Complaints procedure
The school's own complaints procedure: that it covers all complaints, that anyone can complain, not just parents, and how complaints about SEN support are handled. Every school must publish it, and the academy trust must publish its own policy.
Check this on my websiteWho it applies to
- Published on
- The school's own website
- School type
- Academies and maintained schools
- School stage
- All stages, from early years to sixth form
- Does not apply to
- No school types are excluded
When is it due?
- Renewal
- No fixed date
The official sources set no renewal date. Keep it accurate whenever it changes.
What's needed
Publish the complaints procedure, showing each stage and how to escalate, on the statutory information or policies page.
In this requirement
Section 1 of 2
School complaints procedure
The school must publish its complaints procedure: the school's own distinct procedure that covers all complaints about the school, that anyone can complain, not just parents, and how SEN complaints are handled.
- Academies: Must
- Maintained schools: Must
What it must contain
4 parts- Says the complaints procedure covers all complaints about the school or its servicesMust
- Says the school has its own distinct complaints procedureMust
- Says anyone can complain, not just parents or carers of registered pupilsMust
- Says how complaints about SEN support are handledMust
What the official sources say
Set out in 4 official sources:
What maintained schools must or should publish online
Schools must publish their complaints policy to comply with section 29 of the Education Act 2002 . The best practice guidance supports them to set up and review their complaints procedures.
Must§ Complaints policy > What schools must publish
They must also publish the details of any arrangements for handling complaints from parents and carers about the support they provide for pupils with special educational needs ( SEN ). They must do this as part of their SEN information report .
Must§ Complaints policy > What schools must publish
What academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish online
All academies and trusts (with the exception of 16-19 academies) must have a complaints procedure that meets the requirements in the standard at the Education (Independent School Standards (England) Regulations 2014 Schedule 1, Part 7. The complaints procedure must be available to parents and carers of children attending an academy.
Must§ Complaints policy > What academy schools and trusts must make available
Academy schools must publish the details of any arrangements for handling complaints from parents and carers about the support they provide for pupils with special educational needs ( SEN ). They must do this as part of their SEN information report .
Must§ Complaints policy > What academy schools must publish
Best practice guidance for school complaints procedures 2020
Following changes to the School Information (England) Regulations 2008, since 1 September 2016, maintained schools must publish their complaints procedures on their websites. This does not apply to community or foundation special schools that are established in hospitals or maintained nursery schools.
Must§ 'Publishing your procedure' section
In accordance with Section 29(1) of the Education Act 2002 , all maintained schools and maintained nursery schools must have and publish procedures to deal with all complaints relating to their school and to any community facilities or services that the school provides, for which there are no separate (statutory) procedures.
Must§ Introduction
Show 4 more from this source
Under Section 29(1)(b) of the Education Act 2002 , you must publicise your complaints procedures.
Must§ 'Publishing your procedure' section
You must have your own distinct complaints procedures in place. A guidance document for parents on making complaints does not satisfy the legal requirement to have in place a procedure to deal with all complaints.
Must§ 'Your complaints procedure' section
You must not limit complaints to parents or carers of children that are registered at the school.
Must§ 'Who can make a complaint?' section
You should determine how often to review the complaints procedure. We recommend at least every 2 to 3 years, as this should enable you to take into account any: – legislative changes – new guidance issued by us
Should§ 'Reviewing your procedure' section
Education Act 2002 s29 (complaints procedure)
b publicise the procedures so established.
Must§ s29(1)(b)
a establish procedures for dealing with all complaints relating to the school or to the provision of facilities or services under section 27, other than complaints falling to be dealt with in accordance with any procedures required to be established in relation to the school by virtue of a statutory provision other than this section, and
Must§ s29(1)(a)
Section 2 of 2
Trust complaints policy
The trust must publish a complaints policy that meets the independent school standard and says how SEN complaints are handled.
- Academies: Must
The register sets this section for academies only.
What it must contain
2 parts- Says the complaints procedure meets the independent school standardsMust
- Says how complaints about special educational needs support are handledMust
Questions schools ask
Does every school have to publish the complaints procedure?
School complaints procedure: Academies and maintained schools must publish it. Trust complaints policy: Academies must publish it. The official sources we check set no requirement for maintained schools.
When does the complaints procedure need to be published?
Renewal: No fixed date. The official sources set no renewal date. Keep it accurate whenever it changes.
What must the complaints procedure include?
Says the complaints procedure covers all complaints about the school or its services; Says the school has its own distinct complaints procedure; Says anyone can complain, not just parents or carers of registered pupils; Says how complaints about SEN support are handled; Says the complaints procedure meets the independent school standards; Says how complaints about special educational needs support are handled.
Where does the requirement for the complaints procedure come from?
It is set out in What maintained schools must or should publish online, What academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish online, Best practice guidance for school complaints procedures 2020 and Education Act 2002 s29 (complaints procedure).
Changes to the official sources
Dated change notes published by the Department for Education on the sources above.
24 October 2024 · What academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish online
We have updated the ‘test, exam and assessment results’ section. Some of the information which academies and FE colleges should publish has changed in that section. We have added a section on the information that FE colleges in intervention must publish. We have updated information for academies in the ‘behaviour policy’ section. We have also made changes to the ‘pupil premium’, ‘PE and sport premium’, ‘complaints policy’ and ‘governance information’ sections.
24 October 2024 · What maintained schools must or should publish online
We have updated the ‘test, exam and assessment results’ section. Some of the information which schools must publish has changed in that section. We have added detail on what schools should publish about governors in the ‘governance information’ section. We have also made changes to the ‘pupil premium’, ‘PE and sport premium’ and ‘complaints policy’ sections.
15 January 2021 · Best practice guidance for school complaints procedures 2020
Updated 'Handling complaints during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak' section in 'Best practice guidance for school complaints procedures 2020'.
15 September 2020 · Best practice guidance for school complaints procedures 2020
Updated 'Handling complaints during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak' section.
15 June 2020 · Best practice guidance for school complaints procedures 2020
Added links to separate guidance covering complaints procedures for academies and independent schools.
9 April 2020 · Best practice guidance for school complaints procedures 2020
Added information to the best practice guidance about handling complaints during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
4 earlier changes are listed on the source pages.
We last checked these sources on 21 September 2026.
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Official wording that does not apply to schools (2)
All academies and trusts (with the exception of 16-19 academies) must have a complaints procedure that meets the requirements in the standard at the Education (Independent School Standards (England) Regulations 2014 Schedule 1, Part 7.
If at the time of the opening of anyMainstream Academy,Special Academy,Alternative Provision Academyor16-19 Academythe investigation of a complaint made to the governing body of thePredecessor School/Pupil Referral Unithas not yet been completed, theAcademy Trustmustcontinue to investigate that complaint in accordance with the complaints procedures established by that governing body.
Official sources last checked 21 September 2026 · register version 1.0.4