How to report a school

If you feel your child’s school is not being run properly or they have failed to act following a complaint about discrimination, bullying or any other issue, there are steps you can take.  So how to report a school?

If you are a school staff member and you feel uncomfortable with the conduct of your school, again, there are steps you can take.

Academy Schools:

1. You must complain to the academy through their complaints procedure.  An Academies complaints procedure MUST comply with Part 7 of the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.  If they do not comply with it, the academy may be in breach of its funding agreement with the Secretary of State for Education.
2. If you have done this and you have not received a satisfactory response, you should contact the ESFA.  If your complaint falls outside their remit, they will give you details of organisations to provide you with further advice or request that a representative of EFSA look into your case.
3. If you remain unsatisfied you should send your complaint to the Secretary of State for Education.  You will get an email back advising “Parliamentary protocol dictates that I can only deal with issues on behalf of my own constituents.”  It will give you a website link to complain to the Department for Education (DfE).  Forward your original email back to him/her and copy in your local MP, advise you remain unhappy and would like a response.
4. You can complain to Ofsted if you feel that the school is not run properly.  Just google search “email address for Ofsted“.
5. If you have child protection/safeguarding concerns, you should contact your local authority.

Maintained school:

1. You must complain to the school through their complaints procedure.  A maintained school’s complaints procedure must be publicised under Section 29(1)(b) of the Education Act 2002.
2. If you are not happy with their response, you should complain to the governing body of the school.
3. If there are additional stages in the complaints process, you should go through each one until you have completed each step.
4. If you remain unsatisfied, you should complain to your local authority.
5. If you remain unsatisfied you should send your complaint to the Secretary of State for Education.  You will get an email back advising “Parliamentary protocol dictates that I can only deal with issues on behalf of my own constituents.”  It will give you a website link to complain to the Department for Education (DfE).  Forward your email original back to him/her and copy in your local MP, advise you remain unhappy and would like a response.
6. You can complain to Ofsted if you feel that the school is not run properly.
7. If you have child protection/safeguarding concerns, you should contact your local authority.

Private school:

1. You must complain to the school through their complaints procedure.
2. If you are not happy with their response, you should complain to the governing body of the school.
3. If there are additional stages in the complaints process, you should go through each one until you have completed each step.
4. If you remain unsatisfied, you should complain to The Department of Education (DfE).  They have certain powers as a regulator is the school is not meeting the required standards set by the DfE.
5. If you remain unsatisfied you should send your complaint to the Secretary of State for Education.  You will get an email back advising “Parliamentary protocol dictates that I can only deal with issues on behalf of my own constituents.”  It will give you a website link to complain to the Department for Education (DfE).  Forward your original email back to him/her and copy in your local MP, advise you remain unhappy and would like a response.
6. You can complain to Ofsted if you feel that the school is not run properly.
7. If you have child protection/safeguarding concerns, you should contact your local authority.

Whistleblowing guide for School Staff:

If you are a member of staff, your school should have a whistleblowing policy.  The policy should contain information about what protection is available to you if you decide to report another member of staff.  It should also contain what areas of malpractice or wrongdoing is covered and the routes available to you for reporting a concern.

1. Follow your school’s guidance on whistleblowing.
2. If you have done this and you have not received a satisfactory response, you should contact the ESFA.  If your complaint falls outside their remit, they will give you details of organisations to provide you with further advice or request that a representative of EFSA look into your case.
3. If you remain unsatisfied you should send your complaint to the Secretary of State for Education.  You will get an email back advising “Parliamentary protocol dictates that I can only deal with issues on behalf of my own constituents.”  It will give you a website link to complain to the Department for Education (DfE).  Forward your original email back to him/her and copy in your local MP, advise you remain unhappy and would like a response.
4. If you’re an employee who wants to whistleblow to Ofsted, call their Whistleblowing Hotline on 0300 1233155 (8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday) or email whistleblowing@ofsted.gov.uk.
5. If you have child protection/safeguarding concerns, you should contact your local authority.

We hope you found our how to report a school guide helpful.

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