Thanks to our governance experts Keith Clover, Harry James and Jane Owens for their help with this article.
Complaints from staff or parents
All schools must have a complaints procedure, as required by:
- Section 29 of the Education Act 2002 for maintained schools
- Schedule 1, part 7 of the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 for academies
Handling complaints against the headteacher is usually similar to handling complaints against other members of staff. The main difference is the chair of the governing board will be more involved in leading the process.
Read our article for more detailed guidance on dealing with complaints.
Concerns from the governing board
Make sure you follow and refer to your school's own policies and procedures throughout the process of expressing and managing concerns. Different situations will need different policies, which we outline in our decision-helper guidance.
Individual governors should express any concerns about the headteacher