Parents advised on how to raise complaints in new official guide

Minsters at the Department for Education (DfE) are joining forces with the UK’s largest parent charity, Parentkind, and schools’ inspectorate, Ofsted. Together, they have created a new parent guide to school complaints.

The 12 page guide is supported by a wide range of major education bodies, including major teaching unions. Parentkind described the moment as the “education sector coming together to support parents.”

Helping parents resolve issues positively

The parent guide offers a series of tips and advice on how to resolve issues quickly and positively. The goal is to reset relationships between parents and schools across England.

Parentkind will be distributing the guide to parents across England. It will make the publication available online from Tuesday. It hopes that this guidance will help parents to navigate raising concerns and making complaints. Parentkind also believes it will help to avoid some of the pitfalls when complaints go wrong.

A five‑step process for making a complaint

The guide has been published in response to a sharp rise in parental complaints facing schools. Parentkind polled 2,000 parents. It found that one in four believe there has been a “breakdown of trust between schools and parents at their child’s school.”

Included within the guide is a five step process to making a complaint:

1. Identify what sort of issue it is. (Understanding the difference between feedback, a concern or a complaint)
2. Who to go to in a school. (From a discussion with a teacher to escalating a problem to the headteacher)
3. How to raise a complaint. (Including following a schools’ own complaints procedure, sticking to facts, staying calm and being “constructive” in any criticism)
4.  When to expect a response. (Understanding that schools will follow their own policy for response times. Parents are also encouraged to keep their own records in any complaint process)
5. Where to escalate a complaint if parents still need help. (Including the school’s own governing body)

The guide makes it clear that Ofsted does not resolve disputes between parents and schools. It also helps parents to understand how complaints go wrong. It includes advice to stay off social media, avoid getting angry and not to use AI to draft complaints. Parents are warned that abusive and aggressive language will never be tolerated. It could lead to parents being banned from school grounds in the most extreme cases.

Parentkind also surveyed 2,000 parents in 2025. This previous poll found that 23 per cent of parents had raised concerns of a school on social media. The charity has previously raised concerns over the use of social media and parent WhatsApp groups.

Voices from across the education sector

Commenting on the publication education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:

“As a parent, I know how it feels to be worried about your child at school – especially when it’s not clear who to speak to or what to say.

“This guide will give families the confidence to raise concerns, encouraging schools and parents to work together to address their worries in a positive and respectful way so every child can learn in a calm, supportive environment.”

Sir Martyn Oliver, Ofsted chief inspector said:

“It is always better for all involved when complaints can be resolved directly between a parent and their child’s school, without things spiralling onto social media or relationships becoming unnecessarily heated. And in the vast majority of cases, issues can be fixed quickly and civilly without any need for escalation to Ofsted.”

Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: 

“It is important to emphasise that in most cases the relationship between parents and school is extremely positive, and concerns are usually swiftly resolved. It is of course only right that parents should be able to raise concerns with schools if and when they arise, and that there is a clear a process for schools to respond to these.

“However, such processes must be used appropriately. Leaders have raised concerns with us about schools’ complaints policies being bypassed as long grievances, sometimes produced using AI, are fired off to multiple agencies, from councils to Ofsted. At the more extreme end we have also seen an increase in vexatious complaints, as well as unacceptable instances of abuse towards staff – something NAHT’s national No Excuse for Abuse campaign has highlighted.”

A call for calm, constructive dialogue

Constructive, respectful communication between families and schools is essential to resolving concerns early and maintaining trust. However, there is also a growing need for clearer processes and calmer dialogue. It is important for everyone to work together so issues are addressed swiftly and relationships remain strong.