Updated Oct 2022 (DM)

Complaints Policy and Procedure

 

Our Policy

 

• To listen to all complaints and suggestions.
   
• To enable staff and students to be able to make complaints and suggestions.
   
• To resolve problems in the best way possible.
   
• To use complaints as an opportunity to review and improve the service we offer.
   
• To consider and, if practicable, act on suggestions.

 

• To provide an opportunity at Staff Meetings for staff to bring up any issues under Any Other Business.
   
• To provide information on the WSE Complaints Procedure to students in their information packs (sent digitally before they start).

 

• To tell students verbally during the Welcome Talk about WSE’s Complaints Procedure.
   
• To re-iterate to students at the end of Week 1 (at the New Arrivals Meeting) who students should speak to regarding any problems.

 

• To provide all students with an opportunity to give feedback (including complaints and suggestions) on the Day One Questionnaire, Week One Questionnaire, Leavers’ Survey and in tutorials.

 

• To ask a selection of students for suggestions on improvements to the service provided by WSE at the weekly “Leavers’ Meeting”.

 

• To feed back information gathered at the Leavers’ Meeting to staff and act on any complaints, and where possible, suggestions.

 

• Where possible, to see any students making a negative comment on the Leavers’ Survey before they leave.

 

• Where possible monitor and follow up on comments posted on social media sites.

 

• For the Senior Management Team, Academic, Marketing, Reception, Registration and Accommodation staff to review all student comments in the Leavers’ Surveys and act on suggestions where possible.

 

 

Procedure - Students Complaints Procedure

 

We hope that you will be happy with the school and accommodation.  Please tell us immediately if you have a problem of any sort so that we can help. However, if you wish to make a complaint, we have the following procedure:

 

Please see the relevant member of staff (see below).  If you have a complaint, they will listen to your complaint, and try to find a solution to the problem.  They will also ask you to fill in a complaints form.

 

                  Teachers and teaching:                                  Susi Wright, Director of Studies

                  Accommodation:                                             Julie Ransley, Accommodation Manager

                  Refunds & other Finance:                              Sandro Saviolo, Operations Director

 

If you are still not satisfied, please see the Principal, Fiona Dunlop.  If she cannot resolve matters immediately, she will ask you to put your complaint in writing.  You will receive a written response within 3 working days. If you are still not satisfied after this you can speak to the Managing Director, Jane Dancaster.

 

If you still feel that your complaint has not been resolved in a satisfactory manner, please put the complaint in writing and send it to:

 

                  The Ombudsman

                  English UK

                  219 St John Street

                  London,     EC1V 4LY

 

How Students Complaints Are Dealt With

 

Teachers and Teaching

Where possible, we ask students to see their teacher if they are unhappy with their class or level.  However, if they are embarrassed, or the problem is with their teacher, they can speak to the Director of Studies, who will inform them of proposed action (see below).   She will then invite them to come back within a week to see if matters have improved.

 

The Director of Studies will discuss the problem with the teacher concerned and identify possible solutions.  If necessary, the Director of Studies or the ADoS will observe the class, with a second observation if deemed necessary.  The DoS or ADoS will also give support where appropriate, e.g. with lesson planning and choice of materials.

 

If the students are still unhappy, the Director of Studies may move the teacher to a more suitable class.  If the problem is due to a personality clash, it may be possible to move the student to another class at the same level.

 

All the above stages are documented.

 

Where possible the DoS or ADoS will provide a teacher with as much support as possible, for example setting up a peer observation programme, helping with lesson preparation and conducting regular developmental observations.  However, if matters do not improve, and the teacher continues to have problems with all classes, they will be asked to leave (following the necessary disciplinary procedure), or, if a short term, temporary teacher, their contract will not be renewed.

For serious complaints, the student is asked to fill in a complaints form.

 

Accommodation

Complaints about accommodation are made to the Accommodation Manager.  The AM will try to resolve matters by talking to the homestay host, for example if it is a minor problem such as type of food.  However, in most cases it is better to move the student to a new family.  If the problem is serious, the AM will visit the family, or may ask the family to come into school for a meeting with the AM and Principal.  In extreme cases, the family will no longer be used.  All complaints are filed with the family’s details.  For serious complaints, the student is asked to fill in a complaints form.

This is an area where the AM has to act with extreme sensitivity.

 

Please note that there are also occasions where it is the family who has reason to complain about a student, and in those cases, we follow a similar procedure.