IMPLEMENTATION:

While addressing parents / guardian concerns or complaints, the department and its schools must:

• Abide by relevant regulatory and legislative framework.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Balance the rights and responsibilities of all parties.
• Ensure all parties are aware of their right to advocacy.
• Act in a manner that seeks to achieve an outcome acceptable to all parties.

APPENDIX A

PARENT CONCERN OR COMPLAINT PROCESS

Step: 1 Clarify the issue (what is your concern or complaint?)

 Before you approach the school or your child’s teacher:

• Be clear about the topic or issue you want to discuss.
• Focus on the things that are genuinely affecting your child.
• Always remain calm and remember you may not have all the facts relating to the circumstances of the topic or issue you wish to discuss.
• Think about what would be an acceptable outcome for you and your child.
• Be informed; check the department policies or guidelines, where relevant
• Make an appointment to speak to the following people to help resolve the concern or complaint. Go to……..
• Your child’s teacher if your concern relate to student learning and/ or specific student incidents in the teacher’s / child’s group or grade.
• The team leader if your concerns involve students from other classes
• Vice Principal if your concerns or complaints relate to complex student issues
• The principal if your concern or complaints relate to school policy, school management, staff members, other parents or very complex student issues.

Step: 2- Review or investigation at school level

• Ensures that all parties in a disputed complaint are aware of their entitlement to support through an advocate. An advocate can be a friend or colleague or an unpaid support person provided through an appropriate agency.
• The class teacher or team leader, together with any others who may be involved, should be given a reasonable amount of time to take steps required to resolve or address your concerns.
• Remember, it may not always be possible to resolve an issue to your complete satisfaction.

• Staff will communicate the outcome of concerns and complaints, where possible to all relevant parties.
• If applicable, staff will work with you to establish an agreed plan of action and timeline.
• The principal can reject a complaint that in their opinion is vexatious, or without substance, or does not warrant further action.

Modifies other school policies and procedures as required as a result of addressing concerns and complaints

Your complaint has been resolved, dismissed or addressed

Your complaint has not been resolved or you are not satisfied with the resolution.

Step:3 Contact may be made with the PRESIDENT

If your feel that your concern or complaint has not been dealt with satisfactorily, and after speaking to the principal you may contact the President of the school

Step: 4 The Ministry of Education

• Contact with the department’s central office should only take place if all other steps have not led to a satisfactory resolution. Where possible, all contact should be in writing.
• If it is clear that you have not followed the above steps, your letter (and your complaint) will be sent to the Ministry of Education

How a concern or complaint will be handled:

Complaints will be handled promptly, confidentially and in accordance with procedural fairness.

Person who is the subject of a complaint, who made a complaint or provided information in the course of an investigation into a complaint shall not be subject to prejudice, intimidation, and harassment or be subject to any detriment because of their involvement

MONITORING:

• The school will establish and maintain a system to record and monitor complaints and their resolutions.
• However, in the first instance, when the complaint is easily resolved on a telephone call or brief meeting, a brief note in the school’s / principal’s / teacher’s diary recording the issue and the resolution is enough.

EVALUATION:

The policy will be reviewed with as part of the school’s two-year review cycle.