Appendix A Information for Parents

Little Gaddesden Primary School, Church Road Little Gaddesden HP4 1NX

01442 842464 [email protected]

HOW TO COMMENT OR COMPLAIN

We care about what you think . Each day this school makes many decisions and tries hard to do the best for all the children. Your comments - either positive or negative - are helpful for future planning.

You may want to talk to us about a particular aspect of this school, though not actually make a complaint - you just want to get something ‘off your chest’.

If you are dissatisfied about the way your child is being treated, or any actions or lack of action by us, please feel able to contact us using the details listed above.

Our aims

 Your complaint will be dealt with honestly, politely and in confidence  Your complaint will be looked into thoroughly and fairly  If your complaint is urgent we will deal with it more quickly  We will keep you up to date with progress at each stage  You will get an apology if we have made a mistake  You will be told what we are going to do to put things right  You will get a full and clear written reply to formal complaints within 28 school days

Little Gaddesden CofE Primary School Telephone: 01442 842464 Web: www.littlegaddesden.herts.sch.uk/

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1. How to raise a concern

We hope that most complaints can be settled quickly and informally, either by putting matters right or by giving you an explanation. If there is something you are not happy about, or you don’t understand why we are doing something in a particular way, please come in and discuss it with the class teacher or another appropriate member of staff, such as the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) if it is about Special Needs.

Any parent who wishes to arrange a time to informally discuss a concern with a teacher can do so by phoning or e- mailing the school office or by talking directly to the teacher. Where possible, parents should raise any concerns as soon as possible, as it makes them far easier to address. We know that it can feel uncomfortable to question or challenge, but if you don’t tell us what is worrying you we cannot explain what we are doing or try to put it right.

If the first person you talk to cannot help you then speak to the Headteacher. Make an appointment with the school secretary to make sure the Headteacher is available. You should be able to sort out your worries but sometimes this is not possible. In this case there is a next step.

2. How to make a complaint

2.1 Special Educational Needs & Disability Complaints

As part of the new 2014 Code of Practice, dispute resolution and mediation services must be available for parents and for young people to help resolve disagreements whether they have an EHC plan or not. These services are free of charge for parents, and for young people who wish to use them. Attending Dispute resolution is voluntary, and can only take place if all the parties agree to attend. All the parties talk together to understand each other’s point of view and work towards a shared agreement on the issues.

Where an application for an Education Health and Care assessment has been made or agreed, or an EHCP is in place, parents, or young people with SEND may also choose to use the independent mediation service. The new code of practice requires that the option of using mediation has been considered prior to appealing to a Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Tribunal.

In , the KIDS Mediation Service will provide this service to ensure independence from Hertfordshire County Council, schools and colleges, and Social care and Health services. The service is free of charge and confidential. For further information, please contact:

Hertfordshire Parent Partnership Team (Special Educational Needs) Room 152, County Hall, SG13 8DF Web: www.hertsdirect.org/parentpartnership Email: [email protected] Phone: 01992 555847

KIDS Mediation (current Hertfordshire Service) www.kids.org.uk/mediation

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2.2 Other Complaints

If you wish to make a complaint, then we ask you to do so no later than 3 months after the events or incidents you wish to complain about have taken place. If there are exceptional reasons why this is not possible, the school and Governing Body may still agree to consider your complaint. However you are asked to bear in mind that it may become more difficult to investigate thoroughly, particularly if there have been staff changes.

First: If you are not satisfied after having raised a concern, you can complain formally by filling in a form which is available from the school office. Once you have completed it, please return it to the school office. The Headteacher will contact you and aim to set up a meeting within 5 working days. Once the meeting has taken place, they will write to you again within 10 working days to either confirm the conclusions reached in discussion or outline any further action if appropriate.

Second: If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you should write to the Chair of Governors. The school secretary will tell you who this is and pass on any written correspondence, including your complaint form. The Chair will then arrange for your complaint to be investigated and considered and will reply within 10 working days to give you a progress report and tell you what will happen next.

Third: If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you can request that the Chair of Governors puts your complaint before a Governing Body Appeals Panel. The appeals panel will aim to hear your complaint within 28 days of receiving your written complaint. You will receive a letter inviting you to come to a meeting. When your complaint has been fully investigated you will be told of the outcome in writing.

Fourth: Most complaints are the responsibility of the Governing Body of the school and will be resolved by them. A small number of complaints may not be resolved by this process.

In a Voluntary-Aided school (such as Little Gaddesden) you do not have a fourth stage of complaint to the Local Authority. This is because the Local Authority has no power in Voluntary-Aided schools to inspect the provision or to influence content. However, if your complaint is about Denominational Religious Education or Collective Worship then you can write to:

The Diocesan Director of Education, Diocese of Education Centre, Hall Grove, Garden City, AL7 4PJ. Tel: 01707 332321. Website: www.stalbans.anglican.org

However, you can complain to the Secretary of State at the Department for Education. The contact details are as follows

The School Complaints Unit (SCU) at: Department for Education 2nd Floor, Piccadilly Gate Manchester M1 2WD

Please note that the Department for Education will only follow up your complaint with the school if they believe they might have acted unreasonably or failed to carry out a statutory duty. If a complaint has exhausted the local procedures, SCU will examine if the complaints policy and any other relevant policies were followed in accordance with the provisions set out. SCU also examines policies to determine if they adhere to education legislation. However, the department will not re-investigate the substance of the complaint. This remains the responsibility of schools. If legislative or policy breaches are found, SCU will report them to the school and the complainant and, where necessary, require remedial action to be taken. Failure to carry out remedial actions could ultimately result in a formal Direction being issued by the Secretary of State.

A copy of the full Complaints Policy is available from the school office on request.

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Little Gaddesden Primary School Complaints Form

Please complete and return to the School Office who will acknowledge receipt and explain what will happen next.

Your name:

Pupil’s name:

Your relationship to the pupil:

Address:

Postcode: Day time telephone number: Evening telephone number:

Please give details of your complaint.

What action, if any, have you already taken to try and resolve your complaint. (Who did you speak to and what was the response)?

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What actions do you feel might resolve the problem at this stage?

Are you attaching any paperwork? If so, please give details.

Signature:

Date:

Official use

Date acknowledgement sent:

By whom:

Complaint referred to:

Date:

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