Schools and academies each have their own complaints procedure, and these are not the responsibility of the council. Their complaints procedure must be made available to all parents, pupils and members of the public and in most cases will be available via the school or academy’s own website.
There may be several stages to the complaints procedure. Should you remain dissatisfied with the outcome once you've completed the schools complaints procedure, you may write to the Secretary of State for Education for a state funded school or the Education Funding Agency for an academy.
Complaints dealt with by the council
The following complaints come outside the scope of the school’s own complaints procedure:
Admissions
The council, as the local authority, has responsibility for admissions to community and controlled schools. Any appeals or complaints should be referred to the admissions team. Admissions to aided and foundation schools should be dealt with by the diocese and/or the governors of the school.
Child protection
Child protection issues should be investigated by Children's Care Services and the police. The school’s prime responsibility is to trigger the appropriate procedure through the council.
The curriculum and religious worship
Complaints about the curriculum and religious worship should be considered by the school and governing body initially. If the complainant is still not satisfied with the outcome, the matter should be referred to Medway Council’s school advisory team. Find out how to complain about the curriculum and collective worship.
Exclusions
Governing bodies are required to set up exclusions committees to consider exclusions, following guidance procedures issued by the Department for Education.
Make a complaint
If you believe your complaint is something that can be dealt with by us, you can make a complaint about a Medway Council service.