Service Description: We can help parents and carers who have a concern about their child’s education or welfare at school by pointing them in the right direction to get the matter resolved. The Isle of Wight Local Authority takes all complaints seriously and schools are expected to have procedures in place for dealing with them. Schools are managed by the Headteacher and Governors and any queries, problems or complaints must therefore be raised with the school in the first instance. All schools should have a Complaints Procedure for addressing concerns of parents and other members of the community and this should be freely available from the school. Please click the link above to view the steps you should take if you wish to make a complaint about a school.
Answer: If your problem/complaint remains unresolved after Stage 3, then you may raise your complaint with the Secretary of State for Education. Complaints to the Secretary of State are handled by the government’s Department for Education (DfE). Making a complaint to the DfE should only happen after you have exhausted the schools complaints process above. When making a complaint to the DfE you should provide copies of any documentation you have about the complaint. This will help them to investigate your case. Further guidance on how to complain to the Secretary of State for Education can be found at the weblink below under the heading ‘Guidance on making a complaint about a school’ http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/schoolperformance/b00212240/making-complaint-school/who-can-complain