Complaints

We work hard to ensure a positive and supportive environment for all our staff and students at Wakatipu High School. We understand that from time to time issues may arise. It is important that our community including staff, students and their families/caregivers have a way to have any issues heard, investigated and resolved in a fair and timely manner.

The Board of Trustees have approved a process that describes how the School will manage any complaints. The following advice forms part of that process. For more detailed information, please contact the School office.
Advice to Students
  1. Problems are best dealt with quickly and directly - talk to the person concerned, explain your concerns reasonably and try to resolve it. Remember you might need to listen to their side as well!
  2. If you do not feel safe talking to the person concerned, you should talk to: your Kaiarahi about general issues; your House Dean or the relevant HOLA about curriculum, assessment or subject concerns;  Guidance Counsellor, Senior Deputy Principal, Deputy Principal or Assistant Principal about personal, family, educational, careers or other concerns.
  3. You may wish to bring a support person to this meeting and you should always let  the person that you are meeting know about this in advance.
  4. If your concern relates to sexual harassment you should go to the Guidance Counsellor or any other staff member that you feel comfortable talking to.
  5. If you are not happy with the resolution offered to your complaint, you may make a formal written complaint to the Principal.
  6. A serious complaint about the management of the school can be addressed in writing to the Board of Trustees who will investigate it in consultation with the school’s management team, after which the Board will provide you with a written response.

Advice to Parents
  1. If you have a concern about a member of staff then in the first instance you must contact the member of staff involved directly.
  2. Your concerns must be raised in a timely fashion. 
  3. You should set out your specific concerns to ensure that the member of staff can understand your concerns and have the opportunity to respond to them. 
  4. You should expect an acknowledgement of your concerns in a timely manner.
  5. The member of staff involved will advise their manager/supervisor of the issue you have raised and their manager will assist them in responding to your concerns.
  6. In exceptional circumstances, for example where safety is involved or illegal behaviour is suspected, where you feel unable to raise the matter directly with the person concerned; or if your concern does not relate to any particular member of staff, you should contact: the  Kaiarahi for personal concerns; the  House Dean for concerns about progress, personal or behavioural concerns; the  Head of Learning Area or Careers Advisor for a specific subject concern; the  Guidance Counsellor for concerns relating to family, financial, career or educational matters;  School senior leadership staff for serious matters relating to any of the above - this includes the Principal, Deputy Principals, and Assistant Principal.
  7. If the staff member does not resolve your concern to your satisfaction, you may make a formal written complaint to the Principal.
  8. If the Principal does not resolve your concern to your satisfaction, you may make a formal written complaint to the Board of Trustees.
  9. The school office will help you contact these people if required.

Advice to Staff
  1. Before considering escalating your concern through a formal complaint, you should try to address your concerns directly with the person involved and resolve the matter between you.
  2. If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe doing this, you may address your concern to the relevant HOLA, Dean, a member of the Senior Leadership Team or - where the Principal is concerned - to the Board of Trustees.
  3. If you are not happy with the resolution offered to your complaint, you may make a formal written complaint to the Principal who will discuss it with you and anyone else concerned before resolving the matter with you.
  4. A serious complaint about the management of the school can be addressed in writing to the Board of Trustees.