase up and send a follow up copy of the email pointing out the day it was sent and that you are overdue a reply... Plus you can forward them on to others...

Is there an email address on the website for the chair of governors? Could you ring them up and ask for it or get someone else to...

No other child so no problem. As I said secondary school secured. However, too many incidents every day. Dc was just telling me that he was sent to do crafts with a group of children and one of the teachers, who told him to go back he wasn't needed. The children then approached him to say that the teacher had said that he was annoying and yabbers too much and she didn't want him in the group. It is all almost surreal! I feel almost like I am in a film and this is not my life!

You have this week, then SATs, then one more week, then half term. After half term, could you take him out of school? Is there an aunt or uncle or granny he could go to if you’re working? I know he’ll have some induction sessions at the secondary school, but I”d be inclined to cut my losses with the Primary now, as you don’t have any other DC there.

Is this a private school? Are you saying your child is top three in the school? I don't understand that part

This is state. Then going to private. Yes, actually removing dc immediately.
I see from comments and reviews online though that in most cases it's not worth making the formal complaint. They seem to be well protected, which is strange, I thought children would be protected. The chair will probably be behind the head. Has a few children at the school...I have enough evidence to show that they put dc under emotional stress and abuse to cover themselves. They lie too, bring new trivial information, interview kids who were not involved...It seems that there are problems between staff too.

Yes, dc is top of class.

As an ex Governor we would not interfere with the head and teacher running the school and disciplining kids as they saw fit unless there was outright abuse.

It sounds very much as though your bright child has outgrown the school.

I bet if you were to say you are going to home ed immediately they would bend over backwards to keep him to boost their SATS results

Probably has outgrown the school. But nor sure if a child is called in the office continuously to be told that always makes bad comments. Never been the case before. Has been made to apologise on weekly basis for things didn't know happened and apologised because of fear. They know I was about to home ed. Definitely no sats. Ds will go for a month to germany, language school. Not a spoiled child, I had parents whom I didn't know mention how dc has been helpful towards their children.

What would happen if you said you were refusing to send ds in during the sats exams? If he is bright it will hurt the school maybe if his results aren’t there to add an excellent mark in - would they notice or care and is it something that is worth threatening?

Alternatively, is there any way that their treatment of your ds would or could be deemed a failure to safeguard him? Others here sound much more qualified than me to advise but from previously —spending way too much time— on mumsnet, it seems the ‘magic words’ you need to use to get the school to have to take action is to point out their failure to safeguard your ds. Even more so if it’s the head that you’re accusing... might be worth considering...

Also dig out the complaints procedure - should be on the website. A way to escalate complaints should be on it - and the council/DoE etc won’t listen to you if you can’t show that you have been through the proper procedure - or at least tried to do so!

Repeat your complaint in writing outlining the failure to action it and make sure to send it to offsted
They wont be able to ignore it then and will be panicking over a blot on their inspection copybook. .

No sats definitely. Howver, what I can pick up is that the Govns won't do anything, even if the HT is lying? Can a teacher pock on a child and continuously make psychological pressure and manipulate them? Based on above it appears yes because that's how he choses to run the school!

What about my suggestion above ? Even if you are removing your child it needs resolving for the sake of others.
And i am a parent governor ! Complaints relayed to offsted are a big issue to heads !

Thanks flapjackfairy! As soon as placement in Germany goes ahead, in two days, I will follow that up. I will copy Ofsted and chase the chair. Ds is desperate, constantly stopped to apologise for things he hasn't done or shouted at (at this point it seems like a message to me!). Some however suggest that they get away with it and give their version of truth. This is why it is hard to decide to go ahead. I was at the receiving end of his lies. Thanks so much for all your responses!!

Are you supposed to give the current school the name and address of the place/school in Germany (where ds will be going this summer). They emailed to ask!

The school should have a complaints procedure on their website. You would complain to the Headteacher as this is an operational matter. If, however, the complaints procedure is not followed (eg head not responding) then you can complain to the chair of governors as procedure has not been followed and governors oversee strategic leadership. It could end up becoming a complaint about the head and the teacher. If the chair doesn’t respond in accordance with the complaints procedure then you take it to the local ombudsman.