Section 29 of the Education Act 2002 requires the governing bodies of all maintained schools in Wales to establish procedures for dealing with complaints and to publicise such procedures.
There is no statutory duty on schools to keep a log of parents’ complaints. However, the Welsh Government advises schools to do so, in their guidance to governors School Governing Body Complaints Procedures: Circular No 011/2012.
Individual schools must have a published complaints policy, which sets out for parents, carers and pupils how to complain, and how the school will manage these complaints. School anti‑bullying policies may also give details about how complaints about bullying will be managed.
Local authorities will also have published policies, which govern how its services must log and respond to complaints. These may also require schools to maintain a log of parental complaints. However, each local authority will have determined its own policy in this area.
Local authorities only get involved with a parent's complaint, where a complainant is dissatisfied with the school's handling of the complaint and refers it to the authority.
We often receive complaints from parents. However, we do not have the powers to investigate these. Instead, we advise the complainant to raise the issue in writing first with the school, then if not satisfied with the local authority. If the complainant remains unsatisfied, they may then raise their issue with the local authority ombudsman.
Standard 7 of the Independent School Standards (Wales) Regulations 2003 requires independent schools in Wales to have a written policy and procedures for dealing with complaints and to publicise such procedures. Regulation 7j states that a written record of all complaints must be kept by an independent school.