Parent code of conduct
We are very fortunate to have a supportive and friendly parent/carer bodies. Our parents/carers recognise that educating children is a process that involves partnership between parents/carers, teachers and the academies community.
As a partnership, our parents/carers will understand the importance of a good working relationship to equip children with the necessary skills for adulthood. For these reasons we continue to welcome and encourage parents/carers to participate fully in the life of our academies.
Purpose and Scope of the Parent Carer Code of Conduct
The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance to all parents/carers and visitors to our academies about the expected conduct. This is so we can continue to flourish, progress and achieve in an atmosphere of mutual understanding.
Code of Conduct
We expect parents and visitors to:
- Respect the inclusive, caring values and ethos of the school
- Understand that the values and ethos of the school encompass relationships with staff and volunteers
- Demonstrate that all members of the school community are to be treated with respect and dignity
- Respect, and cooperate with, the school’s policies, processes and procedures
- Recognise that school staff are endeavouring to act in the best interests of the child/ren involved in events
- Approach the school in a proportionate and measured way to resolve any issues of specific concern
- Recognise that school staff have many competing duties during a typical day which may mean that they are not immediately available, for example, staff should not be expected to respond to a queries within an unrealistic time-frame e.g., staff may not be able to respond on the same day
- Understand that requests for meetings without appointment or for an unspecified reason cannot be accommodated and allow time for staff to look into and respond to a query/issue rather than seeking a meeting in the first instance
- Respond calmly when any incident is reported by a child or young person and contact us to clarify what has happened, so that issues can be resolved swiftly and positively
- Use our Complaints Policy appropriately to raise concerns and complaints.
We are obliged to secure a safe and calm school environment, and to support the well-being of all members of our school community. We cannot accept, and will not tolerate, any of the following behaviours towards any child or adult:
- Disruptive behaviour which interferes with, or threatens to interfere with, the normal business of the school
- Violence or the threat of violence
- Shouting or raising of the voice
- Speaking in an aggressive or threatening tone
- Abusive or aggressive communications
- Physical intimidation e.g. standing close, blocking exit
- Physical contact
- Swearing
- Spitting
- Language or actions which breach our commitment to Equality and Diversity, for example, racist, sexist, LGBTQ-phobic
- Behaviour which causes staff or volunteers to feel uncomfortable or bullied
- Threats of non-violent action designed to intimidate staff or volunteers
- Defamatory, offensive or derogatory comments (direct or implied) about any member of the school community, including unfounded and/or blanket comments about the professional competency or motivation of staff or volunteers
- Damaging of school property
- Approaching someone else’s child in order to chastise them because of their actions towards their own child
- Smoking, vaping or consuming drugs or alcohol whilst on school property (alcohol may be consumed only during authorised events)
- Bringing animals onto school premises (other than assistance dogs)
This applies to personal interaction and also all telephone, email, text, letter or social media communications Unacceptable behaviour may result in:
- A letter from the school requesting that the behaviour ceases
- An invitation to attend a meeting to discuss and address the behaviour
- Restrictions on the school’s response to communications (any restrictions will be detailed in a letter to the parent/s or visitor concerned)
- A ban on entering school premises (usually for a limited period in the first instance)
- Complaints/communications being deemed vexatious
- Information being passed to the police
- Police being called to remove people from the premises
- The school taking legal or local authority advice
Complaints
This Code of Conduct does not prevent parents or visitors raising legitimate concerns or complaints.