Help for non-English speakers
If you need help to understand the information in this policy please contact Beaufort Secondary College on 5349 2305.
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to:
Scope
This policy relates to complaints brought by students, parents, carers, or members of our school community and applies to all matters relating to our school.
In some limited instances, we may need to refer a complainant to another policy or area if there are different processes in place to the manage the issue including:
Policy
Beaufort Secondary College welcomes feedback, both positive and constructive, and is committed to continuous improvement. We value open communication with our families and are committed to understanding complaints and addressing them appropriately. We recognise that the complaints process provides an important opportunity for reflection and learning.
We value and encourage open and positive relationships with our school community. We understand that it is in the best interests of students for there to be a trusting relationship between families and our school.
When addressing a complaint, it is expected that all parties will:
be considerate of each other’s views and respect each other’s role
be focused on resolution of the complaint, with the interests of the student involved at the centre
act in good faith and cooperation
behave with respect and courtesy
respect the privacy and confidentiality of those involved, as appropriate
operate within and seek reasonable resolutions that comply with any applicable legislation and Department policy.
Complaints and concerns process for students
Beaufort Secondary College acknowledges that issues or concerns can cause stress or worry for students and impact their wellbeing and learning. Beaufort Secondary College encourages our students to raise issues or concerns as they arise so that we can work together to resolve them.
Students with a concern or complaint can raise them with a trusted adult at school, for example, with Classroom Teachers, Education Support Staff, Year Level Coordinators, Assistant Principals, and the Principal. These people will take your concern or complaint seriously and will explain to you what steps we can take to try to resolve the issue and support you.
Students can also ask their parent, carer or another trusted adult outside of the school, to talk to school staff about the issue instead of directly having the conversation on their own. Information about our parent/carer complaints and concerns process is outlined further below. The parent/carer process also applies to students who are mature minors, refer to: Mature Minors and Decision Making.
Other ways students can raise a concern or complaint include:
Further information and resources to support students to raise issues or concerns are available at:
Complaints and concerns process for parents, carers and community members
Preparation for raising a concern or complaint
Beaufort Secondary College encourages parents, carers or members of the community who may wish to submit a complaint to:
Support person
You are welcome to have a support person to assist you in raising a complaint or concern with our school. Please advise us if you wish to have a support person to assist you, and provide their name, contact details, and their relationship to you.
Raising a concern
Beaufort Secondary College is always happy to discuss with parents/carers and community members any concerns that they may have. In the first instance, please call our General Office (53492305). Our office staff will work with you to ensure that your concerns are directed to the appropriate person. For a classroom matter, the classroom teacher will be the most likely point of contact. Most other matters will likely be directed to a Year Level Coordinator, Assistant Principal or Principal (depending on the nature of the issue being raised).
Making a complaint
Where concerns cannot be resolved in this way, parents or community members may wish to make a formal complaint to the Principal or Assistant Principal.
If you would like to make a formal complaint, in most cases, depending on the nature of the complaint raised, our school will first seek to understand the issues and will then convene a resolution meeting with the aim of resolving the complaint together. The following process will apply:
Please note that unreasonable conduct (e.g. vexatious complaints) may need to be managed differently to the procedures in this policy.
Resolution
Where appropriate, Beaufort Secondary College may seek to resolve a complaint by:
In some circumstances, Beaufort Secondary College may also ask you to attend a meeting with an independent third party, or participate in a mediation with an accredited mediator to assist in the resolution of the dispute.
Escalation
If you are not satisfied that your complaint has been resolved by the school, or if your complaint is about the Principal and you do not want to raise it directly with them, then the complaint should be referred to the Department of Education South Western Regional Office Ph: 1300 333 232.
Beaufort Secondary College may also refer a complaint to Department of Education South Western Regional Office if we believe that we have done all we can to address the complaint.
For more information about the Department’s parent complaints process, including the role of the Regional Office, please see: Raise a complaint or concern about your school.
Record keeping and other requirements
To meet Department and legal requirements, our school must keep written records of:
Serious, substantial or unusual complaints
Complaints relating to the Child Information Sharing Scheme and Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme, to meet regulatory requirements - refer to Child and Family Violence Information Sharing Schemes for further information
Our school also follows Department policy to ensure that record-keeping, reporting, privacy and employment law obligations are met when responding to complaints or concerns.
COMMUNICATION
This policy will be communicated to our school community in the following ways:
FURTHER INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
The Department’s Policy and Advisory Library (PAL):
The Department’s parents’ website:
RELATED POLICIES
Policy review and approval
Policy last reviewed |
June 2023 |
Consultation |
School Council |
Approved by |
Principal |
Next scheduled review date |
June 2025 |