The Glasgow School of Music · Concerns & Feedback
Complaints, Concerns & Feedback
A clear route for non-emergency school matters.
Students, parents, carers and visitors can use this page to raise a lesson concern, complaint, accessibility issue, communication issue or general feedback about The Glasgow School of Music.
This page is for non-emergency complaints, concerns and feedback. Some matters need a more urgent or specialist route.
When to use this page
A practical route for non-emergency school matters.
This page is designed to make concerns easier to raise and easier for the school to review. It is not intended to replace emergency services, safeguarding reporting or formal data protection routes.
Lesson experience or teaching concerns
Use this route for concerns about lesson experience, expectations, lesson structure, communication around progress or the suitability of the lesson arrangement.
Communication or administration concerns
Raise concerns about scheduling, account communication, invoicing queries, policy clarity, portal use or general administration.
Feedback about the school experience
Share constructive feedback, suggestions, positive comments or issues affecting the student, parent or visitor experience.
For urgent absences or same-day lesson administration, use the normal school communication route or My Music Staff where applicable. This page is best used for matters that need review rather than immediate timetable handling.
Raise a concern
Use a clear subject line so the matter can be reviewed properly.
For non-emergency complaints, concerns and feedback, contact the school by email and include enough context for the matter to be understood.
Complaints, Concerns & Feedback
Written contact provides a clear record of the matter and the information supplied. Choose the subject line that matches what you are asking the school to do.
Formal complaint: use “Formal Complaint” when you are requesting a written review and response. Use “Concern or Feedback” for an issue, suggestion or comment that you are not submitting as a formal complaint. Trying to resolve something informally does not prevent you from making a formal complaint later.
If email is not accessible for you, use the Contact page to request an alternative way to provide the information.
Give enough detail for the issue to be understood.
Where relevant, include:
- Student name and parent/carer name, where applicable.
- Tutor name, lesson day/time and instrument or subject.
- What happened, including relevant dates or messages.
- Whether the matter is ongoing or already resolved.
- What outcome, clarification or review is being requested.
- Whether anyone is currently at risk or needs urgent help.
If anyone is currently at risk, use the appropriate emergency or safeguarding route first.
Concern about the Director or school management: state this clearly in the subject line. Where practicable, GSofM will arrange review by a person who was not directly involved, which may include another senior representative or an external adviser. Safeguarding, criminal, data-protection or other specialist matters should still use the appropriate external or statutory route.
How concerns are handled
Concerns are reviewed proportionately and routed appropriately.
The exact process and time required depend on the nature, seriousness and complexity of the issue. Safeguarding, privacy and access matters may need to be handled under their own route.
This page does not create a separate emergency process. Immediate-risk matters should be raised with emergency services or the appropriate safeguarding route without delay.
Response timing: GSofM does not publish one fixed completion deadline for every matter. A formal complaint will normally be acknowledged as soon as reasonably practicable. Where a full response cannot be provided promptly, the school may explain the next step, request further information or indicate why additional time is required.
Genuine concerns: a student, parent, carer, tutor or visitor will not be disadvantaged merely for raising a genuine concern or complaint in good faith. This does not prevent proportionate action concerning separate conduct, abusive communication or information known to be deliberately false.
Confidentiality: information is handled carefully, but absolute confidentiality cannot be promised. Relevant information may need to be shared on a proportionate need-to-know basis with the people involved, an adviser, insurer, legal representative, police, social work, regulator or another appropriate authority.
Review, outcomes and records
Formal complaints should end with a clear recorded outcome.
The level of detail will depend on the issue, the people involved and any legal, privacy, employment or safeguarding restriction.
State what was reviewed and decided.
A formal response will normally identify the matter reviewed, the conclusion, any correction or practical action, and any further route available. Confidential information about another person may need to be withheld.
Identify a specific review ground.
A review request should be made promptly, normally within 14 calendar days of the formal outcome, and should explain the material process concern, missed information or relevant new evidence.
Keep only what is reasonably necessary.
GSofM may retain the complaint, correspondence, review notes and outcome for administration, safeguarding, service improvement, insurance or legal purposes, in line with the Privacy Policy and applicable retention needs.
A review does not guarantee a different outcome. It is intended to check whether the matter was handled fairly, relevant information was considered and the stated process was followed.
Questions
Common questions about concerns and feedback.
Use these answers to decide whether this is the correct route or whether a safeguarding, privacy, accessibility or emergency route is more appropriate.
What kind of matter can I raise through this page?
Students, parents, carers and visitors can raise non-emergency concerns about lessons, tutor communication, administration, payments, scheduling, accessibility barriers, student experience or the wider school service. Immediate-risk and specialist matters should use the appropriate route shown above.
How do I make a formal complaint?
Email GSofM using the subject line “Formal Complaint” and state clearly that you are requesting a written review and response. A concern, suggestion or comment that is not a formal complaint can use the subject line “Concern or Feedback”.
What should I include when I contact GSofM?
Where relevant, include the student and parent or carer names, tutor, lesson day and time, instrument or subject, what happened, relevant dates or messages, whether the matter is ongoing, and the outcome or clarification requested.
When will GSofM respond?
GSofM does not publish one fixed response deadline for every matter. The school may request further information, and the time required depends on the nature, seriousness and complexity of the issue and any specialist route involved.
Should safeguarding concerns be sent through this page?
If someone is in immediate danger, call 999 first. Safeguarding concerns connected to lessons, tutor conduct, student welfare or school arrangements should use the safeguarding route shown on the GSofM safeguarding page.
Can I send positive feedback or suggestions?
Yes. Use the subject line “Concern or Feedback” for positive feedback, suggestions and constructive comments about lessons, communication, administration or the wider school experience.
What if my concern is about personal information?
Use the Privacy Policy route for data protection requests, personal information access, correction, deletion, restriction, objection, consent or concerns about how personal information is handled.
What if the issue is about accessibility?
You can use this page or the Accessibility page to report website, document, communication, physical access or lesson-access barriers.
What if my complaint concerns the Director or school management?
State this clearly in the subject line using “Complaint Concerning Management”. Where practicable, GSofM will arrange review by a person who was not directly involved, which may include another senior representative or an external adviser. Safeguarding, criminal, privacy or other specialist matters should still use the appropriate external route.
Can I request a review of a formal complaint outcome?
Yes. A review request should be made promptly, normally within 14 calendar days, and should identify a material process concern, relevant information that was missed or significant new evidence. A review does not guarantee a different outcome.
Will raising a genuine concern affect lessons?
No student or family will be disadvantaged merely for raising a genuine concern or complaint in good faith. This does not prevent proportionate action concerning separate conduct, abusive communication or information known to be deliberately false.
Will my complaint be kept confidential?
Information is handled carefully, but absolute confidentiality cannot be promised. Relevant information may need to be shared on a proportionate need-to-know basis with the people involved or an appropriate adviser, insurer, legal representative, police, social-work service, regulator or authority.
Raise a concern or share feedback
Use a clear route and include enough context.
For non-emergency complaints, concerns or feedback, contact the school using a clear subject line. For immediate danger, safeguarding or specialist privacy/accessibility matters, use the appropriate route first.