Complaints policy

Educational Center “Liberated School”

Founder Elena Chegodaeva

Principal/Academic director Polina Eistrikh-Geller

Revised: August 2024

The International Educational Center “Liberated School” provides every child with high-quality education in an atmosphere of mutual respect, building a reliable foundation for life and learning anywhere in the world. We create a space where children can freely express themselves, discover their interests, and forge their own developmental paths, while educators continuously enhance their professional skills.

Our goal is to help children feel confident in a changing world, fostering a generation that values freedom, responsibility, and mutual understanding.

1.1 “Liberated School” values feedback about its services and believes that students should have access to effective complaint-handling systems to ensure high academic and service standards. Students should feel confident that their complaints will be addressed fairly.

1.2 Below is a three-stage process for resolving student complaints, designed to achieve satisfactory outcomes for all parties.

2.1 A student complaint is considered by the school as an expression of dissatisfaction regarding a service, facility, or academic provision offered by the school.

3.1 The school is committed to making the complaint submission and resolution process as fair as possible. The procedure is based on the following principles:

3.2 Reasonable accommodations, including translators or other adjustments, may be provided for students with special needs.

4.1 “Liberated School” encourages students to share feedback through homeroom teachers, anonymous Alert forms, Tripod surveys, or any other available means.

4.2 Complaints should be submitted as soon as possible, but no later than six months after the issue occurred.

4.3 A group of students may submit a collective complaint by appointing one representative.

4.4 Complaints remain confidential unless there is a safety risk.

4.5 The school expects all necessary information from the parties for an investigation.

4.6 Complaints should be submitted in good faith. Unfounded complaints may be dismissed.

a.1 Most complaints are expected to be resolved early through informal discussion. Students are encouraged to contact their homeroom teacher, psychologist, or teacher, who will attempt to address the issue informally. For confidential discussions before submitting a complaint, students may contact the coordinator of middle and high school or the director.

a.2 The person receiving the complaint must address it promptly and fairly. Students will be informed within five working days about the actions to be taken, the expected resolution timeline, and the appropriate contact for submitting a formal complaint if the outcome is unsatisfactory.

a.3 This stage typically involves informal communication, such as conversations or messaging. However, outcomes may be documented if necessary.

a.4 School staff are encouraged to share lessons learned from resolving complaints to enhance departmental efficiency.

b.1 If the student is dissatisfied with the results of the informal process or if the issue is complex, they may file a formal complaint within 10 working days of receiving the informal response. Formal complaints can be submitted through the "Write to Founder" form on the school’s website or the "Alert Form!"

b.2 Students will receive an acknowledgment of their complaint within five working days.

b.3 The coordinator of the relevant department (primary or middle/high school) will handle the investigation. If the director is involved in the complaint, another authorized individual (e.g., founder, coordinator) will be assigned.

b.4 The director/coordinator will arrange a meeting with the student to discuss the complaint in detail. The student may be accompanied by a friend or psychologist. Witnesses and other parties participate in separate meetings unless all parties agree to a joint discussion.

b.5 If parties cannot attend the meeting, the school will attempt to reschedule. If participants miss two meetings, the investigation may proceed without them.

b.6 The meeting proceeds as follows:

b.7 The director compiles a report containing the process, findings, and recommendations. The report is sent to the founder for quality review before being shared with the student and respondent.

b.8 If the complaint is upheld, the student will be informed of the actions taken. If the complaint is rejected, the reasons will be explained.

c.1 Students may appeal to the school manager within 10 working days of receiving the Stage 2 outcome.

"Liberated School" ensures the regular review of its complaint-handling policy to guarantee its relevance and effectiveness. Feedback from students and parents is used to improve the process.