Complain about a school
Types of complaints
There are different ways to complain in England depending on whether your child:
- attends a state school
- attends a private school
- has special educational needs (SEN)
Schools may not consider complaints about behaviour that happens outside the school’s hours or premises – check the school’s behaviour policy.
There are different ways to:
- complain about schools in Scotland
- complain about schools in Wales
- complain about schools in Northern Ireland
Other types of complaint
For some types of complaint you need to contact a different agency.
Complaint | Who to contact |
---|---|
Child protection | Local council |
Criminal behaviour | Police |
Data protection | Information Commissioner’s Office |
Discrimination | Equality Advisory and Support Service |
Employment | An employment tribunal |
Exam malpractice or maladministration (SATs) | Standards and testing agency |
Exam malpractice or maladministration (secondary school) | Ofqual and the awarding body |
Report serious teacher misconduct
Serious misconduct is any behaviour that could result in a teacher not being allowed to teach again, such as sexual misconduct or violent behaviour.
You can report a teacher for serious misconduct to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA).
You should follow the school’s complaints process before reporting a teacher for serious misconduct. Your report may not be investigated unless you do.
Legal advice
You can get free legal advice about schooling and education from Child Law Advice.