Navigating School Complaints
A practical, step-by-step guide for parents who need to raise a concern with their child's school — your rights, the process, and where to go next.
Every school must have a complaints procedure
Under the Education Act 2002 (Section 29), all maintained schools must have a complaints procedure. Academies and free schools are required to have one under their funding agreements. This means every parent has a clear route to raise concerns.
How to raise a concern
Follow these stages in order. Most concerns are resolved at stage 1 or 2.
Talk to the school informally
Start with a conversation. Speak to your child's class teacher, form tutor, or the relevant staff member. Most issues — from homework concerns to playground incidents — can be resolved quickly and informally. Schools genuinely want to hear from parents and will often act immediately.
Raise it with senior leadership
If you're not satisfied after speaking to the class teacher, ask to speak with the headteacher or a deputy head. They have more authority to investigate and resolve issues. Many schools have a designated person for handling parental concerns at this level.
Make a formal complaint
If informal approaches haven't resolved the issue, you can make a formal complaint. Every school must publish their complaints procedure — usually on their website. The procedure will explain how to submit a formal complaint in writing, the timescales the school must follow, and how the complaint will be investigated.
Appeal to the governing body
If you're not satisfied with the headteacher's response to your formal complaint, most procedures allow you to escalate to the school's governing body (or trust board for academies). A panel of governors will review your complaint and the school's response. You may be invited to present your case in person.
Where to go if you're not satisfied
If you've exhausted the school's internal complaints procedure and remain unsatisfied, several external bodies can help depending on the type of school and the nature of your complaint.
Local Authority (maintained schools)
For maintained schools (those run by the local council), the local authority can investigate complaints about the governing body's handling of your complaint. They can also intervene on matters like admissions, exclusions, and SEND provision.
Education and Skills Funding Agency (academies)
For academies and free schools, the ESFA can investigate complaints about the trust's handling of your complaint. They focus on whether the academy trust has followed its own procedures and met its obligations under the funding agreement.
Department for Education
The DfE handles complaints about education policy, school closures, and issues not covered by other bodies. They can also intervene in serious cases of school governance failure.
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
The Ombudsman investigates complaints about maladministration by schools (maintained schools and some academy matters). They look at whether proper procedures were followed and whether the outcome was fair.
Ofsted
Ofsted does not investigate individual complaints about schools. However, you can share concerns about a school's performance, safeguarding, or leadership, which may inform future inspection planning.
Tips for raising an effective concern
Be specific
Describe exactly what happened, when, and who was involved. Vague concerns are harder for schools to investigate and address.
Keep records
Save copies of all correspondence — emails, letters, and notes from meetings. If you speak on the phone, follow up with a summary email.
Focus on outcomes
Be clear about what you want to happen. Are you looking for an apology, a change of policy, better communication, or support for your child? Schools respond better when they understand the desired outcome.
Stay factual and constructive
You're more likely to get a positive response if your complaint is factual and focused. Avoid personal attacks — criticise the action or decision, not the individual.
Know your timescales
Most schools aim to acknowledge complaints within 5 working days and respond within 20. If you don't hear back within the stated timescale, follow up in writing.
Seek support if needed
You don't have to navigate this alone. Organisations like Parentkind, IPSEA (for SEND complaints), and your local Citizens Advice can help.
Parentkind's guide to school complaints
Parentkind has published a comprehensive guide specifically for parents navigating the school complaints system. It covers the formal process in detail, provides template letters, and explains your rights at each stage.
We recommend reading this guide if you're considering making a formal complaint. It's free to access on the Parentkind website.
Read Parentkind's guide on their website →⚖️ Important note
This guide provides general information about the school complaints process in England. It is not legal advice. If you need legal support, particularly for SEND-related complaints, contact IPSEA or seek advice from a solicitor specialising in education law.