This policy and procedure applies to concerns raised or complaints made
by parents and guardians in relation to the education and care of their
children in the school. It also applies to concerns and complaints
arising from the school's admission procedures, and the way in which
applications from prospective parents are handled.
The object of the procedure is to ensure that complaints are handled
effectively, ensuring that (i) feelings of discontent or bitterness are kept to a minimum and (ii) the outcome is a positive one for all
parties, resulting in a clear sense of future direction.
Procedure
This procedure distinguishes between informal and formal complaints, and the appeal stage.
Informal stage
A parent or prospective parent with a concern or complaint is
encouraged first to discuss it informally with the member of staff most
closely involved. Where there is good will with both parties most issues
can be resolved at this level.
If the person bringing the concern or complaint does not wish to talk
directly to the member of staff most closely concerned, they may raise
it with that member of staff's Sponsor or another member of staff. The Mediation Group is also available to help resolve the issue and/or help to find the right process. If
in any doubt as to who to approach they should request guidance from
the Administration Co-ordinator. At this point the complaint is still at the informal
stage.
In some cases the best way of resolving a complaint is for the person
receiving the complaint to call a meeting between the parties. A second
member of staff should be present at this meeting as a facilitator and
to take notes, and the person bringing the complaint also has the right
to be accompanied.
Complaints and concerns at the informal stage vary greatly in
seriousness and complexity, and there will sometimes be uncertainty as
to whether what is being said qualifies as a complaint, a concern, a
comment or an idea. It is important that those bringing and those
hearing the complaint are clear, at an early stage, of the degree of
seriousness that the other attaches to the matter, so that an
appropriate level of documentation is maintained.
It is the responsibility of the person hearing the complaint to ensure
that it is documented at this stage. Any written documentation relating
to the processing of a complaint, including notes taken at meetings,
etc., should be made available by both parties to each other, as soon
as is practicable. Documentation, or copies thereof, should be passed
to the Administration Co-ordinator to be securely filed.
Formal stage
Complaints will proceed to the formal stage in one of two ways:
1.Members of staff who become aware, through the informal stage, of
complaints that have serious implications for pupils or the school,
should, even if no formal complaint has yet been received, inform the
Administration Co-ordinator so that the complaint can be recorded. Certain complaints
necessarily fall into this category, including complaints concerning
bullying or inappropriate behaviour by staff or pupils and complaints
that come in the context of a family considering withdrawing their
child from the school. The Administration Co-ordinator will consider whether a formal complaints procedure should be commenced
in such a case, even if it has not been requested by the person
bringing the complaint. The reason for this is to ensure that the
school responds appropriately to issues of importance even when a
formal complaint is not made.
2.If the person bringing the complaint does not consider that it has
been satisfactorily resolved at the informal stage, or if they consider
that the nature of the complaint is too serious for an informal stage
to be appropriate, they may make a formal complaint, in writing,
addressed to the Administration Co-ordinator, and making clear that a formal complaint is intended.
The Administration Co-ordinator will arrange for an appropriate colleague to process the complaint. A letter will
be sent to the person bringing the complaint within seven days setting
out how the complaint is to be dealt with. This will be based upon
one of the following approaches:
1.The complaint may be referred to the Mediation Group, a body that
includes staff, parents, and independent members. The group, or
nominated members thereof, will meet the parties individually to
establish the issues, and/or facilitate a meeting between the parties,
as appropriate. At the conclusion of the mediation process the
Mediation Group will prepare a report describing the degree of
resolution that has been achieved and drawing conclusions about lessons
that can be learned for the future. (This approach is likely to be most
suitable when issues of personality arise or the issue giving rise to
the complaint either cannot clearly be identified or is not likely to
be subject to a clear resolution. The time-frame is likely to be longer
than that in the approach below.)
2.The member of staff processing the complaint may investigate the
complaint directly, keeping written records of any meetings and
interviews. Once satisfied that the relevant facts have been
established they will decide what action is to be taken in response to
the complaint and will communicate their decision to the parties, with reasons,
in writing. This should normally take place within two weeks of the
complaint being received. If a longer period is needed, the person
bringing the complaint will be informed in writing.
If the person bringing the complaint prefers one or other of these
approaches to be taken, they should indicate this when making the
formal complaint. If they do not agree with the approach that is chosen
they may request that the alternative approach be taken. This request
will normally be complied with, except that in cases when the procedure
is well under way the member of staff processing the complaint may
decide that a change of approach would not be appropriate.
Appeal stage
If the person bringing the complaint is not satisfied with the report of the Mediation Group or the decision of the member of staff processing the complaint, they may write to the School Council via the Council Secretary to request that the complaint be considered further. The Council Secretary will, within one week, acknowledge the request and, within a further week, the School Council will convene a hearing by a panel of at least three people who have not been directly involved in the matters detailed in the complaint, at least one of whom will be independent of the day to day management and running of the school.
All parties concerned in the complaint will be invited to the hearing,
the date and timing of which will, within reason, be such as to make it
convenient for them to attend. Both the person bringing the complaint
and the person complained of (when an individual) have the right to be
accompanied to the hearing by another person, who may be a friend,
colleague or family member. If the panel concludes that further
information and/or investigation is required, it will call for that
information from the parties and/or request that further investigation
be carried out by the member of staff who processed the complaint at
the formal stage, and/or appoint one of its own number or any other
person it deems appropriate to carry out the investigation. In all
cases the results are to be circulated to the parties before a further
hearing.
Following the concluding hearing, the panel will summarise in writing
its findings and recommendations and circulate these to the parties to
the complaint, and also to the School Council and the Mandate Co-ordinator.
If the findings include a recommendation for disciplinary action to be
taken against a member of staff, the disciplinary procedure set out in
the Statement of Terms and Conditions of Employment will apply.
The Administration Mandate Holder is to keep a record of all complaints reaching the
formal stage, and will maintain a record of the subsequent process,
including documentation (which should be passed to the Administrator to
be securely filed). The record is to be available to all parties to the
complaint but will otherwise be confidential, except when statutory or
other legal obligations prevail.
Parents of children in the school who remain dissatisfied at the
conclusion of the complaints procedure may take their complaint to the
Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship, in which case the procedures set
down by the SWSF will apply. The Fellowship should be contacted in
writing at: Kidbrooke Park, Forest Row, East Sussex, RH18 5JA.
Parents wishing to know the number of formal complaints registered under this procedure during the preceding school year may request this information from the Administration Co-ordinator.
Revised September 2007