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Complaints (Parents)

Policy Statement

Caterham School recognises that parents will, from time to time, have normal and legitimate concerns about the progress, achievement, behaviour or welfare of their son or daughter. Parents are encouraged to make those concerns known to staff so that they can be addressed in partnership with the school.

At Caterham School we:

  • Take all concerns and complaints seriously.
  • Make every effort to deal with complaints informally and at an early stage, in the spirit of partnership.
  • Resolve all complaints within 28 working days of the complaint being received.
  • Ensure that complaints are dealt with in line with the procedures set out in this document.
  • Ensure that complaints are resolved either to the complainant's satisfaction or with an otherwise appropriate outcome which balances the rights and duties of pupils.
  • Ensure that, where appropriate, a full and fair investigation of the issue is undertaken.
  • Ensure that no-one, including pupils, are penalised for making a complaint in good faith.
  • Keep a written record, for at least three years, of all complaints, the action taken and at what stage they were resolved. (Note: This information is provided to Ofsted at their request)
  • Review regularly at senior leadership level the written record of complaints and their outcomes
  • Keep confidential all records relating to individual complaints except where the Secretary of State or a body conducting an inspection under section 162A of the 2002 Act, as amended, requests access to them.

A record of formal complaints and their outcomes is kept by Mrs Ridge, Deputy Head in both electronic and hard copy in her office. The record is reviewed regularly by the Headmaster and the Head of the Prep School.

The number of complaints registered under the formal procedure during the last school year (2009-2010) was One (1)

Parents are also free to make a complaint to ISI (or, regarding boarding welfare or EYFS, to OFSTED) if they so wish. Relevant contact details are set out below.

ISI: CAP House, 9-12 Long Lane, London EC1A 9HA
Phone: 020 7600 0100 or e-mail via the ISI website: www.isi.net

OFSTED: Royal Exchange Buildings, St Ann's Square, Manchester M2 7LA
Phone: 0300 123 4666 or e-mail enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk

National Care Standards Commission: 58 Uxbridge Road, London W52ST Phone: +44 (0)208 280 0347

This policy is applicable to all pupils in our school including our boarders and those in our EYFS setting. It is available to staff, pupils, parents and the parents of prospective pupils on the school's website and paper copies are available on request from the school office.

(For the purpose of our Complaints Policy and procedures the term parents includes guardians and the parents of prospective pupils)

Concerns procedure

A vital aspect of working in a close partnership with parents is that we want to know when things are, in the view of parents, not going right. If you have any concerns about any aspect of your child's life at school, please contact an appropriate member of staff as soon as possible. We will take all such expressions of concern seriously and follow them up courteously and promptly. In any school things can go wrong but we want to do all we can to sort those things out.

Two things tend to make parents and pupils reluctant to express concerns:

A fear that the School will not see the issue to be important. Please be assured, if it is important to you, it is important to us.

A fear that expression of a concern may lead to repercussions for the pupil. Please be assured that under no circumstances will the School discriminate against a pupil because of expressions of concern or complaints. We are also very experienced in ensuring that, if other pupils are involved (e.g. in an allegation of bullying), there are no repercussions from other quarters.

What to do to achieve an informal resolution for a concern.

It is to be hoped that most concerns can be made and considered on an informal basis.

  • For a minor day to day issue please contact the relevant teacher or Tutor.
  • For a more serious subject related academic concern, the Head of Department should be contacted.
  • For a more serious general academic concern or pastoral matter, the relevant Head of Year is the appropriate person to contact.
  • For concerns about the curriculum, please contact the Deputy Head (Curriculum).
  • For any other pastoral or disciplinary concerns, please contact the Deputy Head.
  • In matters regarding finance, fees and non-academic services please contact the Bursar.
  • In matters regarding after school care please contact the After School Supervisor or the Resources Manager.
  • For all such matters pertaining to the Prep School or EYFS please contact the Head of the Prep School.

We will do all we can to ensure that we respond to concerns in a highly professional manner. However, if you feel that an expression of concern has not been handled properly by a member of staff, please contact the Deputy Head or the Head of the Prep School respectively so that you can pursue your unresolved concern via the complaints procedure.

Complaints Procedure

The school will initially make every reasonable effort to resolve complaints on an informal basis

Parents who feel that their concern has not been adequately addressed are advised to complain to the Deputy Head or the Head of the Prep School accordingly. In accordance with our policy the school aims to resolve all complaints within 28 days.

The Deputy Head or the Head of the Prep School will make every effort to resolve your complaint on an informal basis. Methods of communication during this process may well include meetings, telephone calls, emails or letters.

If, following consultation with the Deputy Head or the Head of the Prep School, your complaint has not been resolved informally, parents are directed to the Formal Complaints Procedure.

Formal Complaints Procedure

If you remain unhappy, please contact the Headmaster. This should be in writing. The Headmaster may ask to meet you for a discussion of the problem. The Headmaster will conduct a full investigation of the complaint and may interview any members of staff or pupils involved. You will receive a written response to your complaint.

Full written details of the nature of the complaint, any relevant documents and full contact details should be sent by the parents in an envelope addressed to the Headmaster. It would be very helpful if parents could also indicate what they envisage as the desired outcome.

The Headmaster will decide, after considering the complaint, upon the appropriate course of action to take. In most cases, the Headmaster will speak to and/or meet with the parents concerned to discuss the matter, normally within ten days of receiving the complaint. If possible, a resolution will be reached at this stage. It may be necessary for the Headmaster to carry out further investigations that may delay a resolution. The Headmaster may ask a senior member of staff to act as investigator and/or may involve one or more of the School Trustees.

Written records will be kept of all meetings and interviews held in relation to the complaint.

Once the Headmaster is satisfied that, so far as is practicable, all of the relevant facts have been established, a decision will be made and parents will be informed of this decision in writing. The Headmaster will also give reasons for his decision.

Panel Hearing – Stage 3

If having discussed the matter with the Headmaster, you still feel dissatisfied then please contact the Chairman of Trustees who will convene a panel of at least two Trustees and one person independent of the management and running of the School to consider the complaint. No member of the panel may have any involvement with any matter detailed in the complaint. You can write to the Chair of Trustees in confidence c/o the Bursar who is Clerk to the Trustees. The Clerk will acknowledge the request within 5 working days.

If possible, the Panel will resolve the parents' complaint immediately without the need for further investigation.

Where further investigation is required, the Panel will decide how it should be carried out.

At the Panel Hearing, the complainant(s) may be accompanied by one other person e.g. a relative or friend. Legal representation will only be permitted if the Chairman considers it appropriate. If it is considered appropriate the Chairman will inform the complainant(s) to that effect so that they may chose to be legally represented at the Panel Hearing if they so wish. Should they decide to be so represented they shall inform the Chairman at least 7 days before the date set for the Panel Hearing that that is their intention. If the complainant(s) chose to be legally represented the Chairman will notify the other parties of that decision to enable them to have legal representation at the Panel Hearing should they so wish.

After due consideration of all facts they consider relevant, the Panel will reach a decision and may make recommendations, which it shall complete within seven days of the meeting or Hearing or as soon as reasonably practicable. The Panel will write to the parents informing them of its decision and the reasons for it within seven days of reaching this decision. The Panel's findings and any recommendations will be sent in writing to the parents, the Headmaster, Trustees and, where relevant, the person(s) about whom the complaint was made. The decision of the Panel will be final.

Parents can be assured that all concerns and complaints will be treated seriously and confidentially. Correspondence, statements and records will be kept confidential except where the Secretary of State or a body conducting an inspection under section 162A of the 2002 Education Act, as amended, requests access to them; or where any other legal obligation prevails.

Parents are always welcome to address their serious concerns on any matter to the Headmaster. Written records of all serious complaints and their outcomes (including at what stage they were resolved) will be kept and reviewed at least annually by The Headmaster The Deputy Head, The Head of the Prep School and The Head of Boarding as appropriate.

Boarders and their parents are entitled to contact the National Care Standards Commission at any time if they have concerns about welfare. Any parent is entitled to contact the ISI.

Revised December 2010