Whitburn Church of England Academy

Transcription

1 Whitburn Church of England Academy Preface Home-School Communications Policy Whitburn Church of England Academy, in accordance with Christian principles and values, aim to serve our community by providing an education of the highest quality. We strive to ensure excellence for all is a reality, promoting the growth of wisdom and learning. As a Church of England Academy, we aim to develop Christian values such as kindness, forgiveness, respect and thankfulness. We value the uniqueness of each individual and support the development of a rich and fulfilling spiritual life for all of our community. We aim to develop self-esteem, model conflict resolution and are committed to justice and compassion. Mutual respect and trust are central to our community and we expect high standards in all aspects of Academy life. Rationale At Whitburn Church of England Academy, we aim to promote effective communication between pupils, members of staff, parents, stakeholders and all members of the school community. We are committed to being open and accessible for all who have an interest in the school and this policy addresses the main ways in which the school ensures effective two-way communication between home and school. We recognise that effective telephone communication can sometimes be a problem in a school, where teachers may be teaching full time and running clubs or otherwise working with pupils at lunchtime or after school. Parents and carers may be exasperated if they feel that a message elicits no immediate reply, when in fact there has been no available opportunity for the member of staff to reach a telephone to return a call. Surveys indicate that the majority of parents and carers are satisfied or very satisfied with the two-way communications they have with school, but we are never complacent and are always looking at ways of improving communication. Our objectives are to: Have a clear and professional communication strategy in place which will help us to keep parents/carers well-informed about their child s educational progress and any other matters related to their child s overall well-being. Improve the quality of service by making sure there is a robust process in place for consultation between the school, parents, staff members and pupils on key areas. Monitor and evaluate communication issues through regular meetings with staff, parents and members of the school community. K:\Policies\APPROVED BY GOVERNORS\Sept July 2016\ Home School Communications Policy.docx

2 Methods of home-school communication Communication between Whitburn Church of England Academy and parents/carers operates in the following ways: 1. The Academy website is the key source of information about the school Parents and carers can use the Contact tab to send messages directly to school, which are then forwarded to the most appropriate member of staff to deal with. 2. The school can be contacted by telephone, post or at Our aim will always be to respond to a telephone call or within 2 working days. Return calls may be made by someone other than the person to whom the original call was made, should it be felt that this is more appropriate. Please refer to Whitburn Church of England Academy Contact Process (Flowchart) for the most appropriate member of staff to contact Letters receive either a verbal response (usually by phone) within 2 working days or a written response within 5 working days. Please bear in mind that messages sent at weekends may not be dealt with until the following working week, and s sent in holidays should not expect a reply until term time. s and letters that are abusive or unnecessarily unpleasant are very unlikely to receive a response unless there is a clear safeguarding concern. Likewise, staff are encouraged to put the phone down if they are faced with abuse. 3. Information is also shared via the Academy s Twitter and Sixth Form Twitter 4. The pupil planner for Years 7 to 11 is an important method of home-school communications and planners are monitored regularly by form tutors. 5. The Secondary Contact system is used as an electronic home-school system to send the vast majority of letters home via . It is also occasionally used to send text messages e.g. in the event of school closure. It is therefore important that the school has up to date addresses and mobile phone numbers for this purpose. 6. The Go 4 Schools portal provides access to pupil progress and attainment data and pupil reports. Since adopting the Go 4 Schools system, we have added to the functionality of the system each year and will continue to develop this. Reports are issued each term. 7. Parent and carers forum meetings are held by the Principal each half-term and any parents or carers are welcome to attend. These meetings may be an open forum or focused on a particular area of school life such as uniform. 8. Consultations are held using surveys, including on-line surveys, on key issues such as proposed changes to the uniform policy. There is a bi-annual survey for parents and carers through Kirkland Rowell to support school development.

3 9. Parents and carers are represented on the Governing Body. 10. Prospective parents are invited to an Open Evening in the September prior to the year of entry to the school for Year 7 and in November for Year 12 admissions. All prospective parents can download a school prospectus from the school website. 11. Parents and carers of the new Year 7 cohort are invited, along with pupils, to an induction evening in July where the main channels of communication are outlined and information about the school is presented. 12. Parents and carers are invited to a Year 7 Settling in Evening in the Autumn term of Year 7 to meet the pupil s form tutor and review how the pupil has settled into the school. 13. Parents of each Year group are invited into school to an appropriately themed annual Parents and Carers Meeting, to cover issues relating to the relevant year group of their child. Surveys are undertaken at these consultation meetings and all of those attending are invited to take part. 14. Queries about events at the school may be made by phone to the school or by . Responsibilities The Academy s responsibilities To share information effectively and to signpost the most appropriate member of staff to contact for specific queries. To place key policies, documents and procedures in areas that maximise their accessibility and usefulness to the entire school community. To communicate the curriculum clearly to parents/carers. To inform parents/carers of all school events within appropriate timelines. To keep parents/carers informed of the progress of their child at regular intervals. Staff members responsibilities To ensure the principles and procedures of this policy are followed. To communicate proactively with parents/carers about pupil progress and helping parents/carers to support their children s learning. Parent/Carer responsibilities Read the key communications circulated by the school (e.g. letters, electronic communications from Secondary Contact, website, etc.) and respond/act on communication (e.g. sign forms, attend meetings). Look at the Academy website for detailed information about the school calendar and term dates, exam details, information on mentoring, Year 9 Options and other useful downloads. Inform the school of medical conditions/allergies, along with medical documentation. Inform the school of child protection matters, legal issues or relevant duties with appropriate documentation.

4 If there are any issues or concerns, or where parents/carers feel that standards of communication fall short of expectation, they are referred to our complaints policy. (see Appendix 1) To be effective, communication must be open on both sides. Staff and parents/carers are encouraged to ensure that all communication remains polite and professional.

5 Whitburn Church of England Academy Contact Process (Flowchart) Contact the Main Academy Office Pupil Absence Years 7 11 Mrs Duddin Or Years Miss McAneny Careers Guidance General concerns Progress Behaviour Attitude Homework problems Pupil well-being Tutor Review Day queries Published Reports Leave of Absence requests GCSE Options process HoL for Year 9 or SMT Link for Year 9 Year 7 11 Admission / Appeals queries or In Year transfer request to another school Mr Moore Special Educational Needs Mrs Bengston Finance including Parent Pay & Uniform queries Business Office Pupil Premium queries Mr D Taylor Medication queries Mrs Duddin Exams or Go4Schools Information Assessment Office Make initial contact with your child s Year Group ISA If concern is not resolved contact your child s Head of Learning If concern not resolved contact the Senior Manager linked to your child s Year Group (Inform the Switchboard Operator which Year your child is in so you are put in contact with correct member of staff linked to the Year Group) If your concern is not resolved and you wish to make a formal complaint the complaints policy is available on the Academy website demy.org/wp- content/uploads/2015/10/ complaints-policy- Contact Mrs Batey, Principal s PA Mrs Batey, Principal s PA Sixth Form Admission queries Mr Craggs, Head of Sixth Form Safeguarding or Child Protection SMT Link for relevant Year Group or Miss Smith or Miss Kassapian E-Safety Mr Clougher Senior Management Links Year 7 Mr Taylor Year 8 Mr Shaw Year 9 Mr Shaw Year 10 Mr Crowe Year 11 Mr Crowe Year 12 Mr Hardie Year 13 Mr Hardie If you have followed the flowchart and you are still unhappy with any aspect please contact Mrs Batey, Principal s PA who will note the details of your concern/complaint and speak with the Principal, Mr Hardie to identify the next steps. If you are unhappy with the Principal s decision then you may contact the Chair of Governors, Mrs J Mulley which should be done via Mrs Batey. Or contact us via on the Academy website

6 Home School Communications Policy Linked to Child Protection Policy Complaints policy Home School Agreement Creation Date Version Status 22 nd March Approved by the Governing Body Annex 1 Complaints Policy Policy-incl-flowchart.pdf