This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Bullying complaints (2)'.


Cuckoo Hall Academies Trust 
Harmony House 
c/o Cuckoo Hall Academy 
Cuckoo Hal  Lane 
Edmonton 
London 
N9 8DR  
Email: xxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx.xx  
30th April 2021 
Our Ref: RI20210039 
 
 
By email 
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx  
 
 
Dear Yohannes Lowe 
 
Re: Request for information 
 
Further to  our acknowledgement of 24th  March, we are now in a position to respond to your 
information request.   
 
You sought information regarding formal complaints where a member of school staff bullied a student 
or colleague in the academic years 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 (to date). 
 
Our response acts in part as a refusal notice under Section 17(1) of the Freedom of Information Act.  
Whilst we hold the information requested and have provided as much as we  possibly  can, the 
numbers are so low that we feel to provide further details or specifics than that which we have wil , 
by virtue of beginning to identify individuals, engage the exemption of Section 40(2) i.e. personal 
data of a third party.   
 
A response udder the Freedom of Information Act is a disclosure to world at large. Providing any 
information which could possibly identify someone would breach the fairness element of UK GDPR 
Principle 1 as per Article 5(1)(a) in so far as individuals would not reasonably expect any potentially 
identifiable information to be made public especially if related to a complaint about them, alleged or 
otherwise. 
 
This is an absolute exemption.   
 
We can provide you with the following: - 
 
 Cuckoo Hall Academies Trust comprises five schools www.chat-edu.org.uk.  
 
For your information, any complaints from parents made about staff would be processed under our 
parental complaints procedure available on the policy page of any of our school’s websites.  Any 
complaints from staff about colleagues would be processed in line with standard human resources 


procedures.  In both cases, the receipt of a complaint is not confirmation that the event complained 
about took place.  Additionally, and regardless of how you may choose to class it, schools wil  classify 
bullying in line with the suggestions of the Department for Education 
www.gov.uk/bullying-at-school/bullying-a-definition   
 
In the periods requested: -  
 
Cuckoo Hall Academy | Academic year 2019/20 
1 x complaint from parent alleging physical bullying of a reception year pupil.  Investigation provided 
no evidence of the alleged event and the complaint was not upheld. 
 
Heron Hall Academy | Academic year 2019/20 
1 x complaint from staff member alleging bullying by another teacher.  Investigation found in favour 
and the outcome was disciplinary action 
 
We trust our response is useful to you. 
 
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request you have the right to ask for an internal 
review.  Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of this 
response and should be addressed to FOI Reviews c/o Dr. Donald Graham, Chair of Trust Board, 
Cuckoo Hall Academies Trust, Cuckoo Hall Lane, Edmonton, London N9 8DR. 
  
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to 
the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: 
Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF. 
Telephone 0303 123 1113 www.ico.org.uk   
 
 
Yours sincerely  
 
 
 
Neil Murphy 
Governance and Data Protection Manager | Cuckoo Hall Academies Trust 
www.chat-edu.org.uk