Approved by the Governing Body: Autumn 2022
Date of next review: Autumn 2024
OUR LADY IMMACULATE CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
MANAGING SERIAL AND UNREASONABLE COMPLAINTS POLICY
Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School is committed to dealing with all complaints fairly and impartially,
and to providing a high-quality service to those who complain. We will not normally limit the contact complain
ants have with our school. However, we do not expect our staff to tolerate unacceptable behaviour and will act to
protect staff from that behaviour, including that which is abusive, offensive or threatening.
Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School defines unreasonable behaviour as that which hinders our consider
ation of complaints because of the frequency or nature of the complainant’s contact with the school, such as, if
the complainant:
• refuses to articulate their complaint or specify the grounds of a complaint or the outcomes sought by rais
ing the complaint, despite offers of assistance
• refuses to co-operate with the complaint investigation process
• refuses to accept that certain issues are not within the scope of the complaint procedure
• insists on the complaint being dealt with in ways which are incompatible with the complaint procedure or
with good practice
• introduces trivial or irrelevant information which they expect to be considered and commented on
• raises large numbers of detailed but unimportant questions, and insists they are fully answered, often im
mediately and to their own timescales
• makes unjustified complaints about staff who are trying to deal with the issues, and seeks to have them
replaced
• changes the basis of the complaint as the investigation proceeds
• repeatedly makes the same complaint (despite previous investigations or responses concluding that the
complaint is groundless or has been addressed)
• refuses to accept the findings of the investigation into that complaint where the school’s complaint proce
dure has been fully and properly implemented and completed including referral to the Department for Ed
ucation
• seeks an unrealistic outcome
• makes excessive demands on school time by frequent, lengthy and complicated contact with staff regard
ing the complaint in person, in writing, by email and by telephone while the complaint is being dealt with
• uses threats to intimidate
• uses abusive, offensive or discriminatory language or violence
• knowingly provides falsified information
• publishes unacceptable information on social media or other public forums.
Complainants should try to limit their communication with the school that relates to their complaint, while the
complaint is being progressed. It is not helpful if repeated correspondence is sent (either by letter, phone, email
or text), as it could delay the outcome being reached.
Whenever possible, the headteacher or Chair of Governors will discuss any concerns with the complainant infor
mally before applying an ‘unreasonable’ marking.
If the behaviour continues, the headteacher will write to the complainant explaining that their behaviour is unrea
sonable and ask them to change it. For complainants who excessively contact Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Pri
mary School causing a significant level of disruption, we may specify methods of communication and limit the
number of contacts in a communication plan. This will be reviewed after six months.
In response to any serious incident of aggression or violence, we will immediately inform the police and communi
cate our actions in writing. This may include barring an individual from Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary
School.