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Addressing concerns about the headteacher's conduct

Understand how to manage concerns from staff, parents/carers and governors about the headteacher’s conduct, and get tips on how to maintain a good relationship with your headteacher, while still prioritising the welfare of pupils.

Last reviewed on 8 July 2025
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 5633
Contents
  1. Complaints from staff or parents/carers 
  2. Concerns from the governing board 
  3. Raising concerns about particular incidents 
  4. Maintain a good working relationship with the headteacher 
  5. Improve your knowledge with our complaints learning pathway

Complaints from staff or parents/carers 

All schools must have a complaints procedure, as required by:

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 for boards on dealing with complaints.

Concerns from the governing board 

Make sure you follow and refer to your school's policies and procedures throughout the process of expressing and managing concerns. Use our summary to see which policy to refer to in different situations.

Express concerns to the chair

Once the chair knows about the concern, they