RATIONALE
- It is important for two reasons that complaints be listened to in good faith and fairly; and that genuine efforts be made to resolve them as quickly as possible.
1.1 Procedurally, these features are part of fairness.
1.2 Practically, substantive justice is not considered to have been done to the complaint without procedural fairness.
2. The College has an obligation to deal with complaints so that caregivers, parents, whānau, students, teachers, and the school community can engage in and relate to education at the College in an open, honest environment.
GUIDELINES
1 Complaints may be:
1.1 of a general or specific nature
1.2 made by students, international students, staff, parents, whānau or people in the community
1.3 about a particular incident, or an accumulation of apparently minor or major incidents
1.4 made by telephone, in writing, or in conversations.
2 Complaints shall be listened to in good faith and fairly, treated seriously and professionally, and investigated and addressed as promptly as possible.
3 Procedures instituted shall protect and advise both parties of their rights. That shall include both parties receiving copies of the nature of the complaint, and a written summary of the results of any investigation, and of the resolution or decision.
4 A report on the investigation of each complaint shall be written and that, along with further reports on subsequent investigations and the resolution or decision, shall be held for at least three years from the last action and/or after the student or teacher has left the College.
5 Training shall be provided for all designated people who deal with complaints.
6 A choice of who is to deal with the complaint shall be made available to the complainant if appropriate.
7 Any complaint dealing with a teacher’s classroom performance is to be directed to the Head of Faculty (HoF). If the complaint is about a HoF, it should be directed to the Principal.
8 Any complaint about a staff or volunteer’s behaviour in the College or community shall be directed to the Principal.
9 Any complaint about student behaviour out of school but in uniform shall be directed to the relevant senior leadershipteam (SLT) member.
10 Any complaint from a parent or other student about a student’s behaviour within the school is to be directed to either the dean or HOF depending on the nature of the complaint.
11 Any complaint regarding serious misconduct of students at school e.g. drugs is to be directed to a member of the SLT.
12 All administration and support staff shall be made aware of the complaints policy and procedures.
13 Any complaint in writing shall be replied to in writing. Written complaints and their responses are filed on staff/students files.
14 Any complaint (other than one about the Principal) received by the Board shall be directed to the Principal in the first instance, and brought to the Board only if the complaint is serious, in the sense that it involves a matter of teacher competence, conduct or discipline as defined in the Secondary Teachers Collective Agreement, the Education Act and other legal statutes.
15 Separate procedures exist for complaints of sexual harassment.
16 Any complaint made by, or about, an international student shall be managed by the same processes. Any student shall have the right to request access to an interpreter.
17 Any complaint about the Principal shall be directed to the Chair of the Board.
18 Any complaint about a Board member shall be directed to the Chair of the Board.
19 Any complaint about the Chair of the Board shall be directed to the Deputy Chair of the Board.
20 The Principal shall institute Procedures pursuant to this Policy.