Paraparaumu College

Policy and detailed process:

Paraparaumu College has a Concerns and Complaints Policy and process. This policy and process provides staff members, parents/caregivers, and the wider school community with clear guidelines for raising and resolving concerns and complaints. This information should be read alongside our other policies on our website.

Raising a concern or complaint:

Concerns and complaints can be raised verbally or in writing. We encourage anyone with a complaint or concern to raise the issue directly with the relevant staff in a timely manner. We find that most complaints and concerns can be managed and resolved informally through respectful conversations with the people concerned, and we encourage you to try this approach in the first instance.

If your concerns have not been resolved, or for more serious matters, you can make a formal complaint. Formal complaints may be about an employee of the school, a parent or caregiver, a student, or any matter within the school's responsibility.

To ensure fairness, any formal complaint or serious allegation must be made in writing and we will aim to resolve the complaint as promptly as possible given the details and the steps that need to be considered. All parties should respect confidentiality, including avoiding the use of social media to promote a point of view.

Making a formal complaint:

If a concern or complaint raised verbally cannot be resolved through discussion, the person who receives the information may make a written record of the discussion or ask that the concern or complaint be received in writing.

Anyone who has a concern or complaint should raise it as soon as possible with an appropriate person at the kura. This is usually with a staff member who is directly involved (e.g. classroom teacher, teacher in charge of a programme). The person who receives the concern or complaint may refer the matter to a more appropriate staff member, which may include senior staff, the Principal, or the board.
Serious matters can be raised directly with the Principal, who may escalate the matter to the board as required - principal@pc.schoo.nz
A concern or complaint about the Principal should be raised with the presiding member via the Board Secretary - board@pc.school.nz
A concern or complaint about the presiding member should be raised with another board member via the Board Secretary - board@pc.school.nz

When making a formal complaint, please include as much information as possible, including:

Names of people involved
Dates and details of events
Any steps already taken to resolve the matter
Your preferred contact details

If you do not want to disclose your identity, please clearly state this and your reason why. Please note, it may not be possible for the kura to maintain your anonymity, or to effectively investigate and respond to anonymous concerns or complaints.

Once we have received your written complaint we will follow our complaints procedure as outlined in the links above.

Guidelines for raising a concern or complaint:

Concerns or complaints should be raised with the kura in the first instance. Serious matters may also be raised with external agencies directly (e.g. police, Oranga Tamariki).
If a member of the kura community has a concern or complaint about an ākonga who is not their child, they should contact the kura. They should not contact the ākonga or their parents/caregivers directly.
Anyone with a concern or complaint may seek advice or support (e.g. a friend, relative, lawyer, union, employee assistance programme, counselling or mediation services). A support person and/or a representative may help raise a concern or make a complaint and may attend arranged meetings. A support person and/or representative is expected to respect privacy and confidentiality, as with other people involved in the process.
We expect all concerns and complaints to be raised in a respectful way, in accordance with our conduct expectations and inclusive kura culture. The kura will assess and respond to all concerns and complaints in a timely, fair, and respectful manner.
Concerns and complaints should be raised as soon as possible to allow the kura to respond effectively. There is no time limit on when a concern or complaint may be raised with the kura. A concern or complaint relating to an historic event may require a more complex investigation and response. This includes historic sensitive claims.

How the school manages concerns and complaints:

Paraparaumu College aims to:

treat people fairly and seek to protect their mana and dignity in line with our inclusive kura culture
ensure those involved have the opportunity to be heard
ensure decision-makers are unbiased and outcomes are not predetermined (e.g. ensure there are no conflicts of interest)
take cultural considerations (e.g. tikanga and kawa) into account
maintain privacy and confidentiality
aim to prevent victimisation
communicate with all people involved in a timely manner
take steps to resolve the matter
implement measures to prevent further concerns or complaints of the same nature
keep good documentation
may consult with NZSBA or seek legal advice at any time.

Staff guidance and record keeping:

Staff are informed of the correct procedures to follow when raising a concern or complaint or receiving a concern or complaint, including how to respond and when to escalate a matter to senior staff, the tumuaki, and/or the board. Our concerns and complaints policy and procedures are shared with staff at induction and staff meetings.

Paraparaumu College keeps a register of concerns and complaints, including employment-related matters. Generally, only concerns and complaints that come to the attention of the tumuaki or board are recorded. Records may include: