IB Complaints Procedure

Procedure for Handling Complaints or Appeals

Hvitfeldtska, Pre-DP and IB Diploma Programme

Latest policy review: June 2021, August 2023, May 2024, July 2026

There are various levels where complaints or appeals may arise. The first level is more general about the education at Hvitfeldtska before the IBDP exams. The second level could happen after the results come out, there may be a need to raise your voice or question a result.

The two categories are described below.

This policy is cross-referenced to the IB Learner Profile attributes and our Mission Statement, all found on our homepage.

Prior to Issuance of Final Results: Pre-DP and IB Diploma Programme Complaint Procedure                      

Embracing the learner profile attributes of being open-minded, communicative, principled, and caring, if you have a concern or complaint, you should first request a meeting with the person and/or write an email or Vklass message to him/her. Remember to formulate your request for the meeting and the concern you share with the learner attributes guiding you:  communicative: state your point of view and question clearly, inquirer and open-minded: understand there may be information you do not yet have and be open to hearing another point of view, and caring: open and respectful communication reminds us that we share responsibility for the education with others in our community. It is important that you communicate your concern at the earliest possible moment so that the other person has a chance to address it immediately.  

Note: if it is a complaint directed to specific subject and/or the teacher associated with it, it is important that you book time for a meeting and not suddenly bring up a concern before, during, or after a lesson. It is best to book a time with the teacher so both you and the teacher are focused correctly on the issue at hand. You can ask a guardian or another trusted staff member to be present with you for the meeting if you would like. 

In situations where you are frustrated or upset, it’s important to remember that before drawing any conclusion, you need to have heard all the relevant points of view and the teacher must also have a chance to share his/her vantage point.  

If after having spoken or written to the person(s) needed, you are not satisfied, the next step is to inform the Principal. The Principal will document and investigate what steps have already been taken, and what the outcome of those actions were.  The Principal will decide what the next best course of action is, depending on the context of the situation.  The Principal will also communicate with all involved parties to keep them informed and up to date with the matter. The Principal will follow up with the involved parties after approximately 2 weeks (or more depending on the nature of the concern) to see if the concern has been addressed in a way that both parties feel satisfied.  

If the student or parent is dissatisfied with the outcome or decision taken by the school/Principal in connection to a complaint or concern, the next step is to go to the municipality's handling of complaints.

After the Issuance of Results from the IBO: IB Diploma Programme Complaint Procedure

The school follows the General Regulations as published by the IBO and our Assessment Policy outlines the routines we have in place to support students to achieve their personal best.  While every measure is taken to predict student outcomes as accurately as possible, it can happen that a student is dissatisfied with his/her results which are given by the IB DP Final Award Committee.

After the results are issued, a complaint coming into the school will be handled as feedback. We will take it seriously and investigate it to see if we need to make any needed improvements, however, the school isn’t able to take any remediative action for a student regarding something that happened several months earlier and is no longer happening.  This is why it is important that if a concern arises, the student or guardians communicate as early as possible with the school: preferably with the person(s) directly involved as a first step. This way the school has time to rectify or clarify the situation as quickly as possible.

If a student is dissatisfied with his/her DP results there are number of courses of action to take and it is the role of the DP Coordinator to help guide and advise students in this process, if needed.  There is essentially a ladder of actions that can be taken which starts with retakes or issuing an "Enquiry Upon Results" (EUR) or making a formal appeal, if necessary. It is only through the DPC that a student can undertake these actions, as the IB does not communicate directly to students or their legal guardians about results.  To read more about enquiry upon results or an appeal as well as the Governing Law and Arbitration read Article 15, 22, 26, and 27 in the previously linked General Regulations.

To apply for a retake or an EUR, you must first discuss it with the DPC who can advise you based on your results and the situation. The EUR and Retake are registered through the DPC.