Guide to Complaints (COBIS Schools)

Introduction 

COBIS member schools are held to high standards of quality, assessed through the COBIS membership application process, the COBIS Accreditation or Compliance and/or inspections by British Government-recognised or COBIS-approved external bodies. 

While COBIS expects its members to uphold these standards at all times, complaints may occasionally arise. COBIS takes all formal complaints seriously and considers them in accordance with this policy. All correspondence is recorded and retained in line with UK data protection legislation.

Please address all complaints to COBIS’ CEO, Colin Bell. 

E-mail address: pa@cobis.org.uk 

Scope of COBIS’ Role 

COBIS is a membership organisation that exists to represent the collective interests of its member schools, to offer them opportunities for professional information, training and improvement, and to promote the quality and reputation of the best in British international education worldwide. It is not a regulatory, statutory or law enforcement authority. Its legal obligations in relation to complaints are strictly limited to matters concerning its own standards, codes of conduct and/or policies and procedures. 

COBIS will only consider matters that relate directly to a potential breach of the conditions of COBIS membership (including if membership is gained through COBIS Accreditation and Compliance Standards, and/or inspections by British Government-recognised or COBIS-approved external bodies - collectively referred to as the “COBIS Standards”), the Whistleblowing Policy and/or any COBIS Codes of Conduct. COBIS does not have jurisdiction over, and will not intervene in, disputes between a school, its individual students, parents and/or staff. These matters fall under the responsibility of the school’s leadership and governing body. 

Safeguarding and Whistleblowing 

For the avoidance of doubt: 

• Concerns or allegations relating to safer recruitment, child safeguarding or child protection must be reported under COBIS’ Whistleblowing Policy, available here.

• If a child or adult is at risk of harm or suspected to be in danger, this must be reported directly to the relevant local authority or statutory safeguarding body as a matter of priority. COBIS is not authorised to investigate or intervene in such circumstances, nor does it have any law enforcement powers.  

• Where a complaint involves potential criminal conduct, it must be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency or regulatory authority for investigation. While COBIS will take the existence and outcome of any criminal investigation into account when determining its own response to a school’s membership, it cannot investigate, comment on or interfere with such proceedings. 

COBIS will not consider any of the following matters relating to a member school: 

• employment disputes;  

• student disciplinary matters; 

• fee-related issues; and/or  

• any complaint subject to ongoing legal proceedings.  

COBIS’ determination of whether a complaint falls within its remit is final and is not subject to appeal. 

Complaints Procedure: 

1. Initial Acknowledgment  

COBIS will acknowledge receipt of a formal complaint within two working weeks. 

2. Preliminary Requirements 

Before COBIS considers a complaint, the complainant must confirm: 

• that the relevant member school’s official complaints procedure has been fully exhausted; 
• they understand and accept the limited scope of COBIS’ role; 
• they consent to sharing details of the complaint, including any personal data contained therein, with the Headteacher/Principal of the relevant school; and  
• they accept COBIS’ data handling and retention practices as outlined in this policy. 

3. School Notification & Response 

Once COBIS has received written confirmation of points 2 (a) – (d) (inclusive), COBIS will notify the Headteacher/Principal of the school in question or, the school’s Chair of Governors if the complaint concerns the Headteacher/Principal and will request:  

• confirmation that the school followed its official complaints procedure; 
• evidence that the issue does not contravene, compromise or breach any of the COBIS Standards; and 
• any relevant documents (e.g. policies, internal records, notes and/or correspondence). 

4. Review & Decision 

The COBIS CEO and Vice Chairman will review the complaint and the school’s response. If a breach of COBIS Standards is identified, COBIS may request further explanation from the school and/or refer the matter to the COBIS Board for consideration of membership status. In serious cases, COBIS may suspend or terminate membership. In all cases, COBIS’ judgement is final, unless new evidence or information comes to light that needs to be assessed. 

Feedback to Complainants 

COBIS will inform the complainant of the outcome. However, COBIS is not obliged to disclose details of the school’s response. All correspondence from COBIS, including its decisions, communications and any related documentation, is strictly confidential.  

No party to a complaint may publish, quote, or otherwise use COBIS’ decisions, correspondence, or communications in the public domain without prior written permission from COBIS. This confidentiality applies to both the complainant and the school and is essential to maintaining the integrity of the complaints process. 

COBIS does not provide advice, advocacy or representation to individual complainants. 

Anonymous Complaints  

COBIS does not generally process anonymous complaints. Exceptions may be made only where anonymity is deemed essential by COBIS.  

Complaints about COBIS 

For any complaints regarding COBIS’ staff or Board members, please refer to and follow the COBIS Corporate Complaints Policy.  

Record Keeping 

COBIS will record the progress of all complaints, including information about actions taken at all stages, the stage at which the complaint was resolved and the final outcome. The records will also include copies of letters and emails, and notes relating to meetings and phone calls. 

All complaints are retained securely in accordance with COBIS’ data retention policy. Records are accessibly only to those directly involved in the enquiry. 

Summary of Key Points: 

• COBIS only handles complaints related to breaches of the COBIS Standards. 

• COBIS does not handle interpersonal, employment or operational disputes within schools. 

• Safeguarding concerns go through the Whistleblowing Policy or directly to the relevant statutory safeguarding authority if someone is at risk. 

• Criminal matters must be referred to the police or appropriate regulatory body.  

This policy will be reviewed annually. 

Last review: December 2025.