Parents to receive guide on how to complain to schools amid rise in disputes
How to complain about your child’s school, according to the government
- A new government-backed guide will advise parents on how to formally complain to their child’s school, aiming to reduce aggressive disputes and promote respectful communication.
- Developed by the Department for Education, charity Parentkind, and schools watchdog Ofsted, the guide outlines a five-step process for parents to address concerns with educational institutions.
- The guidance explicitly advises parents against using social media to voice grievances, urging them to avoid aggressive behaviour, targeting individuals, or “building a crowd” around their issues.
- This initiative follows widespread reports of a significant rise in parental complaints, with surveys indicating many are posted on social media and school leaders experiencing increased abuse from parents.
- The guide, which will be accessible online from Tuesday and distributed across England, also helps parents distinguish between feedback, concerns, and formal complaints, and outlines consequences for unreasonable behaviour during the process.