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Complaints Policy

DENNIS ACADEMY TRUST COMPLAINTS POLICY
POLICY NUMBER ISSUE: A, JULY 2025

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Prepared by:                                 Signature:                        Date:

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Deputy Executive Officer                                                  

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Approved by:

Chief Executive Officer

Dennis brown

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Chair of Trustees

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_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

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JULY 2025

Contents

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  1. Who can make a complaint? ............................................................................................ Page 1

  2. How to raise a concern or make a complaint ................................................................... Page 2

  3. Time scales ........................................................................................................................ Page 3

  4. Complaints received outside of term time ....................................................................... Page 4

  5. Scope of this complaints procedure ................................................................................. Page 5

  6. Resolving complaints ........................................................................................................ Page 6

  7. Withdrawal of a complaint ............................................................................................... Page 

  8. Stage 1 – Informal complaints .......................................................................................... Page 

  9. Stage 2 – Formal complaints............................................................................................. Page 

  10. Stage 3 – Panel Hearing .................................................................................................... Page 

  11. Complaints escalated to / about the Trust, CEO or Trustee ........................................... Page 

  12. Unreasonable Complaints .............................................................................................. Page 

  13. Roles and Responsibilities............................................

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  1. Who can make a complaint?

    The submission of a complaint is not limited to parents or carers of children who are registered at the school. Any person, including members of the public, may make a complaint to Dennis Academy Trust about any provision of facilities or services that we provide. Unless complaints are dealt with under separate statutory procedures (such as appeals relating to exclusions or admissions), we will use this complaints procedure.

Statement for the house:

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  1. How to raise a concern or make a complaint

    A concern or complaint can be made in person, in writing or by telephone. They may also be made by a third party acting on behalf on a complainant, as long as they have appropriate consent to do so.

    Complaints against school staff (except the Headteacher) should be made in the first instance, to the Headteacher via the school office. Please mark them as Private and Confidential.

    Complaints that involve or are about the Headteacher should be addressed to CEO at Dennis-academy@myyahoo.com. Please mark them as Private and Confidential.

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  1. Time scales
    You must raise the complaint within three months of the incident or, where a series of associated

    incidents have occurred, within three months of the last of these incidents.

  1. Complaints received outside of term time

    We will consider complaints made outside of term time to have been received on the first school day after the holiday period.

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  1. This procedure covers all complaints about any provision of community facilities or services by Dennis Academy trust other than complaints that are dealt with under other statutory procedures, including those listed below.

    Exceptions Who to contact

  

• Admissions to schools

Concerns about admissions should be handled through a separate process – either through the appeals process or via the local authority.

• Matters likely to require a Child Protection Investigation

Complaints about child protection matters are handled under our child protection and safeguarding policy and in accordance with relevant statutory guidance.

If you have serious concerns, you may wish to contact the local authority designated officer (LADO) who has local responsibility for safeguarding chsab@hackney.gov.uk

Page 4 of 22

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• Exclusion of children from school*

Further information about raising concerns about exclusion can be found at: www.gov.uk/school-discipline- exclusions/exclusions.

*complaints about the application of the behaviour policy can be made through the school’s complaints procedure. Please refer to school website for the Behaviour Policy.

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• Whistleblowing

We have an internal whistleblowing procedure for all our employees, including temporary staff and contractors.

The Secretary of State for Education is the prescribed person for matters relating to education for whistle-blowers in education who do not want to raise matters direct with their employer. Referrals can be made at: www.education.gov.uk/contactus.

Volunteer staff who have concerns about our school should complain through the school’s complaints procedure. You may also be able to complain direct to the LA or the Department for Education (see link above), depending on the substance of your complaint.

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Staff grievances Complaints from staff will be dealt with under the school’s internal grievance procedures.

• Staff conduct

Complaints about staff will be dealt with under the school’s internal disciplinary procedures, if appropriate.

Complainants will not be informed of any disciplinary action taken against a staff member as a result of a complaint. However, the complainant will be notified that the matter is being addressed.

If other bodies are investigating aspects of the complaint, for example the police, local authority (LA) safeguarding teams or Tribunals, this may impact on our ability to adhere to the timescales within this procedure or result in the procedure being suspended until those public bodies have completed their investigations. If this happens, we will inform you of a proposed new timescale.

If a complainant commences legal action against Dennis Academy Trust in relation to their complaint, we will consider whether to suspend the complaints procedure until those legal proceedings have concluded.

Contact

I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.

ceo@dennis-academy.com

07405567556

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