Parent complaints can trigger an interim Ofsted inspection which could be an unwelcome surprise. Rarely, if the complaint is deemed serious, this could be an immediate inspection.

What sort of complaints might Ofsted act on?

Examples listed in the document Complaints to Ofsted about Schools guidance include:

• the school is not providing a good enough education
• the pupils are not achieving as much as they should, or their different needs are not being met
• the school is not well led and managed, or is wasting money, or
• the pupils’ personal development and well-being are being neglected.

Complaints should relate to the whole school and Ofsted won't normally investigate issues relating to individual pupils or events nor complaints which have other statutory channels such as admissions or exclusions.