Dear Parents/Carers
Please see below a reminder of our Code of Conduct for Parents and Carers.
Unfortunately, last term we had a few incidents where parents/carers behaviour fell short of our expectations.
As stated in the Code of Conduct, at English Martyrs’ Catholic Primary School, we are committed to a respectful, communicative and mutually supportive relationship between parents/carers and staff.
This guide outlines the expectations that apply to all parents and carers in our school, and helps to prevent misunderstandings and any situations blowing out of control so we can everyone continue to flourish, progress and achieve in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and respect.
Code of Conduct for Parents/Carers - Jan 2024
A guide to supporting you and your child successfully through school
At English Martyrs’ Catholic Primary School, we are committed to a respectful, communicative and mutually supportive relationship between parents/carers and staff.
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 school.
This guide outlines the rules that apply to all parents and carers in our school. Our aim is to provide you with a framework that sets out the expected conduct and helps prevent misunderstandings and any situations blowing out of control so we can continue to flourish, progress and achieve in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and respect.
The essentials:
* Make sure your child arrives to school on time and is picked up promptly (if appropriate); or let us know if you are running late or if your child is going home with someone else.
* Complete all consent, contact and medical forms and inform us straight away if anything changes.
* Make sure your child has the right clothing for any activity they are involved in.
* Maintain a good relationship with your child’s class teacher and attend workshops, school events and parent updates wherever possible or re-arrange if necessary to share information about your child’s development.
* Talk to us if you have any concerns about any part of your child’s education and development – we want to hear from you.
* If you have a concern and wish to make a formal complaint, please ensure that you correctly follow the school’s policies and complaint procedures.
The school expects parents and carers to:
+Respect the caring ethos of the school
+Understand that parents and teachers need to work together for the benefit of our children
+Demonstrate in their own behaviour that all members of the school community should be treated with respect and therefore set a good example in their own speech and behaviour
+Understand that even if there is conflict due to a member of staff’s oversight, parents must remain calm and respectful and be mindful that we are all working together for the child’s best interests
+Approach school staff to inform them of any issue and allow them to help resolve issues
+Work with the school to build relationships with its staff
+Know that children cannot be moved classes on request of the parent
+Seek to clarify a child’s version of events with the school’s view in order to bring about a peaceful solution to any issue
+Correct their own child’s behaviour, especially where it could lead to conflict
+Avoid using staff as threats to reprimand children
In order to support a peaceful and safe school environment the school does not tolerate:
× Disruptive behaviour which interferes or threatens to interfere with the operation of a classroom, office or other area of school grounds
× Loud or offensive language, swearing, cursing or displaying temper
× Threatening to do actual bodily harm to a member of school staff, governor, visitor, parent/carer or pupil
× Damaging or destroying school property
× Sending abusive or threatening emails, text/voicemail/phone messages or other written communication
× Defamatory, offensive or derogatory comments regarding the school or any of the pupils/parents/staff at the school on Facebook, WhatsApp or other social media sites
× The use of physical aggression towards another adult or child. This includes physically punishing your own child on school premises
× Chastising someone else’s child
× Smoking, vaping or consuming alcohol or drugs whilst on school property
× Bringing dogs onto the school premises
We want you and your child to enjoy the best possible educational experience they can. Being aware of our school’s expectations will help you to do that.
We expect all parents/carers to follow the expected behaviour and requests set out in this document. If any parent/carers behave in a way which contradicts this code of conduct, we will address the problem at the earliest opportunity and aim to resolve the issue. This may result in parents/carers being issued with a Warning Letter.
Persistent concerns or breaches may result in banning the offending adult from entering school grounds. This is something we never want to do but the welfare and safety of children and adults on our school site is paramount.
Inappropriate use of Social Network Sites
Defamatory, offensive or derogatory comments regarding the school or any of the pupils/parent/staff at the school should not be aired on Facebook, WhatsApp or other social sites:
Any concerns you may have about the school must be made through the appropriate channels by speaking to the class teacher, the Head teacher or the Chair of Governors, so they can be dealt with fairly, appropriately and effectively for all concerned.
In the event that any pupil or parent/carer of a child/ren being educated at English Martyrs’ school is found to be posting libellous or defamatory comments on Facebook or other social network sites, they will be reported to the appropriate 'report abuse' section of the network site. All social network sites have clear rules about the content which can be posted on the site and they provide robust mechanisms to report contact or activity which breaches this. The school will also expect that any parent/carer or pupil removes such comments/ material immediately.
In serious cases the school will also consider its legal options to deal with any such misuse of social networking and other sites. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly is the issue of cyber bullying and the use by one child or a parent to publicly humiliate another by inappropriate social network entry. We will take and deal with this as a serious incident of school bullying. Thankfully such incidents are extremely rare.
We would expect that parents would make all persons responsible for collecting children aware of this policy.
Dress and Appearance
We expect all adults accessing our site to dress appropriately at all times.
Please avoid clothing that may be viewed as offensive, revealing, sexually provocative, display contentious slogans and so on.
Photographs, Videos and Images
Photographs and videos should only be taken under the direction of senior leaders within the school with the subject being your child.
No electronic equipment should be used whilst in school. This includes mobile phones, cameras and iPad’s. All equipment should be switched off whilst in school.
School Security
Adults on site must sign in and wear a visible visitor’s badge. Those without an enhanced DBS will be supervised at all times.
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