Why your feedback matters

At Children's Support Service, we value the views and experiences of families. Your feedback helps us to:

• Understand what's working well and what we can improve.
• Make informed decisions about our provision and support.
• Ensure we're meeting the needs of pupils and families.
• Celebrate our successes and address any concerns.
• Work in partnership with you to achieve the best outcomes for your child.

We are committed to listening to families and acting on your feedback to continuously improve our service.

How do we gather family feedback?

Formal parent/carer surveys (three times a year)

We conduct formal parent/carer surveys three times a year to gather your views on a range of topics, including:

• Your child's learning and progress
• Communication between home and school
• Pastoral care and wellbeing support
• SEND provision and support
• Safeguarding and safety
• Behaviour and attitudes
• Leadership and management
• How well we work in partnership with families

These surveys give you the opportunity to share your views anonymously and help us identify areas for development across the school.

When you receive a survey invitation, we encourage you to take a few minutes to complete it – your feedback really does make a difference.

How else can you share feedback with us?

We recognise that formal surveys are just one way to gather feedback. We also welcome informal feedback through:

Regular communication

• Review meetings – Share your views about your child's progress and the support they're receiving
• Weekly phone calls and emails – Contact your child's form tutor, Engagement Mentor, or SENCO at any time
• Drop-in sessions – Speak to staff informally about any concerns or suggestions
• Coffee mornings – Join us for informal discussions about school life and your child's experience

Ongoing conversations

• Daily handovers (where appropriate) – Brief conversations when dropping off or collecting your child
• Home-school communication books – Share information and feedback about your child's day
• Text messages and emails – Quick updates and opportunities to ask questions

Suggestion box

We have a suggestion box available for families who would like to share feedback anonymously at any time. You can use this to:

• Make suggestions for improvements
• Share positive feedback
• Raise concerns
• Ask questions

What happens to your feedback?

We take all feedback seriously and use it to inform our decision-making and school improvement priorities. When you share feedback with us:

• We listen – All feedback is read and considered by senior leaders.
• We analyse – We look for patterns and themes across the responses.
• We act – We make changes based on what you tell us.
• We communicate – We share what we've learnt and what we're doing as a result.

We will share the results of our parent/carer surveys and let you know about any changes we're making in response to your feedback through:

• Newsletters
• Our website
• Review meetings
• Letters and emails home

Ofsted Parent View

You can also share your views about CSS at any time through Ofsted Parent View, the online questionnaire for parents and carers.

Ofsted uses Parent View to gather feedback from families during inspections, but you don't have to wait for an inspection to share your views.

You can complete Ofsted Parent View here:
https://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk

Parent View asks for your opinions on topics such as:

• Whether your child is happy at school
• Whether your child feels safe
• How well the school deals with bullying
• How well the school communicates with you
• Whether the school is well led and managed

Your responses are anonymous and help Ofsted understand what parents and carers think about schools across the country.

How can you get involved in other ways?

As well as providing feedback, we welcome family involvement in school life through:

• Attending school events such as assemblies, performances, and celebrations
• Supporting your child's learning at home – see our How to Support at Home page for ideas

What if I have a concern or complaint?

If you have a concern about any aspect of your child's education or wellbeing, we encourage you to speak to us as soon as possible. In most cases, concerns can be resolved quickly through informal discussion.

Steps to raise a concern:

1. Speak to your child's form tutor or key adult – They know your child well and can often resolve issues quickly.
2. Contact the relevant member of staff – For example, the SENCO for SEND concerns, or an Engagement Mentor for pastoral issues.
3. Contact senior leaders if your concern hasn't been resolved.
4. Follow our formal complaints procedure if needed – This is available on our website.

For safeguarding concerns, please contact Emily Valentine, Designated Safeguarding Lead, at emily.valentine@css-essex.co.uk

Contact us

We want to hear from you. If you have feedback, questions, or concerns, please get in touch:

• Email: office.admin@css-essex.co.uk 
• Phone: 01268 552 482
• In person: Visit reception or arrange a meeting with your child's key adult

For SEND-related feedback:

• Secondary provision: Contact Anya Jenkyns, SENCO
• Primary provision: Contact Carolyn Hainsby, SENCO

 

Thank you for taking the time to share your views. Your feedback helps us to provide the best possible education and support for your child.