Who can make a complaint?

The complaints procedure is not limited to parents or carers of children that are registered at Thomlinson Junior School.  Any person, including members of the public, may make a complaint to us about any provision of facilities or services that we provide.  Unless complaints are dealt with under separate statutory procedures (such as appeals relating to exclusions or admissions), we will use this complaints procedure.

The difference between a complaint and a concern

A concern may be defined as ‘an expression of worry or doubt over an issue considered to be important for which reassurances are sought’.

A complaint may be defined as ‘an expression of dissatisfaction however made, about actions taken or a lack of action’.

It is in everyone’s interest that concerns and complaints are resolved at the earliest possible stage.  Many issues can be resolved informally, without the need to use the formal stages of the complaints procedure.  We take concerns seriously and will make every effort to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.

If you have difficulty discussing a concern with a particular member of staff, we will respect your views. In these cases, we will refer you to another staff member.  Similarly, if the member of staff directly involved feels unable to deal with a concern, we will again refer you to another staff member. This person may be more senior but does not have to be.  The ability to consider the concern objectively and impartially is more important.

We understand however, that there are occasions when people would like to raise their concerns formally. In this case, the school will attempt to resolve the issue internally, through the stages outlined within our complaints procedure.