Feedback, Concerns and Complaints
Bradford Academy welcomes communication from our stakeholders.
Before contacting us, please read the following information carefully so that we can help you as effectively as possible.
All information below follows DfE complaints procedure recommendations and is in line with the Parent Kind Guide to school complaints which is sanctioned by the DfE and Ofsted.
Before communicating with the academy, it is important to understand:
- Bradford Academy will stop responding to communications that are considered persistent, harassing, without merit or seeking outcomes beyond reason.
- Bradford Academy does not accept group complaints.
- Bradford Academy takes our legal responsibilities to staff seriously, as such we would never disclose the outcome of an investigation into a staff member.
- The complaints procedure is for parents/ carers of children currently at the academy. If a child is removed from roll during the complaints process the complaint will be closed and correspondence will be treated as feedback, therefore the parent will not be informed of the outcome
Communication can be defined in three groups:
Feedback- you need to be heard. This is open to anybody.
Concern- you need an answer. This is for parents/ carers of current pupils
Complaints- you need action. This is for parents/ carers of current pupils
Feedback- you need to be heard
Bradford Academy welcomes feedback from all stakeholders. Feedback is always listened to and considered, however we will not always respond to feedback other than to confirm it has been received.
Feedback can be sent to info@bradfordacademy.co.uk with the subject Feedback.
This sits outside of the complaints procedure.
Concern – you need an answer
Most issues can be resolved informally by parents/ carers raising a concern with the most appropriate person. This is an informal stage that sits outside of the complaint’s procedure.
Examples of concerns include:
homework, progress, friendships, behaviour, academic progress
The academy will only respond to concerns raised by a learner’s parent or carer.
Please send concerns to info@bradfordacademy.co.uk with the subject Concern.
Complaints
Our complaints procedure is for learner’s legal parent or guardians only
Our complaints procedure has four stages. These can be summarised as:
1) Informal complaint (Complaints Procedure Form Stage 1)
2) Formal complaint
3) Principal’s review
4) Governor’s review
All complaints must follow the process outlined and we ask parents to respect time frames given to respond to complaints.
The full policy can be found here Complaints Procedure. The information below is a summary to help stakeholders navigate the process for the best possible outcome.
All complaints are managed through the info@bradfordacademy.co.uk mailbox. Do not contact staff directly about your complaint.
Stage one:
A stage one complaint/concern is normally the quickest and most effective way to deal with any complaint. Stage one complaints are normally investigated and responded to be a member of the middle leadership team.
Stage one complaints are not taken less seriously than formal complaints. The complaint and outcome (including lessons learned) are logged.
We would always endeavour for an appropriate member of staff to make contact regarding to a stage one complaint the next working day, however we allow up to three working days to ensure the most appropriate staff member makes contact.
Please us this form to submit a stage one complaint – Complaints Procedure Form Stage 1
Stage two:
If you are unhappy with the outcome of the stage one complaint you can submit a complaint to the Senior leadership team. A stage two complaint form will be sent to you after your stage one complaint is closed.
On a small number of occasions, the principal may move a stage one complaint straight to stage two.
For a stage two complaint an investigating officer or named SLT member will investigate the complaint.
The complainant will be given the opportunity to give further information/context to their complaint.
Once all the facts have been established, there will be a meeting/discussion between the parents/carers and the named member of SLT. If the matter is unable to be resolved and parents/carers are dissatisfied with the actions/outcome, then the complaint will be moved to stage 3 of the procedure.
Stage Three: Principal/ Executive Principal review
A stage three complaint involves the principal or Executive Principal reviewing the complaint, investigation and outcome and considering the following:
- Was the complaint investigated in line with the complaint’s procedure?
- Was the outcome fair and in line with academy policy?
- Was there any information that was missed?
- Was the outcome reasonable?
The Principal/ Executive Principal would not normally accept further submissions at this stage as they are checking that the investigation and outcome were reasonable.
Stage Four: Governor review
A formal complaint to Governors should only be used when you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint and believe that the academy has acted outside of policy. The purpose of a stage four complaint is to work with both the complainant and school leaders to find a meaningful resolution to the complaint.
It should be noted that the Governors act in a strategic capacity.
The Governing Body does not make operational decisions such as:
-Staff deployment and timetabling.
-Sanctions given to a learner (suspensions and exclusions complaints sit outside of this policy, please see the suspensions and exclusions policy)
-Day to day curriculum delivery
-Operational financial decisions within delegated limits
-Daily school organisation
They can, however, check that school policy/best practice has been applied when making decisions. They do not overturn decisions made that are in line with academy policy.
A stage four complaint review takes place in person. During this meeting a panel made up of 2 academy governors and one independent governor will meet with the complainant and school leaders together to find a way to move forward together.