Complaints

A fair and accessible process

Students, parents/carers and partners can raise concerns about SFK Education’s tuition, revision sessions, staff, booking administration or handling of a problem. We listen respectfully, keep appropriate records and do not tolerate retaliation. Safeguarding concerns follow our safeguarding policy immediately and must not wait for this process.

How to contact us

Speak to the session lead or email enquiries@sfkeducation.com with “Complaint” in the subject. Include the session and date, what happened, your contact details and the outcome you seek. Verbal and accessible reports are accepted; students may ask a trusted adult to help. We consider anonymous reports where sufficient information is available.

Hamzah Kadiri oversees ordinary complaints. Someone who is the subject of a complaint must not be its sole decision-maker. Where a complaint concerns him, it must be assigned to an appropriately impartial person, using an independent external reviewer where needed. Concerns about Imtiaz Patel or Hamzah Kadiri involving safeguarding can be reported directly through the external routes in our safeguarding policy.

Stage 1 — informal resolution

Where appropriate, the session lead will try to resolve a straightforward concern within five working days and record material actions. You can proceed directly to a formal complaint. Suspected abuse, serious discrimination, criminal conduct or significant safety risks are escalated immediately.

Stage 2 — formal complaint

We acknowledge formal complaints within five working days and identify who will handle them. We aim to provide a reasoned written outcome within 15 working days of receipt. The investigator considers relevant accounts and documents, safeguarding implications and confidentiality. If more time is needed, we explain why, give a revised target date and provide updates.

The response explains the findings, any remedy or action we can lawfully share, and the review route. We cannot disclose confidential information about other students or staff.

Stage 3 — review

Request a review normally within 15 working days of the formal response, explaining the disputed findings, procedural concerns or new evidence. A person sufficiently independent of the original decision will review it. We aim to conclude within 20 working days of the request, or explain a justified extension. The review may uphold or change the outcome, require further investigation or recommend improvements.

Privacy, external routes and learning

We retain restricted records of the concern, investigation, decisions, deadlines and follow-up. We offer reasonable adjustments and review patterns to improve provision. Where relevant, we coordinate with the host school or venue while retaining responsibility for our own service.

This process does not restrict statutory rights or external reporting to police, children’s social care, the LADO or the Information Commissioner, according to their remits. The LADO is not a general complaints appeal body. Employment grievances and whistleblowing concerns are handled through the appropriate staff procedures.