Complaint Procedure

1 Mission statement

We, Senja videregående skole, find it important to give a varied educational offer. A diverse body of students gives the opportunity to an exciting and developing learning environment for both students and teachers. We will, through good dialogue and a respectful positive attitude, create a good working environment.

We want to facilitate our students in obtaining the best results possible. We will continuously work in developing and practicing a range of teaching and learning methods that contribute to each student receiving an education that is suited to his or her aspirations, abilities and needs. Our students are important contributors in our planning and are given responsibilities and duties.

Dialogue and cooperation are important features of our teaching and learning environment. We place our students in the core of our thinking. Our students are active contributors, and our teachers are inspiring, monitoring, knowledgeable pedagogues who are well-respected.

Senja videregående skole’s pedagogical platform is based on our slogan “MMS”:

M
Mangfold
(Diversity)

M
Mestring
(Excellence)

S
Samhold
(Unity)

Diversity through an international school environment by respecting other people’s values and traditions. Diversity also means that each and every one of us is unique and that people with their differences can also be right.

Excellence through strong academic tradition; by maintaining high standards (highly qualified teaching staff as well as high academic achievement standards); by helping and aiding students to achieve their academic goals through focusing on approaches to teaching and approaches to learning.

Unity: Senja videregående skole wants to be a school with good relations between all groups in our organization. We interact with each other in a positive manner. We focus on bringing people together and creating good learning environments with emphasis on student democracy.

As learning community, we develop individuals and groups in the school environment as inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, and reflected.

The right of students to receive quality education in a safe and fair learning environment is the backbone of both our school’s philosophy, the rules and regulations for all schools in Norway and for those of the International Baccalaureate. The right of the students go hand in hand with their responsibilities as students and the aims of education. These rights are also protected by the Law of Education (Opplæringsloven).

 

Our Complaint Procedure is divided into 4 parts:

 

1. Complaints about teachers, teaching and learning and teacher conduct
2. Complaints about the learning environment
3. Complaints about Assessment Results
4. Appeals against IB decisions

 

1. Complaints about teachers, teaching and learning and teacher conduct

The schools in Troms County have clear procedures when handling complaints from students or guardians. The aim of the procedure is to ensure that students and teachers experience that the management follows up complaints in a fair, predictable and traceable manner. Clear and well-known procedures will create acceptance for dealing with complaints. The procedures will also contribute to an awareness among students and teachers as to how their conduct is experienced by others and hence have the possibility of making changes.

For the whole procedure, see Appendix 1.

 

2. Complaints about the learning environment

The national law of education “Opplæringsloven” §9 states that all students have the right to a safe learning environment. The creation of good learning environments is the responsibility of all members of the school community. Teachers and head teachers and the school management work continuously with students to make sure that the learning environment is good. A good and open dialogue, frequent student conversations, meetings with legal guardians in addition to the annual, national student survey help the school to measure how good teaching, learning and the learning environment is.

Everyone who works at the school has a duty to pay attention to what happens in the school and take action if they see or suspect violations, dissatisfaction/discontent, harassment or discrimination both physical and psycho-social.

The Duty of Activity “Aktivitetsplikt” described in the law of Education “Opplæringsloven” takes places if a student does not feel safe or is unable to thrive independent of reason. Then an Activity Plan is opened, and the school has five working days to take action.

If schools fail to take action, students or their guardians can appeal to the County’s Ombudsman “Statsforvalteren”.

 For the whole document, see Appendix 2.

 

3. Complaints about Assessment Results

Transparency and fairness in assessment are cornerstones in our school. During the two years in the Diploma Programme, students receive formative assessment in order to receive the best possible outcome on their summative assessment. Students are awarded grades, summative assessment, from the IBO.

If students are dissatisfied with their results, they are allowed to make a complaint ie an Enquiry upon Results (EUR). Students follow the following steps in the complaint:

1. Contact the IB Coordinator and discuss the results. The component grades results will be looked at and the results will be seen in light of previous assessment during the course of the two years. Subject teachers may be contacted.

2. Based on this discussion and the school’s recommendations, the student with their legal guardians if they are under 18, will decide whether or not they will make an Enquiry upon Results. They fill in the EUR form and give this to the coordinator.

3. Students are made aware of the deadline (1^st September) and that regrading can result in the grade going down. And then they must pay a fee for the remarking unless the remarking results in a change of grade.

4. Once the result of the remarking is clear, the coordinator sends the results to the candidate electronically.

 

4. Appeals against IB decisions

All students have access to education. Fairness in assessment and access, and students not having a disadvantage due to special circumstances are major principles of the programme. Hence there are numerous possibilities of ensuring fairness and access to the programme regulated by IB rules and regulations and the different policies of the school. Once the school has detected a possible disadvantage for a student, the school must see how they can have remedial instruction. If there are larger measures that must be made, the school must apply to the IB after having documented thoroughly. The IB revises the documentation and comes with a solution or a decision. If the student is dissatisfied with the outcome, they may appeal. The appeal must be made by the IB coordinator or the Head of School.  Once an appeal is necessary, the Head of School or the IB Coordinator will have a meeting with the student and their legal guardian to make sure that all details in the appeal process are clear.

Types of appeals:

1. Appeal against the outcomes of enquires upon results
2. Appeal against outcomes of academic misconduct
   Must be seen in relation to the school’s Academic Integrity Policy
3. Appeal against decision in respect of special considerations
   Must be seen in relation to the school’s Inclusive Arrangement Policy
4. Appeals relating to inclusive assessment arrangements
   Must be seen in relation to the school’s Inclusive Arrangement Policy
5. Appeal against any other decision made by the IB not covering the previous four points, relating to assessment or the final award committee.

Sources:

Diploma Programme: Assessment appeals procedure, International Baccalaureate Organization 2016

General Regulations, International Baccalaureate Organization