FAQ

Where do I go if I have a complaint about a college?

If you have an issue or concern about a college you should, in the first instance, bring it to the attention of college managers. All colleges have similar policies and procedures for raising issues and making complaints. You should request copies and follow the guidance they provide. Typically, they direct a complainant to raise the matter first with the operational manager concerned (such as a programme team leader or head of department). If the issue is not resolved satisfactorily at this level, the matter should normally be referred up to a more senior level (such as a member of the senior management team, the principalship or college executive). If it is still unresolved the matter should be raised with the chair of the College Board of Management. At each stage the complainant should, wherever possible, put the complaint into writing and keep copies. If the issue is not resolved by the Board of Management to the satisfaction of the complainant and the complaint relates specifically to the quality of further education (FE) or higher education (HE) funded by the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC), the complainant may wish to raise the issue with SFC. If the issue is still not resolved, or is not related to the quality of FE or HE provision, the complainant may wish to contact the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) who has powers to investigate complaints about Government departments and agencies.

Where can I access the latest inspection reports?

All of our reports are published on our website under the 'reports' section available on the right hand menu from this website area: http://www.hmie.gov.uk/default.aspx. You can search for reports by clicking on the sector and then choosing a specific council area or date. You can also type in the name of the establishment you are looking for a report on into our search facility located at the top of our website. If you cannot find the report on a recent inspection then it is likely that it is still in the process of being published. We aim to publish 95% of reports on schools or early years centres within ten working weeks from the completion of the inspection review. If you are a parent with a child at the school you will receive a hard copy of the final report when it is published.

How should I raise concerns about a school?

Education Scotland has no remit to investigate individual complaints or concerns. We would advise you to contact the class teacher or headteacher in the first instance. If you have already contacted the class teacher or headteacher, or if your concerns were not resolved to your satisfaction, we would then suggest contacting the education authority (local council) directly who will be happy to help. If you have already raised your concerns with the education authority we would suggest that you contact the Chief Executive, your local councillor or your MSP. If you have been through your council’s full complaints procedure and are still not satisfied with a response you can contact the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. Contact details for the 32 education authorities can be obtained from the Directgov website: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/DevolvedAdministrations/DG_4003604. Contact details for your local MSP can be obtained from the Scottish Parliament website: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/membersPages/MSPAddressPostcodeFinder.htm. Contact details for the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman can be obtained from their website: http://www.spso.org.uk.