Complaints Policy andProcedure

The Japanese SchoolApproved by:

The School Management Committee

Last reviewed on:June 2023

Next review due by:August 2024

Complaints Policy and Procedure v2.0

Date: September 2023

1VERSION

MODIFIED BY

1.0

K. NISHIHARA

1.1

K. NISHIHARAUPDATE

31/03/2021

1.2

K. NISHIHARAUPDATE

31/03/2022

1.3

K. OKAMOTOUPDATE

01/06/2023

1.4

K. OKAMOTOUPDATE – STAGES 2&3

20/06/2023

2.0

K. OKAMOTOOVERALL REVISION

26/09/2023

Complaints Policy and Procedure v2.0

MODIFICATION

DATE
31/10/2020

21.0 AIMS OF THE SCHOOLChildren of any age are more likely to be happy at school, and to achieve their best, if their parents
take an active interest in their education and welfare during the time the child is in school.
We value the involvement of parents and care persons in the operations of our school and offer
many opportunities for you to take part in your child’s education here, for example:•Demonstration Lessons in April and January.

•Parent-Teacher Consultations in May and November.

•Sports Day in July.

•Cultural Festival Day in September.

•Parents' Help (Swimming and School Trips).

•Sunday Open Lessons in October.

•English Open Lessons throughout the year.

It is natural that parents may, from time to time, be concerned about some aspect of their child’seducation or welfare at school. This may, for example, be due to a misunderstanding about theschool’s approach to aspects of the curriculum, or about the way we deal with behaviouralproblems. We, therefore, welcome enquiries from parents about these and other matters, and areconfident that in most cases, we can reassure you by explaining our policies and practices, and how
they subsequently affect your child.
With a commitment from all concerned to resolving any such concerns calmly and rationally, we canwork with you to try to achieve the most appropriate solution in your child’s interests. You arewelcome to see our school policies on our homepage. We can also provide you with the school
prospectus if you wish. Please enquire at the school office.
The school's policy is to ensure that the highest possible standards exist. The school aims to achieve
this by:•Continually seeking to raise standards of achievement.

•Having high expectations.

•

Promoting effective teaching and learning.

•

Promoting effective communication between the school with parents and the widercommunity.

When problems occur or difficulties arise, the school will seek to deal promptly, effectively, andfairly with any complaints.

2.0 PURPOSE OF THE POLICY
The complaints policy and procedures will allow the school to:•

Improve communications by listening to the views of pupils, parents, staff, the local andwider community.

•Strengthen the partnership between pupils, parents, staff, and Governing Body (the school
management committee SMC).

•Identify opportunities to improve on standards and to meet expectations.

Complaints Policy and Procedure v2.03•Provide redress where a complaint is found to have substance.

•Our policy and that of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(MEXT) in Japan is that complainant/parental concerns and complaints should be dealt
with locally, that is at the school level, wherever possible.

3.0 GUIDELINES
3.1 HOW A COMPLAINT CAN BE MADE
Complaints may be made in person, by telephone, or in writing. A person with a complaint should
normally seek to contact the member of staff responsible for the relevant issue. However, all staff
will endeavour to seek to help, even when the issue is not that individual's area of responsibility.
Care will be taken to:•

Clarify the nature of the complaint.

•Clarify the outcomes sought.

•

Check whether the person making a complaint requires the support of any kind, forexample with language difficulties.

•Explain the complaints procedure.

•The school does not wish to receive anonymous complaints and will not undertake to act
on any information received in this way.

3.2 CODE OF CONDUCTThere is an expectation that all school staff dealing with a person making a complaint will act in acourteous and respectful manner. All complaints will be taken as a matter of serious concern. Theschool also expects that the person making the complaint will also conduct themselves in acourteous and respectful manner. All the correspondence, statements, and records of thecomplaints will be kept confidential except where the Secretary of State or a body conducting aninspection under section 109 of the 2008 Act requests access to them (available on the schoolpremises) or the SMC. Written records of all complaints will be kept stating whether they wereresolved at the preliminary stage or proceeded to a panel hearing and action taken by the school
because of those complaints (regardless of whether they are upheld). If the complaint is against amember of staff, it will be dealt with under the school’s staff code of conduct procedures, asrequired by DfE guidance and MEXT.

3.3 STAGE ONE - INFORMAL COMPLAINT PROCEDURE
An informal complaint is usually an initial approach by an individual to the school expressing
dissatisfaction. Informal complaints may be resolved quickly and simply and often do not involve
detailed or lengthy investigations.
A person with an informal complaint will normally resolve the complaint directly with the staff
concerned. If these informal discussions do not resolve the situation, then a meeting may be calledby the Head Teacher. This meeting will aim to resolve the issue and involve all parties involved inComplaints Policy and Procedure v2.0

4

the complaint within five working days. When the complaints cannot be resolved informally, aformal “written” complaint should be made.

3.4 STAGE TWO - FORMAL COMPLAINT PROCEDURE
A complaint becomes formal when it is put in writing to the Headteacher. The complaint form
attached to this policy can be used or the complainant may write a letter. An acknowledgment will
be sent within 5 school days. The Headteacher (with support from the school secretary) will
investigate the circumstances thoroughly and impartially. If, however, your complaint concerns theHeadteacher personally, it should be sent to the school marked “For the attention of the Chairmanof the SMC” (the School Management Committee). A written response will be issued within 10
school days of the complaint being received.

3.5 STAGE THREE - FORMAL COMPLAINT PROCEDURE
If the person making the complaint is not satisfied with either the outcome or the progress being
made, then an appeal may be made, in writing, to the Chair of SMC, who can be contacted via theschool, see information below. The school will acknowledge your complaint in writing within fiveschool days of receiving it.
The Chair of SMC will act impartially to ensure that all parties involved in the complaint can present
their case to a panel consisting of three people who are independent of the complaint, and at least
one person in that panel is independent of the management and running of the school. Parents canbring a relative or a friend for the panel hearing. The complaints panel hearing will take place within
10 school days of the Chair of SMC being contacted.

3.6 THE REMIT OF THE COMPLAINTS APPEAL PANEL
The panel will:•Decide on the appropriate action to be taken to resolve the complaint.

•Recommend changes to the school’s system or procedures to ensure that problems of asimilar nature do not recur.

•Uphold the complaint in whole or in part.

•Dismiss the complaint in whole or in part.

The panel will be clerked.
The panel will follow the Checklist for a Panel Hearing (in appendix)
A decision of the panel will be given in writing to the person making the complaint within 15 schooldays of the hearing.
The school to provide for the panel to make findings and recommendations:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)

Provided to the complainant and, where relevant, the person complained about; andavailable for inspection on the school premises by the SMC and the head teacher;provides for a written record to be kept of all complaints that are madewhether they are resolved following a formal procedure, or proceed to a panel hearing;andComplaints Policy and Procedure v2.05

(v)Action taken by the school because of those complaints (regardless of whether they areupheld)

Provides that correspondence, statements, and records relating to individual complaints are to bekept confidential except where the Secretary of State or a body conducting an inspection under
section 109 of the 2008 Act requests access to them.

3.7 CLOSURE OF COMPLAINTS
Occasionally, a school and/or the School Management Committee will feel that it needs, regretfully,
to close a complaint where the complainant is still dissatisfied. We and the School Management
Committee will do all we can to help to resolve a complaint against the school but sometimes it issimply not possible to meet all the complainant’s requirements. Sometimes it is simply a case of“agreeing to disagree”. If a complainant persists in making representations to the school (to thehead teacher, the School Management Committee, or anyone else), this can be extremely timeconsuming and can detract from our responsibility in looking after the interests of the children in
our care. For this reason, we are entitled to close correspondence (including personal approaches,
as well as letters and telephone calls) on a complaint where we feel that we have taken all
reasonable and relevant action to resolve the complaint.
Please address correspondence to:
The Japanese School in London
87 Creffield Road, Acton, London W3 9PU
ron-nichi@thejapaneseschool.ltd.uk
The Chair of SMC (the School Management Committee)
87 Creffield Road, Acton, London W3 9PU
unei@thejapaneseschool.ltd.uk
If you are not satisfied with the stage 3 outcome you can refer the matter to Ofsted by completingthe online form at: https://complain.ofsted.gov.uk/

3.8 ANNUAL REVIEWThe secretary will monitor and review annually the nature of formal complaints, and the school's
response to them, to ensure that the school is effectively meeting the expectations of parents andthe local community.

Complaints Policy and Procedure v2.0

6

4.0 APPENDIX
4.1 CHECKLIST FOR A PANEL HEARINGThe panel needs to take the following points into account:•

The hearing is as informal as possible.

•Witnesses are only required to attend for the part of the hearing in which they give theirevidence.

•

After introductions, the complainant is invited to explain their complaint and befollowed by their witnesses.

•

The Head Teacher is then invited to explain the school’s actions and be followed by theschool’s witnesses.

•

The panel may ask questions at any point.

•

The complainant is then invited to sum up their complaint.

•

The Head Teacher is then invited to sum up the school’s actions and response to thecomplaint.

•The panel decides on the issues.

•The chair explains that both parties will hear from the panel within a set time scale.

Complaints Policy and Procedure v2.0

7

4.2 FORMAL COMPLAINTS FORM
Please complete and return to the School Head Teacher who will acknowledge receipt and explain
what action will be taken.
Your Name:
Pupil’s Name:Your relationship to the pupil:
Address:

Post Code:Day time telephone number:
Evening telephone number:
Please give details of your complaint:

What action, if any, have you already taken to try and resolve your complaint.
(Who did you speak to and what was the response)?

What actions do you feel might resolve the problem at this stage?

Are you attaching any paperwork? If so, please give details.

Signature:
Official Use
Dateacknowledgement
sent:
Complaint referred to:Complaints Policy and Procedure v2.0

Date:
By who:Date:8