Complaints procedure: model and examples

Adapt our model complaints procedure to your school's context, and use our checklists to make sure you stay compliant.

Last reviewed on 1 April 2026See updates
Ref: 41689
Statutory/mandatory for:
Maintained schools
Academies
Free schools
Independent schools
Pupil referral units
Non-maintained special schools
Contents
  1. Changes to our complaints policies
  2. Download our model complaints procedure
  3. More resources to help you deal with complaints
  4. Use our checklist to write and review your own procedure
  5. Examples from other schools 

Changes to our complaints policies

We've revised our model complaints policies to make the procedures clearer and easier to follow. There have been no changes to your statutory requirements, and no updates to DfE guidance.

If you're using our old model, you don't need to make any changes. But if you're updating your complaints procedure, you can choose to review them against our revised version that's relevant to your context.

Changes to maintained version  Section 1: We’ve defined ‘concern’ and ‘complaint’ Section 3: We’ve removed 'withdrawal from the curriculum' from the list of excluded complaints Section 4: We’ve:  Given more detail around the duties of the investigating officer Stated that the clerk is now responsible for making sure all parties are aware of relevant legislation (such as the UK GDPR), and for making sure the venue and proceedings are accessible Clarified that the panel chair should make sure the panel remains open-minded and