Rulebook · Way to challenge

Complaint to the school or college

Using the school's or college's complaints procedure about what the school itself does, such as the SEN support it gives. Maintained schools and academies must have a complaints procedure. Mainstream schools and colleges must use their best endeavours to secure the special educational provision a pupil needs. For help in an EHC plan, the duty to secure it sits with the council.

Who can use it: Parents and pupils, and young people at college. Time limit: Set by the school's or college's own policy.

Alongside other ways

Yes. It can run alongside a complaint to the council, a discrimination claim or an appeal. After the school's process, a complaint about a maintained school can go to the Secretary of State. For an academy, the Department for Education checks whether the academy followed its procedure and can ask it to look at the complaint again. It does not consider complaints about a child or young person's EHC plan.

Cost

Free.

What it can do

• The school can change how it supports the pupil, apologise, or change its practice.

What it cannot do

• It cannot change the EHC plan or council decisions.
• It cannot decide a discrimination claim: only the Tribunal can.
• It does not stop or extend the time limit for any appeal or claim.

Type of rule

Law (Act or Regulations)This is the law, set by an Act of Parliament or by Regulations.

Rule id

route.complaint_school

Rules version

england-2026.10

Law as at

30 September 2026

Sources

• Education Act 2002, s 29(1)Law (Act or Regulations)
• Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014, Sch 1 para 33Law (Act or Regulations)
• DfE, How DfE handles complaints about academiesOfficial guidance
• Children and Families Act 2014, s 66Law (Act or Regulations)
• Children and Families Act 2014, s 42(2)Law (Act or Regulations)

See the ways to challenge

The whole rulebook