Procedure for raising a concern

Parent procedure for raising a concern

A Happy School

The Sultan’s School is proud of the relationship it has with its pupils (past and present), parents, staff and the wider community. However, we are always open to suggestions and comments from parents that will help us improve the service we provide.

Whilst we endeavour to run an efficient and happy school, we accept that parents will, at times, have a concern they would like to discuss with us. We take all concerns very seriously and aim to address them as quickly as possible.

The information listed below is meant to give parents a set of guidelines, and points of contact, that will allow them to talk to the appropriate member of staff.

Raising a concern

Parents with a concern pertaining to Finance or Administration should contact Mr. Ibrahim Al Wahaibi (Head of Finance and Administration).

Parents with a concern about academic or classroom matters should, in the first instance, contact their child’s Home Room Teacher.

Concerns relating to academic matters that are made directly to either the Head of Primary or Head of Secondary, will normally be referred to either the Class Teacher/Home Room Teacher or the appropriate subject teacher.

Our experience has shown that most concerns can be resolved quickly, and informally, through a face-to-face conversation with the appropriate members of staff.

It is our aim to resolve all matters brought to our attention within five working days. As a result, members of staff will record the date, time and nature of the concern at the initial meeting.

If the member of staff is unable to resolve the concern, it might be necessary for them to consult with a member of the extended leadership team.

If the member of staff and parent are unable to reach a satisfactory resolution to the matter, the parents should then put their concern in writing to the appropriate member of the Senior Management Team (SMT). For matters relating to finance, this would be the Director of Finance and for educational matters this would be the Head of Primary/Secondary.

It is then the responsibility of the appropriate member of SMT to decide on the appropriate course of action.

In most cases the member of the SMT will arrange to meet with the parents, within five working days of receiving the complaint. As a point of procedure all the meetings will be minuted.

Once the matter has been investigated and the appropriate member of the SMT is satisfied they have all the relevant information, a decision will be made and this will be conveyed to the parents in writing.

If the matter is still not resolved the parents should then bring the matter, in writing, to the attention of the Principal.

The Principal will then arrange a meeting with the parents in an attempt to try and find a resolution.

Should this not be possible, the Principal will convene a panel to review the matter. The panel will chaired by the Principal and consist of at least three other senior members of staff, who have been directly involved in the matter until that point. The parents will be invited to join the panel and they may invite an additional one person. This may be a relative, staff member or friend.

If possible the panel will try to resolve the issue immediately without the need for further investigation. Should the panel decide additional information is required, then this should be collected and a recommendation made within seven working days. As a point of procedure all meetings will be minuted and the parents will be informed of the final decision of the panel in writing.

Should the parents believe the decision of the panel is incorrect, they should appeal, in writing, to the Board of the Board of Trustees. The letter should be addressed to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and marked ‘Private and Confidential’ and be sent to The Sultan’s School.

The letter should state the reason(s) for the appeal and why the parents disagree with the findings of the panel.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees will then, if necessary, convene a panel to review all the relevant information and will either reject the appeal or accept the appeal.

The decision at this stage is final.