Concerns or Complaints – Making Things Better

While schools try very hard to operate in a way that provides high quality education in a safe learning environment, sometimes things may not always go as planned or as expected. There may even be events that the school is not aware of and needs to know about.

St Martins School | Hāto Mātene welcomes all feedback from parents. With this information, the administration of the school has an opportunity to make our school a safer and stronger learning environment.

Here are some guidelines for parents to consider:

  • No concern should be considered as too small. Be assured that we want to hear your concern and that we will do all that can be done to make the situation right or clarify any misunderstandings.
  • Early intervention often reaps the best results, so take your concern to the appropriate person at the earliest possible convenient time.
  • Take your concern directly to the school. Your concern will be dealt with immediately using the school’s documented policies and procedures.
  • If you are not sure who to go to, start with the teacher, they will help you identify the best place to start.
  • You might feel more comfortable sending an email, or writing a letter. You can find staff contact email addresses on the Staff page.
  • Expect a timely response. If you are not satisfied, please inform the Principal.
  • If the issue is about the Principal, then this needs to be directed to the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees (BoT).
  • Serious concerns should be made in writing and should clearly outline what the concern or issues are and what actions have been taken already. Use the complaints flow chart below to guide you through the steps you should take.
  • The BoT will not deal with anonymous complaints.

The BoT has a set of procedures that it must follow in the event that a complaint is directed to it. If a concern or complaint is prematurely raised with the BoT, it will direct the parent to the correct place in the procedure so that the concern can be dealt with at the appropriate level.

The BoT role is to ensure that the school’s policies and procedures are fairly and robustly applied, and to ensure that appropriate outcomes are achieved.

The key ingredient in obtaining successful outcomes is open, timely communication. We will listen, we will act, and we encourage you to be a strong advocate for your children. You will have the support of the school and the BoT because we are committed to continued improvement – “Making Things Better”.

To view the St Martins School complaints policy:

What to do if you have a concern or complaint:

ComplaintsFlowchart