You may wish to complain about a nursery, school or college if, for example:

  • It is failing to put support in place for a child or young person’s special educational needs (“SEN”)
  • A child or young person is not being included in the activities of the school because of their SEN
  • A child or young person has been unlawfully excluded – if they are sent home without following the correct procedures for an exclusion, or if a school has put a child on a part-time timetable.

See the section on how your nursery, school or college should help for more information on what they should be doing.

If your child has an EHC plan but the provision set out in it is not being made, then you should normally make a complaint to the local authority, rather than the school.

If you believe that the school are discriminating against your child as a result of their disability, you may wish to consider making a claim for disability discrimination.

Making a formal complaint

Complaining to the Department for Education about a school or college

Complaining to Ofsted

Complaining to the Information Commissioner