The government’s consideration of the impact of parental complaints on schools is a positive step in tackling this difficult issue. Many schools are committed to resolving legitimate concerns efficiently, effectively and with mutual respect. Proposals in the White Paper, such as updated harassment guidance and examples of effective home–school partnership agreements, are welcome.
However, schools require clear DfE guidance and greater authority to manage unacceptable behaviour from individuals who engage with schools inappropriately. While existing powers to mandate parental engagement are largely understood by our clients, they are insufficient for dealing with parents whose conduct goes beyond the acceptable boundaries. The suggestion in the paper that unacceptable parental behaviour is rare does not reflect the experience of many of the schools we are dealing with, for whom such cases are becoming increasingly common.
Guidance, including the recently published ‘Parent’s Guide to School Complaints’, serves a useful purpose but there is still a need for authoritative guidance from the DfE that sets out what each party can expect and what is required of parents to support their child’s engagement with the school.
The proposed digital platform could be an interesting tool, and many schools would welcome a system that streamlines the submission and management of complaints. As stated in the paper, we are also seeing a rise in parents raising the same or multiple issues with several bodies simultaneously, leading to parallel escalation.
However, it remains unclear how the platform alone will address these challenges. For it to be effective, schools will need a legitimate basis to require parents to submit concerns exclusively through the digital system. For schools, they need to be supported in putting appropriate measures in place where parents are not adhering to expectations.
If you require further advice or assistance in dealing with parent complaints, please contact the Schools Support team at schoolsupport@wslaw.co.uk.