IAPS is proud of the quality of its schools and takes any complaints about them seriously.
If you have a concern about an IAPS school, you should in the first instance look to the school’s procedures for dealing with complaints. A school’s complaints procedure should be made available to parents either via the website or on request. The policy will set out the process for making a complaint. Initially the policy should allow for a complaint to be made and considered on an informal basis, for example by taking it up with the class teacher, an appropriate member of the senior management team or the head. If this does not resolve the issue, then the procedure should provide for making a formal written complaint and, if this fails to produce a satisfactory outcome, a hearing before a panel. The policy should set out clear times for the management of the complaint.
If you feel that your complaint has not been adequately addressed, you can write to David Hanson, Chief Executive of IAPS at 11 Waterloo Place, Leamington Spa CV32 5LA. The Chief Executive will take the matter up with the school.
You can also raise concerns by writing to the Independent Schools Inspectorate, which is responsible for the inspection of IAPS schools. If you wished to take this step, you can contact them at ISI, CAP House, 9-12 Long Lane, London EC1A 9HA, or to info@isi.net. However, ISI cannot become involved in individual cases, or investigate disputes about fees or complaints about pupils no longer at the school. Concerns may be copied by ISI to the Department for Education (DfE). Depending on the nature of the complaint, DfE may instruct ISI to visit the school.
You can also contact the DfE directly as the authority responsible for the registration of independent schools. You should write to Georgina Carney, DfE, Mowden Hall, Staindrop Road, Darlington, DL3 9BG (telephone 01325 735568, e-mail Georgina.Carney@education.gsi.gov.uk).
If the concerns relate to bullying or possible child abuse, then in addition to ISI and/or DfE, parents can contact the child protection unit of the Local Authority Social Services Department.