Policies

Admissions Policy

Admissions Policy 2023-2024

The purpose of this document is to set out the policy and procedures for the admission of pupils.

The King Alfred School is a fee-paying independent Classical Christian School. We have long-term plans to offer education for children aged 3-16 but we are currently offering education for ages 3-11 years old. We are in the process of extending our intake to offering education for ages 12-13 years old.

Our intake for the academic year September 2023 - July 2024 is for children in the following year groups:

Nursery (ages 3-4 years old)

Reception (ages 4-5 years old)

Year 1 (ages 5-6 years old)

Year 2 (ages 6-7 years old)

Year 3 (ages 7-8 years old)

Year 4 (ages 8-9 years old)

Year 5 (ages 9-10 years old)

Year 6 (ages 10-11 years old)

Statement of Vision

Like King Alfred in his own day, we would like to see a revival of Christian education in England. We wish to serve local families by offering affordable, high quality education to prepare children to live virtuous lives. We strive to provide a small and friendly environment where students’ talents can be nurtured. We wish to pass on to our children the rich cultural heritage of the Christian West. We aspire to graduate students who are knowledgeable individuals with the ability to think logically and independently. Our goal is to help raise up young men and women who are well-rounded and equipped to succeed in the wider world.

The King Alfred school is committed to honouring what Jesus refers to as the two greatest commandments: ‘Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.’[a]and ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’

Consequently, we endeavour to offer a Christ-centred education that is reinforced by all our staff and parents/guardians. We ask parents and guardians to view and commit to supporting our schools’ statement of faith, Vision and Mission by completing a parental agreement form.

School Set Up

The King Alfred School is a co-educational primary school. We structure our school in year groups where children will be grouped with peers within close proximity of their age group. We value the benefit of allowing children, who have a particular aptitude for a subject, the opportunity to study at a higher level. We believe our gifted and talented pupils should be given opportunities to reach their full potential and be stretched and challenged and we facilitate this by providing opportunities for these students to join the lessons of the grade above.

Our Fees 2023-2024

At the heart of what we strive to accomplish is making excellent education accessible to as many people as possible. This is reflected in our low tuition costs. Please see our fee page on the school website for full details.

Entry Requirements

The classical approach we follow is academically rigorous and we expect students to try their best in all areas of school life. We have high expectations of student behaviour and attitude towards their studies. We believe all children can succeed when studying great content and for that reason, we do not select students in the primary years based on academic ability. Therefore there is no entry exam when joining the junior school.

Please note if a student transfers to our school later on in their education, they will need to complete some essential “catch up” work prior to joining us and complete in order to identify any gaps in knowledge. This can be discussed on an individual basis and work will be set accordingly.

Faith Requirements

At The King Alfred School, we believe the Bible to be the infallible word of God and to be the final authority in all matters of faith and practice in the daily life of a Christian. It is our aim to offer Christian families a place at a school where the teaching provided compliments the Christian values of the home. We see parents/guardians as the primary educators of their children and we look to support parents/guardians in raising their children in the faith.

The school also welcomes students from families that do not hold these beliefs under the clear understanding that:

Every student will be taught all aspects of the school curriculum including the beliefs outlined in the school statement of faith.
No family will actively seek to undermine the teachings of the school.

Special Educational Needs

We welcome children who may have additional needs but as we currently are a small school and have a small team of staff, we do not have provision to take students with significant special educational needs at this stage. We do however have the facility if parents/ guardians wish to seek the support of a trained SENco who can offer a statement of needs and we will endeavour to provide additional support if a student is identified as in need. We welcome students who have physical disabilities and will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments in order that the learner can fully engage in all aspects of academic and physical school life.

The Admissions Procedure

The following outlines our general admissions process:

Contact the school via phone/email or attend an open evening
Complete an ‘Express my interest’ form and email this information to: kingalfredschool@outlook.com
Subscribe for news and updates at: https://www.thekingalfredschool.co.uk/admissions
Arrange a school visit and a meeting with the headteacher
Option to attend a taster day
Complete formal application and attend interview (parents and children) with school board.
Application reviewed, results sent via formal letter in post.
Parents/guardians to return acceptance slip and pay £200 place reservation fee.

Admissions Points Process

The decision to accept or turn down an application will be based on the following criteria:

Has the family demonstrated that they support The King Alfred school Vision and Mission and Statement of Faith?
Can the school meet the child’s needs?
Is all necessary paperwork completed fully?
Does the family understand and support Classical Education Methods?

Points System

We would like to thank you for your interest in The King Alfred School and we regret that we may not be able to offer a place to all that apply. We encourage you to reapply in the future and can contact you if a space opens up.

We have developed a points-based system to ensure admissions are fair and consistent. In the event of points being tied, application decisions will be made by the school leadership team.

Points	Reason
10	Sibling
5	Faith - awarded to families demonstrating a strong Christian faith (church reference/work reference)
5	Interview - if parents/guardians and school leaders vision and values complement each other
5	School links - Lake Street church attendance, classical training/understanding
3	Application form - paperwork complete, fees agreed, response to questions
2	Local families 5-mile radius

30 points max

Parents/guardians will receive confirmation of The King Alfred School’s admission decision in a formal letter. At the point of receiving the letter, parents/guardians will be required to pay a non-refundable £200 per student registration fee to guarantee place(s).

Anti-Bullying Policy

Anti-Bullying Policy

This policy works in conjunction with The King Alfred School Behaviour Policy.

The King Alfred School is committed to providing a safe, loving and nurturing environment for all pupils by honouring what Jesus refers to as the two greatest commandments: ‘Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.’ and ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Therefore, bullying of any form is not tolerated.

From the Early Years, all pupils are taught these biblical principles so that they are embedded in the ethos of the school. We strive for all our pupils to not only feel a sense of belonging to a loving community, but to be the main contributors to it.

Definition of Bullying

The King Alfred School adopts the definition of bullying as: repeated intentional acts of unkindness towards another person.

Staff and pupils are taught to use S.T.O.P (several times on purpose) as a measure of what defines bullying in order to recognise the difference between teasing and bullying, falling out with friends and bullying, aggressive behaviour and bullying, etc.

There are four main types of bullying:

Physical e.g. intentionally causing injury/physical assault, stealing or hiding belongings, sexual assault.
Verbal or written e.g. name calling, making insults, racist remarks, lewd/sexual remarks, taunting, mocking, threatening language, producing offensive graffiti.
emotional e.g. spreading rumours, excluding from groups, forced joining of groups, graffiti, defacing property, displaying literature or materials of a racist, sexist or pornographic nature.
e-bullying e.g. social media posts, offensive or abusive text or email messages, sending offensive or degrading images by phone or via the internet.

And also the many forms of bullying including:

Bullying based on race, skin colour, religion or culture.

Bullying baed on sexual orientation (or alleged/ perceived orientation) or of a sexual nature.
Bullying based on disability or SEN.
Bullying based on appearance or health.

The King Alfred School recognises and teaches the serious and lasting effects bullying can have with the potential to damage the mental health of a victim. Therefore, staff and pupils are taught that everybody has the right to be treated kindly and nobody deserves to be a victim of bullying.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Anti-Bullying Lead is responsible for developing and reviewing the Anti-Bullying policy, implementing the policy, measuring its impact, liaising with governors and external professionals, managing the reporting and recording of bullying incidents and organising training and support for staff.

All staff in school are responsible for upholding the ethos of The King Alfred School including recognising and reporting any incidents of bullying.

The Headteacher holds biannual “heart, soul, mind and strength” meetings with each pupil where they will be encouraged to use this opportunity to reflect on their time at school and any well-being matters can be discussed.

Reporting and Responding to Bullying

The King Alfred School endeavours to know our pupils as individuals so that pupils are comfortable and confident to immediately address any concerns with their class teacher. This includes concerns that they feel they are being personally bullied or are witnessing bullying.

This relationship of open communication is reinforced through frequent opportunities such as whole school interactions within worship time, PSHE, class discussions, and Christian Studies.

Where a bullying incident has occurred in school, the procedure outlined on the flow chart for Reporting and Responding to Bullying will be followed (see final page).

Instances where bullying has taken place in school are deemed as a misrepresentation of The King Alfred School, the values it upholds and a breach of the Parental Agreement contract. Therefore, where there is sufficient proof that a pupil has committed an act of bullying outside school, the Head Teacher and/or Designated Safeguarding Lead will hold a formal meeting with parents to take further steps and/or sanctions if necessary.

Depending on the severity and breadth of the incident, it may be necessary to involve other schools and the police, where necessary.

Supporting Adults

We recognise that adults, both parents and staff, can experience bullying within the school community. The King Alfred School encourages any adult member of the school community to report incidents of bullying to the head teacher and/or designated safeguarding lead. Once an incident has been reported, the head teacher or safeguarding lead will investigate it, and if necessary put a plan in place to address the behaviour.

If the complaint is against the head teacher and/or safeguarding lead, a report can be made to the Chair of the Board of Governors (see Complaints Procedure).

Reviewed and updated: October 2023

C Gamble

The Reporting and Responding to Bullying Procedure

Anti-Bullying Policy

This policy works in conjunction with The King Alfred School Behaviour Policy.

Definition of Bullying

The King Alfred School adopts the definition of bullying as: repeated intentional acts of unkindness towards another person.

There are four main types of bullying:

Physical e.g. intentionally causing injury/physical assault, stealing or hiding belongings, sexual assault.
Verbal or written e.g. name calling, making insults, racist remarks, lewd/sexual remarks, taunting, mocking, threatening language, producing offensive graffiti.
emotional e.g. spreading rumours, excluding from groups, forced joining of groups, graffiti, defacing property, displaying literature or materials of a racist, sexist or pornographic nature.
e-bullying e.g. social media posts, offensive or abusive text or email messages, sending offensive or degrading images by phone or via the internet.

And also the many forms of bullying including:

Bullying based on race, skin colour, religion or culture.

Bullying baed on sexual orientation (or alleged/ perceived orientation) or of a sexual nature.
Bullying based on disability or SEN.
Bullying based on appearance or health.

Roles and Responsibilities

All staff in school are responsible for upholding the ethos of The King Alfred School including recognising and reporting any incidents of bullying.

Reporting and Responding to Bullying

This relationship of open communication is reinforced through frequent opportunities such as whole school interactions within worship time, PSHE, class discussions, and Christian Studies.

Where a bullying incident has occurred in school, the procedure outlined on the flow chart for Reporting and Responding to Bullying will be followed (see final page).

Depending on the severity and breadth of the incident, it may be necessary to involve other schools and the police, where necessary.

Supporting Adults

If the complaint is against the head teacher and/or safeguarding lead, a report can be made to the Chair of the Board of Governors (see Complaints Procedure).

Reviewed and updated: October 2023

C Gamble

The Reporting and Responding to Bullying Procedure

Assessment Procedure Policy

Assessment Procedure Policy

Regular assessment is vital in any school. It helps pupils know how they are progressing and what they need to do to improve. It helps teachers understand where each pupil is in their development so they can adjust their teaching accordingly. And it provides feedback to parents on how their child is performing. Regular assessment provides an early indication of problems for all involved, which makes early remedial action possible.

Small class sizes enable our class teachers to carry out daily formative assessment which involves teachers providing live feedback to pupils that relates to what they have achieved and their next steps. We believe that this regular, instant feedback is perhaps the most crucial in enabling progress to take place.

At The King Alfred School we use a classical model of education - striving for mastery. One of the methods utilised is daily recitation practice of key information that has been taught (times tables, days of the week, parts of speech, etc). This allows teachers and pupils to carry out daily formative assessment as pupils strive for their end of year mastery awards. This kind of feedback is carried out in line with the school’s Marking Policy.

A pupil will receive a mastery award in subjects where all learning outcomes have been achieved and exceeded in that term. Pupils who are working above age-related expectations, and have achieved mastery, will then be studying at a level that meets with their aptitude and needs so that they can be challenged further and in line with achieving their full potential. This may mean that some pupils are working on elements of a curriculum above their age-related expectations. Likewise, pupils who are working below their age-related expectations, will be given support to ensure they master vital skills needed in the year/s below to give them a good foundation to then strive towards mastery of their age-related expectations. This type of tailored education based on children’s individual needs ensure effective teaching and learning. Testing and mastery awards also give us a clear indication whether a pupil by Year Three is able to cope with the accelerated curriculum pathway.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

Assessment in the EYFS is about observing what the child knows and demonstrates they can do and the class teacher being able to discuss confidently and knowledgeably the child in their learning journey. It is not about compiling a large amount of data and should not take teachers away from the children for long periods of time.

The learning and development of each child is continually assessed against all seven areas of the statutory EYFS Statutory Framework throughout the year using the Development Matters guidance. Observations and independent outcomes, both adult-initiated and child-initiated, of each child help to inform the class teacher’s judgments and planning. Each child has their own learning journey folder where their recorded observations and learning outcomes (photographs and/or physical evidence such as artwork, writing, etc.) are collected. Again, the gathering and storing of this evidence should not be onerous and class teachers are supported in recognising what evidence is useful to store. The general advice is to record or keep outcomes that demonstrate new learning and development in order to support judgments and to inform the class teacher of each child’s next steps.

Termly reports and Parents’ Evenings are held for parents of every child so that we can work together with families to form an accurate picture of every child’s learning journey. Towards the end of the year (mid-June) EYFS profiles are completed for every pupil in Reception and submitted to the local authority by 30^th June.

Regular meetings take place between the class teacher, the Monitoring Teaching and Learning Leader and the Headteacher/s to monitor pupil’s progress. This takes place in the form of end of term Pupil Progress Meetings but may take place more frequently if needed. Where there are serious concerns relating to the prime areas, the teacher will telephone the parent(s) to discuss and suggest a meeting.

We liaise with the local authority experts in the EYFS field and our staff attend relevant training from time to time. The Early Years teaching team has suitably qualified teachers and includes an experienced EYFS practitioner. We are open to moderation at this stage by the LA.

Primary Years

For pupils in Year One to Year Six, we use a combination of the Memoria Press curriculum and Core Knowledge UK as the basis for teaching in the primary years. From Year Three, pupils who are able will be put on the accelerated curriculum program. This does not strictly follow the National Curriculum, although we supplement it with elements of that curriculum where we feel it is appropriate.

We baseline test pupils at the start of the school year and test again at the end to measure progress and to set targets for the year ahead. Regular assessments are also carried out, usually by tests which are developed by teachers following consultation and moderation by experienced Memoria Press and Core Knowledge experts. Many schools are now using the materials and good practice has emerged, which we will continually draw upon. Regular assessments include weekly spelling and Maths tests, comprehension activities, etc.

The classical approach is about striving for Mastery. A pupil will receive a mastery award in subjects where all learning outcomes have been achieved and exceeded in that term. Pupils who are working above age-related expectations, and have achieved mastery, will then be studying at a level that meets with their aptitude and needs so that they can be challenged further and in line with achieving their full potential. This may mean that some children are working on elements of a curriculum above their age-related expectations. Testing and mastery awards also give us a clear indication whether a pupil by Year Three is able to cope with the accelerated curriculum pathway.

Twice a year, parents receive a report by subject (English, Mathematics, Science, History and Geography, Art, Music, PE, RE, PSHE, IT, Christian Studies and, from Year Two/Three onwards, Languages. Reports show an effort grade (1-4 1= Excellent, 2= Good 3= Satisfactory 4= Requires improvement) and an attainment grade (1-4) together with the teacher's comments and a comment from the Headteacher. The effort grade is a teacher's judgment based on the attitude to learning the pupil has exhibited, including demonstration of virtues such as perseverance, diligence and temperance. The attainment grade is the result of live testing that teachers witness during daily recitations and work completed along with tests at the end of units of work in subjects carried out during the year.

Regular meetings take place between the class teacher, the Monitoring Teaching and Learning Leader and the Headteacher to monitor pupil’s progress. This takes place in the form of end of term Pupil Progress Meetings but may take place more frequently if needed.

Where there are serious issues relating to either effort or attainment, the teacher will telephone the parent(s) to discuss and suggest a meeting.

Parents receive a more detailed end of year report with the same grades used.

Senior School

(It will be several years before the school has an established group of senior-age pupils, and we recognise that much may change between then and now)

Years Seven and Eight

Pupils in Years Seven and Eight (the first two years of senior school) will embark on formal logic training. The year will begin by pupils completing baseline testing. Pupils who join us from other schools that have not followed a classical curriculum, will need to do an additional entry exam (created by the school) and will need to complete necessary prior learning to get up to speed with the pupils who have already had six years of classical education. It will not normally be the case that pupils sit those exams in order to gain entrance to the school, but on the basis of academic rigor and testing, we believe the curriculum to be high-quality and appropriate for our school. The tests will be internally marked. The school will meet the cost of the examinations.

Termly and end-of-year reports will take the same form as in the primary school. Again, regular staff meetings will monitor each pupil’s progress and parents will be alerted personally at the earliest opportunity should any problems arise.

Years Nine to Eleven

Pupils in these years will prepare for GCSE and IGCSE examinations at the end of Year Eleven. At this stage, pupils begin to follow the National Curriculum and are periodically tested accordingly.

In Year Nine, which is strictly speaking a year before the GCSE courses begin (although there are no hard and fast rules about that), pupils will be given the opportunity to enrich their studies along with the beginning of their GCSEs. Such enrichment topics, projects and mini-courses will not be assessed.

We allow pupils who are achieving mastery awards in subjects to sit GCSE and IGCSE examinations a year early with the chance to re-sit a year later. Examination costs are met by the school but where a pupil sits additional exams, a contribution will be asked of parents with formal letters sent out.

Reports will be produced termly from Year Nine onwards showing current grades being achieved together with a target grade. The current grades will be taken from the results of tests which will be graded as if they were actual GCSE papers. The target grade will be the result of careful consideration of what the pupil is capable of if he or she works consistently between then and the exams themselves.

Reviewed and updated: September 2023

K Patla

Attendance Policy

Attendance Policy

Stance on attendance

The King Alfred School asks parents and guardians to view and commit to supporting our schools’ statement of faith, Vision and Mission by completing a parental agreement form which also agrees to ensuring their child/ren attend school regularly (an average of 95%

Regular attendance is not only a legal requirement but is essential for children/young people to maximise their educational opportunities. The classical approach we follow is academically rigorous, sequential and relies on tools of learning that require repetition and mastery. It can be very difficult for a pupil to catch up on missed work. Therefore absence can have a significant negative impact upon a child’s educational attainment.

That being said, The King Alfred School prioritises the health and wellbeing of our pupils above all else. Therefore it is inevitable that pupils may require time away from school due to illness. We believe that a child who is unwell requires rest and medical attention, enabling them to recover and return to their studies when well enough. An unwell child is also not in a state that is optimal for learning and performing to their best potential and so we believe their own home environment is the best place for them to be. Additionally, an absence during a contagious illness may reduce its spread and prevent more children from becoming unwell and requiring absences.

With all of the above in mind, we ask parents/carers to use their own judgement in cases of illness to decide whether their child requires an absence from school.

Attendance during one school year:	Equates to this many days absent:	Which is approximately this many school weeks absent:	Which means approximately this number of lessons missed:
95%	9 days	2 weeks	45-63 lessons
90%	17.5 days	3.5 weeks	88-123 lessons
85%	24 days	5 weeks	120-168 lessons
80%	35 days	7 weeks	175-245 lessons

Legal requirements

It is a legal requirement for all schools to have an admission register and an attendance register. All pupils must be placed on both registers. Schools must enter pupils on the admission register and attendance register from the beginning of the first day on which the school has agreed that the pupil will attend the school. If a pupil fails to attend on the agreed date, the school must establish the reason for the absence and mark the attendance register accordingly. All schools must notify the local authority within five days of adding a pupil’s name to the admission register and must provide the local authority with all the information held within the admission register about the pupil.

Procedures

The King Alfred School records all pupil’s attendance and punctuality – at 9:00 a.m. and again at 12:45 p.m. – each school day. On each occasion we record whether every pupil is:

present (/ for a.m.) (/ for p.m.) or absent (see codes further on)

or:

attending an approved educational visit or trip (V)
attending an approved educational activity (B)

Any absences are followed up by an office administrator to ascertain the reason; identify whether the absence is approved or not; and identify the correct code to use before entering it on to the school’s electronic register which is used to download data to the School Census. Codes for absences are as follows:

illness (I)
medical or dental appointments (M)
holiday authorised by the school (H)
unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances (C)
not attending in circumstances relating to coronavirus (C19)
arrived after registration closed (U)

school is not satisfied with the reason for absence (O)

absence for reason not yet provided (N) This code should not be left on a pupil’s attendance record indefinitely; if no reason for absence is provided after a reasonable amount of time it should be replaced with code O

unauthorised holiday or in excess of the period agreed by the headteacher (G)

or:

not required to be in school (X) This applies to non-compulsory school age pupils

If contact cannot be made with a parent/carer, the office administrator must immediately pass this information on to a member of the senior leadership who will ensure the proper safeguarding action is taken.

For every pupil, we hold an emergency contact number for at least two persons related to the child. Upon admission, emergency contact numbers are provided by the parent with whom the pupil normally resides. Doing so provides our school with additional options for making contact with a responsible adult when a pupil is missing school and is also identified as a welfare and/or safeguarding concern. Request for parents/carers to update these details where needed is done termly.

The King Alfred School is committed to making arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of all pupils. Pupils who go missing from school, particularly on repeat occasions, are considered a safeguarding concern. Please refer to the ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ statutory guidance and The King Alfred School’s Safeguarding Policy regarding procedures for these circumstances.

Dealing with absences and punctuality

The Education Support Service (ESS) has a legal responsibility to monitor school attendance on behalf of Dudley Borough Council. If a pupil’s attendance reaches 90% or there is a concern about a child's attendance, The King Alfred School will first request a meeting with the parent/carer to seek to understand causes for absences and their assistance and support in averting further absences will be sought. If attendance is still deemed to be a concern, the school is required to refer this to the ESS.

The King Alfred School actively discourages late arrivals and late collections at home time and will seek an explanation from the parent/carer. In line with our safeguarding commitments, we will be alert to patterns of late arrival and collections. We also understand that life comes with unexpected and unavoidable events that may cause a late arrival or collection and therefore ask that parent’s/carers contact the school directly to inform them of any delays as soon as is reasonably possible.

If a pupil’s punctuality (at either arrival or collection) reaches five lates within a half term, the school will request a meeting with the parent/carer. Their assistance and support in averting further punctuality breaches will be sought.

If parents/carers are experiencing difficulty with their child/ren’s attendance or punctuality, they are encouraged to contact the school as soon as possible. The King Alfred School will then work with them to try and resolve any difficulties they have and/or identify appropriate levels of support or refer them for additional support services if suitable.

Reviewed and updated: August 2023

Mrs. K. Patla

Behaviour Policy

Behaviour Policy

The King Alfred School has high standards of behaviour expected of all pupils at all times as we believe it underpins effective education for life-long respectful and responsible members of society.

Basic Entry Requirements

The King Alfred School operates on the belief that a Classical Christian education is a valuable commodity and so, in order to fulfil the best potential for its pupils, parents/guardians are expected to be in unison with the school’s vision and mission statement. Pupils of families that share the biblical values of The King Alfred School, and therefore have a home-developed foundation, will respect their educators, value learning and thrive in their learning journey.

Reward System

The King Alfred School delights in rewarding positive behaviour and work that is linked to the school’s values. Our reward system aims to encourage and promote cheerful obedience as well as recognise habits of virtue. We believe that intrinsic motivation and ‘being good’ and ‘doing good’ are the best characteristics to instil in our students rather than encouraging good behaviour in order to gain a material reward. The virtues that The King Alfred School seeks to promote are courage, integrity, perseverance, charity, humility, prudence, justice, temperance, and diligence. Each half term we will focus on one of the virtues, and display this virtue in class. Each Friday in our reflection and celebration worship, children that have particularly demonstrated this virtue throughout the week will be rewarded with a certificate. We also have a ‘manner of the week’ which is introduced each Monday. Throughout the week, children are encouraged to practise this manner, and any child doing so particularly well will receive a special mention in reflection worship on Friday.

We also hold a virtue recognition assembly at the end of every term where students are recognised, praised and rewarded for demonstration of a particular virtue noted by the class teacher or another member of staff. Within these celebration assemblies, class teachers also hand out Milestone certificates to each child for academic achievements or outstanding pieces of work. Parents are invited to attend these celebration assemblies.

Key Principles

To embody a school ethos of positive behaviour, the headteacher plays a crucial role. Therefore the headteacher/s adhere to these key principles:

Policy

Ensure absolute clarity about the expected standard of students’ behaviour.
Ensure that the behaviour policy is clearly understood by all staff, parents and students.

Leadership (Headteacher/s)

Model the behaviour you want to see from your staff.

Building

Visit the lunch hall and playground, lead regularly in worship, and be a visible presence in and around the school – as far as reasonable – such as at the beginning and the end of the school day.
Ensure that other senior leadership team members are a visible presence around the school.
Check that students come in from the playground and move around the school in an orderly manner.
Check up on behaviour outside the school.
Check the building is clean and well-maintained.

Staff

Know the names of all staff.
Praise the good performance of staff.
Take action to deal with inadequate teaching or staff who fail to follow the behaviour policy.

Children

Know the names of all students
Praise good behaviour.
Celebrate successes.

Teaching

Monitor the amount of praise, rewards and punishments given by individual staff.
Ensure that staff praise good behaviour and work.
Ensure that staff understand any special needs of pupils.
Put in place suitable support for students with behavioural difficulties and ensure staff are aware of them and implement them.

Parents

Build positive relationships with all the families and parents of students, including having a visible presence around the school, particularly at the beginning and end of each day.
Build positive relationships with the parents of students who are experiencing difficulties with meeting the school’s standards of behaviour.

Sanction System

From the Early Years, all pupils are taught class conduct and the standards that make The King Alfred School a safe, secure and happy setting. These positive characteristics are embedded in the ethos of the school so that all pupils feel a sense of belonging to a loving community.

All pupils are taught the biblical principles of being responsible for the choices individually made and taking ownership through apologies, restitution where possible and appropriate, and restoration of fellowship. The majority of sanctioning will be handled at the classroom level where love and forgiveness will be an integral part of the discipline of a pupil.

The King Alfred School ensures that staff are aware that our sanctioning system is followed consistently to maintain a fair ethos. It has a 3-step approach to sanctioning low-level behaviour:

Step 1: When low-level behaviour occurs, pupils are given a verbal reminder that their behaviour breaches part of the class conduct expected of everyone and encouraged to make good choices in changing their behaviour.

Step 2: If behaviour persists, the pupil is moved to another appropriate space in the classroom where they can reflect on their choices as well as be removed from further disruption, minimising the need for further sanctioning. Following this, pupils are expected to apologise to their teacher and fellow classmates for causing disruption. The class teacher will inform the parent/guardian upon collection at home time.*

Step 3: If behaviour persists still, the pupil is sent to the headteacher. Any work they have missed as a result of their removal from their learning is to be taken home to be completed. The class teacher will inform the parent/guardian upon collection at home time. Their assistance and support in averting further issues will be sought so that another headteacher visit can be averted.

*All instances of Step 2 and 3 categories are recorded on a behaviour log. Where class teachers notice recurrent issues, they are to inform the headteacher where a decision will be made to meet with parents/guardians.

We believe that close communication with parents/guardians is fundamental to establishing and maintaining positive relationships between school and family. Therefore parents/guardians are informed of any instances that have required sanctioning so that they are collaborative in averting further issues.

Headteacher Intervention

The following instances would necessitate a visit to the headteacher:

Repeated disrespect shown to an adult (staff member, parent, etc.)
Multiple instances of dishonesty in a variety of situations, including lying, cheating, and stealing
Repeated defiance or disobedience in response to instructions
Physical aggression, eg deliberate pushing, hitting, biting, kicking or any other action intended to cause hurt.
Obscene, vulgar, or profane language, as well as blasphemy

The headteacher will determine the nature of the sanction dependent on the incident.

If a pupil receives a headteacher visit, the following accounting will be observed within the school year:

The first two times, the pupil’s parents will be contacted afterward and given the details. Their assistance and support in averting further problems will be sought.
The third visit will be followed by a meeting with the parents and headteacher.
Should the pupil require a fourth visit, s/he will be suspended for two days.
If a fifth visit is required, the student will be excluded from the school.

Serious Misconduct

If the headteacher deems it necessary, the visit process may be by-passed and suspension imposed immediately.

Examples of such misconduct include, but are not limited to: acts endangering the lives of others, extreme violence, theft, vandalism, violations of civil law, or drug abuse - whether it happens on site or off, during school hours or outside of the school day.
If the headteacher desires to pursue permanent exclusion, s/he will meet with the chair of the board of governors who will make the final decision.

School Culture

If a pupil has a significant negative influence on other pupils and this has been sufficiently recorded by the school staff, the headteacher has the right to seek to permanently exclude the pupil, apart from the process of headteacher visits.

Examples of such behaviour would include, but not be limited to: student romances, disobedience to parents, a discourteous attitude, and any other ongoing attitudes reflecting a clear disregard of the ethos of the school.
If the headteacher exercises this option, s/he will meet with the parents and chair of governors. The chair of governors will make the final decision. The parents will then have the option to withdraw their student to prevent permanent exclusion.

Re-enrolment

At the discretion of the headteacher, in consultation with the chair of governors, a pupil may be refused re-enrolment. Such refusal to re-enrol is not considered a direct disciplinary act, requiring accumulated Headteacher Visits in order to be taken. Refusal to re-enrol is not the equivalent of temporary or permanent exclusion.

Re-admittance

Should a pupil who was permanently excluded, or who withdrew to prevent permanent exclusion, desire to be readmitted to The King Alfred School at a later date, the chair of governors, in consultation with the Headteacher, will make a decision based on the pupil’s attitude and circumstances.

Reviewed and updated: September 2023

C Gamble

British Values Policy

Behaviour Policy

The King Alfred School has high standards of behaviour expected of all pupils at all times as we believe it underpins effective education for life-long respectful and responsible members of society.

Basic Entry Requirements

Reward System

The virtues that The King Alfred School seeks to promote are courage, integrity, perseverance, charity, humility, prudence, justice, temperance, and diligence. Each half term we will focus on one of the virtues, and display this virtue in class. Each Friday in our reflection and celebration worship, children that have particularly demonstrated this virtue throughout the week will be rewarded with a certificate. We also have a ‘manner of the week’ which is introduced each Monday. Throughout the week, children are encouraged to practise this manner, and any child doing so particularly well will receive a special mention in reflection worship on Friday.

Key Principles

To embody a school ethos of positive behaviour, the headteacher plays a crucial role. Therefore the headteacher/s adhere to these key principles:

Policy

Ensure absolute clarity about the expected standard of students’ behaviour.
Ensure that the behaviour policy is clearly understood by all staff, parents and students.

Leadership (Headteacher/s)

Model the behaviour you want to see from your staff.

Building

Visit the lunch hall and playground, lead regularly in worship, and be a visible presence in and around the school – as far as reasonable – such as at the beginning and the end of the school day.
Ensure that other senior leadership team members are a visible presence around the school.
Check that students come in from the playground and move around the school in an orderly manner.
Check up on behaviour outside the school.
Check the building is clean and well-maintained.

Staff

Know the names of all staff.
Praise the good performance of staff.
Ensure all staff uphold the behaviour policy and support staff where needed.

Children

Know the names of all students.
Praise good behaviour.
Celebrate successes.

Teaching

Monitor the amount of praise, rewards and consequences given by individual staff.
Ensure that staff praise good behaviour and work.
Ensure that staff understand any special needs of pupils.

Parents

Build positive relationships with all the families and parents of students, including having a visible presence around the school, particularly at the beginning and end of each day.
Build positive relationships with the parents of students who are experiencing difficulties with meeting the school’s standards of behaviour.

Sanction System

The King Alfred School ensures that staff are aware that our sanctioning system is followed consistently to maintain a fair ethos. It has a 3-step approach to sanctioning low-level behaviour:

Step 2: If behaviour persists, the pupil is moved to another appropriate space in the classroom (or area they’re working in) where they can reflect on their choices as well as be removed from further disruption, minimising the need for further sanctioning. Following this, pupils are expected to apologise to their teacher and fellow classmates for causing disruption. The class teacher will inform the parent/guardian upon collection at home time.*

Headteacher Intervention

The following instances would necessitate a visit to the headteacher:

Repeated disrespect shown to an adult (staff member, parent, etc.).
Multiple instances of dishonesty in a variety of situations, including lying, cheating, and stealing.
Repeated defiance or disobedience in response to instructions.
Physical aggression, eg deliberate pushing, hitting, biting, kicking or any other action intended to cause hurt.
Obscene, vulgar, or profane language, as well as blasphemy.

The headteacher will determine the nature of the sanction dependent on the incident.

If a pupil receives a headteacher visit, the following accounting will be observed within the school year:

The first two times, the pupil’s parents will be contacted afterward and given the details. Their assistance and support in averting further problems will be sought.
The third visit will be followed by a meeting with the parents and headteacher.
Should the pupil require a fourth visit, s/he will be suspended for two days.
If a fifth visit is required, the student will be excluded from the school.

Serious Misconduct

If the headteacher deems it necessary, the visit process may be by-passed and suspension imposed immediately.

Examples of such misconduct include, but are not limited to: acts endangering the lives of others, extreme violence, theft, vandalism, violations of civil law, or drug abuse - whether it happens on site or off, during school hours or outside of the school day.
If the headteacher desires to pursue permanent exclusion, she will meet with the chair of the board of governors who will make the final decision.

School Culture

Examples of such behaviour would include, but not be limited to: student romances, disobedience to parents, a discourteous attitude, and any other ongoing attitudes reflecting a clear disregard of the ethos of the school.
If the headteacher exercises this option, she will meet with the parents and chair of governors. The chair of governors will make the final decision. The parents will then have the option to withdraw their student to prevent permanent exclusion.

Re-enrolment

Re-admittance

Reviewed: September 2023

C Gamble

Child on Child Abuse Policy

Child on Child Abuse Policy

This policy operates in conjunction with the Safeguarding and Child Protection, Anti-Bullying and Behaviour policies. It should also be read alongside the various legislations, guidance, links and appendices in the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.

Purpose of this policy

The King Alfred School is committed to instilling in our pupils the virtue in honouring and fulfilling the commandment: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ From the Early Years, all pupils are taught these biblical principles of loving and caring for one another so that they are embedded in the ethos of the school. We strive for all our pupils to not only feel a sense of belonging to a loving community but are the main contributors to it.

We also recognise that the different relationships that pupils form in their neighbourhoods, in their peer groups and online can put them at risk of abuse or harmful behaviour. Therefore we are equally dedicated to the early identification and appropriate management of child on child abuse and continue to ensure that any form of abuse is dealt with immediately to reduce the extent of harm to the pupil, with full consideration to the impact on that individual pupil’s emotional and mental health and well-being.

The purpose of this policy is to explore the many forms of child on child abuse and include a planned and supportive response to the issues. Therefore, this policy will include a clear and comprehensive, whole-school approach strategy to preventing and responding to child on child abuse.

Definition of child on child abuse

The King Alfred School recognises that children are capable of abusing their peers of which the abuse can take many forms. This is most likely to include, but may not be limited to:

bullying (including cyberbullying);
physical abuse such as hitting, kicking, shaking, biting, hair pulling, or otherwise causing physical harm;
sexual violence, such as rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault;
sexual harassment, such as sexual comments, remarks, jokes and online sexual harassment, which may be stand-alone or part of a broader pattern of abuse;
upskirting, which typically involves taking a picture under a person’s clothing without them knowing, with the intention of viewing their genitals or buttocks to obtain sexual gratification, or cause the victim humiliation, distress or alarm;
sexting (also known as youth produced sexual imagery); and
initiation/hazing type violence and rituals.

All staff should be aware of safeguarding issues that can put children at risk of harm. Behaviours linked to issues such as drug taking, alcohol abuse, deliberately missing education and sexting (also known as youth produced sexual imagery) put children in danger.

(KCSiE 2023)

A list of the types of abuse and their examples can be found in appendix 3 of the policy.

Contextual safeguarding

It is important that all staff at The King Alfred School are aware that wider environmental factors could be present in a pupil’s life that are a threat to their safety and/or welfare. Extra-familial harms take a variety of different forms and children can be vulnerable to multiple harms, abuse and exploitation outside their families.

This is also referred to as contextual safeguarding which is: “an approach to understanding and responding to young people’s experiences of significant harm beyond their families. It recognises that the different relationships that young people form in their neighbourhoods, schools and online can feature violence and abuse. Parents and carers have little influence over these contexts, and young people’s experiences of extra-familial abuse can undermine parent-child relationships.” (https://contextualsafeguarding.org.uk 2020)

Pupils with Special Educational Needs

Children with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities can face additional safeguarding challenges. These can include:

assumptions that indicators of possible abuse such as behaviour, mood and injury relate to the child’s disability without further exploration;
being more prone to peer group isolation than other children;
the potential for children with SEN and disabilities being disproportionately impacted by behaviours such as bullying, without outwardly showing any signs; and
communication barriers and difficulties in overcoming these barriers.

To address these additional challenges, The King Alfred School implements extra pastoral support for children with SEN and disabilities.

(KCSiE 2023)

Dealing with disclosures and concerns of child on child abuse

The King Alfred School adopts the attitude that no abuse should be tolerated or minimised as part of growing up. Therefore any concerns raised will be investigated and dealt with appropriately, where all staff must follow the Concerns and Disclosures Procedure (see Appendix 2) and guidance outlined in detail in the Safeguarding Policy when responding to and reporting any concerns or disclosures.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mrs Charmian Gamble, or Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mrs Katy Patla, will then be responsible for following the appropriate procedures and referral route if needed. Once appropriate advice has been sought from external services, parents/guardians will be informed as soon as possible (either by the services or the DSL). Parents/guardians will not be informed if by doing so the child would be put at further risk of significant harm.

Supporting pupils

Once the outcome of the incident(s) has been established, it is imperative to ensure future incidents of abuse do not occur again and consider the support and intervention required for all of those involved.

What support victims of child on child abuse require depends on the individual child. It may be that they wish to seek counselling or one to one support via a mentor. It may also be that they feel able to deal with the incident(s) on their own or with support of family and friends. In such cases, it is necessary that the school continues to monitor and offer support should they require it in the future. If the incidents are of a bullying nature, they may need support in improving peer groups/relationships with others or some restorative justice work with all those involved may be required.

Other wider interventions to be considered can target a whole class or year group, for example a speaker on cyber bullying, relationship abuse, etc. and through the continued curriculum certain issues can be discussed and debated more frequently (such as in Christian Studies, PSHE lessons, etc.).

The King Alfred School aims to rigorously foster an environment where the influence of peer groups in school is not greater than that of the law or the school’s conduct code, in accordance to biblical principles, to help to minimise potential risk or harm to pupils. As outlined in The King Alfred School’s Behaviour Policy, if a pupil has a significant negative influence on other pupils, and in particular is the perpetrator of child on child abuse, the Head teacher has the right to seek to permanently exclude the pupil.

All incidents are investigated and reviewed on a case-by-case basis and sanctioned accordingly as outlined in the Behaviour Policy. Any disciplinary action will address the abuse, the causes of it, and attitudes underlying it. Disciplinary action may sometimes be appropriate, (a) to ensure that the pupil/s take responsibility for and realise the seriousness of their behaviour; (b) to demonstrate to the pupil/s and others that child on child abuse can never be tolerated; and (c) to ensure the safety and well-being of other pupils.

However, these considerations must be balanced against the pupil’/s’ own potential unmet needs and any safeguarding concerns. For instance, we understand that it is important to find out why the pupil has behaved in such a way. We recognise that pupils who have experienced abuse in their own lives may in turn abuse others. Therefore this requires a considered and sensitive approach in order that the pupil can receive appropriate help and support. Particular support from identified services may be necessary through an early help referral.

Before deciding on appropriate action, the school will always consider its duty to safeguard all pupils from harm; the underlying reasons for a pupil’s behaviour; any unmet needs, or harm or abuse suffered by the pupil; the risk that the pupil may pose to others; and the severity of the child on child abuse and the causes of it.

Preventative strategies

The King Alfred School recognises that our response to child on child abuse should not start at the point at which a pupil has suffered abuse or harm.

This is why we deem our ethos of honouring biblical principles as being integral for providing a safe, loving and nurturing environment for all pupils as an effective preventative. Imparting the virtue in honouring and fulfilling the commandment: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ promotes a culture where all our pupils treat their peers, school staff and visitors with respect. From the Early Years, all pupils are taught these biblical principles of loving and caring for one another so that it permeates and extends in all areas – the classroom, corridors, playground and beyond the school gates. We strive for all our pupils to not only feel a sense of belonging to a loving community but are the main contributors to it.

Being a ‘listening and talking’ school is communicated to pupils so that they are encouraged and feel safe to report any forms of child on child abuse, whether they are victims or bystanders, to a member of staff.

Additionally, The King Alfred School is diligent in educating our pupils so that they are aware (age-appropriately) of such risks and forms of child on child abuse. This can be seen through a whole-school approach both in classrooms and in the wider school:

Planning:

Class teachers should plan sufficient opportunities for pupils to be taught about social issues and differences in its various forms (e.g. bullying, e-Safety risks, etc.) at least once a half a term.
Although discrete sessions are highly valuable and necessary to address such issues, they should not be not relied upon solely to deliver awareness and so there must be sufficient opportunities planned for class discussions to take place (Christian Studies, circle time/PSHE/SMSC, etc.) to further promote a “listening and talking” ethos.
Using intelligence and vigilance of any concerns or issues evident amongst pupils in particular year groups to plan for opportunities to raise discussions.

Delivering - lessons/activities should:

teach pupils skills to interact with their peers in a positive way to develop safe behaviours that promote pupils as socially confident and respectful.
provide regular opportunities for pupils to practise and apply taught skills in discussions e.g. circle time, public speaking, projects, class/family assemblies, etc.
incorporate education about the potential risks and prejudiced/harmful behaviours (at age-related pitch and suitability) as well as clear guidance on how to manage such risks and report any concerns or disclosures.

Embedding:

The ethos of a ‘listening and talking’ school is communicated to pupils so that they are encouraged and feel safe to report any concerns or disclosures, whether they are victims or bystanders, to a member of staff.
Opportunities to deliver such lessons should be interwoven in whole school situations where possible such as school assemblies, family assemblies, parent workshops, etc.
Any appropriate and useful advice and support materials will be distributed to parents/guardians to support families in consolidating this practice at home.
Use of the ‘self-support’ materials (e.g. whole school displays, classroom posters, etc.) should always be visible, purposeful and useful for pupils.

Reviewed and updated: November 2023

Mrs C Gamble

Appendix 1

This policy has been supported by these key documents and offer useful guidance and further information on all apsects:

DFE: Keeping Children Safe in Education. September 2023

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/954314/Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2020_-_Update_-_January_2021.pdf

DFE: Preventing and Tackling Bullying: Advice for headteachers, staff and governing bodies. July 2017

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/623895/Preventing_and_tackling_bullying_advice.pdf

DFE: Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment between Children in Schools and Colleges. December, 2017

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sexual-violence-and-sexual-harassment-between-children-in-schools-and-colleges

Farrer and Co: Peer on Peer Abuse Toolkit. December 2017.

https://www.farrer.co.uk/Global/Peer-on-peer%20abuse%20toolkit%2014.pdf

Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2018

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2

UKCCIS: Sexting in Schools and Colleges

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/609874/6_2939_SP_NCA_Sexting_In_Schools_FINAL_Update_Jan17.pdf

Useful links:

Anti-Bullying:

www.bullying.co.uk

www.samaritans.org.uk

www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk

www.familylives.org.uk

www.dudley.gov.uk/kids/anti-bullying

Barnardos:

www.barnados.org.uk

contextual Safeguarding:

www.contextualsafeguarding.org.uk

Childline:

www.childine.org.uk

The Children’s Society:

www.childrenssociety.org.uk

Child Sexual Exploitation:

www.seeme-hearme.org.uk

www.stop-cse.org/rg.uk

Drugs:

www.talktofrank.com

www.drugs.gov.uk

e-Safety:

www.internetmatters.org

https://nationalonlinesafety.com/guides

https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk

Mental Health:

www.youngminds.org.uk

www.familylives.org.uk

www.mind.org.uk

NSPCC:

www.nspcc.org.uk

Appendix 2 Concerns and Disclosures Procedure

*All information recorded must be factual and accurate. Only record what the pupil has said and do not ask leading questions. Prompts should be: TED (Tell me, Explain to me, Describe to me).

Do not ask the pupil to write anything down, sign anything or take any photographs.

Appendix 3

Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2018 defines the four categories of harm as:

Physical Abuse

A form of abuse which may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces illness in a child.

Neglect

The persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child's health or development.

Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance misuse.

Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food and clothing, shelter including exclusion from home or abandonment, failing to protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger, failure to ensure adequate supervision including the use of inadequate care-takers, or the failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.

It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child's basic emotional needs.

Sexual Abuse

Involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse. Sexual abuse can take place online, and technology can be

used to facilitate offline abuse. Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.

Emotional Abuse

The persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child's emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond a child’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyber bullying), causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child though it may occur alone.

Additional information and guidance can be found in:

What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused – advice for practitioners, 2015

Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy

Child Protection and SafeguardingPolicy

Contents

Introduction 4
Statutory Framework 6
Specific Safeguarding Issues 8
The Designated Safeguarding Leader 11
Staff Roles and Responsibilities 15
Supporting Pupils 18
Information for Families 20
Dealing with a Disclosure 22
Concerns and Disclosures Procedure 25
Record Keeping and Confidentiality 26
Allegations Involving Staff 28

Appendix 1: Useful contact details and links 30

Appendix 2: Definitions of Abuse and neglect 32

Appendix 3: Dudley Child Protection Referral Map 34

Appendix 4: Multi-agency Referral Form (MARF) 35

Appendix 5: Dudley Prevent Referral Procedure 40

Appendix 6: Dudley Early Help Strategy 2021-24 41

Policy issued:	April 2023, revised in September 2023 in light of changes to KCSiE 2023
Next review:	March 2024
Signature:	Mrs Charmian Gamble 27.4.23
Signature:

Alongside this policy, all staff must read all of Keeping Children Safe in Education, 2023 and Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2018 by September 15th 2023 and sign to say they have completed this, accurately pass the safeguarding quiz and agree to abide by the content of the policy, the guidance documents and approaches of The King Alfred School.

This policy MUST be read in conjunction with other related policies and practices at The King Alfred School. These include:

Behaviour Policy
Anti-Bullying Policy
e-Safety Policy
Inclusion & Special Educational Needs Policy
Educational Visits/Off Site Policy
Looked After Children Policy
School Covid19 Risk Assessments
Staff Code of Conduct
Child on child Abuse Policy
Complaints and Procedures Policy
Whistleblowing Policy
Drugs and Substance Misuse
Mobile Phones & Personal Devices Policy

This guidance applies to everyone who works at The King Alfred School and includes staff, volunteers, board members and trustees. It also applies to anyone on short term contracts including supply staff and temporary workers.

Introduction

The King Alfred School is wholly committed to ensuring that our pupils are safe, happy and confident and that their well-being is always of paramount importance. This is in line with our goal to help raise up young men and women who are well rounded and equipped to succeed in the wider world and so we endeavour to create a safe, nurturing place where every pupil is supported, listened to and valued.

We work diligently to ensure that the ethos of the school fosters relationships where staff know our pupils as individuals and can therefore play a significant role in vigilantly ensuring that the vulnerability of pupils in other parts of their lives is reduced. Furthermore, we strive for this to be reciprocal in that pupils feel confident that what they choose to share is taken seriously and that all staff will act immediately with the necessary level of intervention to ensure the most effective outcome. Considering the recent changes made in government guidance regarding children not feeling ready or know how to tell someone about abuse happening to them, we are working to ensure that our whole school ethos and behaviour policies recognise this and promote an ethos of an open-communication school. This is reinforced regularly through daily in-class discussions and whole school worship where children are reminded of the loving relationships and support network that The King Alfred School offer our students so that they feel reassured in this regard.

Policy purpose

The purpose of the Safeguarding policy is to:

promote safeguarding as a whole school continual commitment.
ensure that our pupil’s welfare is of paramount importance.
prevent escalation by offering early and additional help.
handle referrals, where child protection concerns are identified, sensitively, professionally and in ways that support the individual needs of the pupil’s well-being.

School Principles

The key principles regarding safeguarding within The King Alfred School are that:

Safeguarding vigilance and promoting the welfare of pupils is everyone’s responsibility. All staff, volunteers, governors and anyone else who works with a pupil or pupils in school and their families must ensure their approach is child-centred and they should consider, at all times, what is in the best interests of the pupil.
We trust and value our staff’s professionalism. Anyone who works with a pupil within school understands their responsibility to identify, immediately respond to and report any concerns or disclosures of abuse or neglect.
We listen to and value the voices of all our pupils taking their concerns seriously.
Local and national child protection procedures will be used to protect pupils.

The King Alfred School’s staff and Governing Board Members are committed to keeping our pupils safe by safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils through all our policies, procedures and practices and we expect all our pupils, families and anyone else who works with a pupil or pupils in school to share this commitment and understanding.

Safeguarding definition

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined by the Department for Education as:

protecting children from maltreatment
preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development
ensuring children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

Child protection is a part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.

Statutory Framework

The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 apply a duty to proprietors of independent schools to ensure that arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

In order to safeguard and promote the welfare of our pupils, the following legislation, documents, circulars and guidance for good practice govern all our child protection work at The King Alfred School:

Children Act 2004
Education Act 2002
Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018)
Keeping Children Safe in Education (2023)
Dudley Safeguarding People Partnership – Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub
What to do if you are worried a child is being abused (2015)
Safer Working Practice Guidance (May 2019)
Prevent Duty for England and Wales (2015) under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act (2015)
Section 5B of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 (as inserted by section 74 of the Serious Crime Act 2015)
Dealing with Allegations of Abuse against Teachers and Other Staff (2012)
Information Sharing Guidance (July 2019)
Use Of Reasonable Force In Schools (2013)
Education Inspection Framework (EIF) (June 2020)
Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (April 2017)
Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills (2019)
The Education (Independent Schools Standards) Regulations (2014)

Specific Safeguarding Issues

The King Alfred School ensures staff are trained to understand the different areas of safeguarding, how to recognise indicators of possible abuse and know the procedures if they have a concern about one of the areas.

All staff and volunteers are made aware that the main categories of abuse (as described in Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023 Part 1) are:

Physical abuse
Emotional abuse
Sexual abuse
Neglect

In addition to these types of abuse and neglect, members of staff will also need to be alert to specific safeguarding issues which include the following taken from Keeping Children Safe in Education, 2023 Annex A:

Children in the court system
Children missing from education
Children with family members in prison
Child Sexual Exploitation
Child Criminal Exploitation
Domestic Abuse
Homelessness
So called ‘Honour Based Violence’ inclusive of Female Genital Mutilation, Forced Marriage and practises such as Breast Ironing.
Preventing Radicalisation
Child on Child Abuse
Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment
Additional advice and support

Early Help

Any pupil might benefit from early help but all staff have the responsibility of recognising that there may be pupils with additional vulnerability who remain at higher risk of harm or abuse because of their existing vulnerability.

Therefore, all staff need to be particularly alert to the potential need for early help for pupils who:

are disabled having specific additional needs
has special educational needs (at any stage)
is a young carer is showing early signs of abuse and/or neglect?
is showing signs of being drawn into anti-social or criminal behaviour, including such as involvement with
gangs and organised crime groups
is frequently missing or goes missing from home or from care
has returned home to their family from care
is misusing drugs or alcohol themselves
is at risk of modern slavery, trafficking or exploitation
is at risk of being radicalised or exploited
has family circumstances which presents a challenge for the child such as adult mental health problems,
substance abuse
is privately fostered

(KCSiE 2023)

Contextual Safeguarding

All staff must also be aware that as well as threats to the welfare of pupils from within their families, wider environmental factors could be present in a pupil’s life that are a threat to their safety and/or welfare.

Extra-familial harms takes a variety of different forms and children can be vulnerable to multiple harms, abuse and exploitation outside their families.

(WTtSC 2018)

The King Alfred School recognises that the different relationships that pupils form in their neighbourhoods, in their peer groups and online can feature and promote illegal and negative content. Therefore, we aim to rigorously foster an environment where the influence of peer groups in school is not greater than that of the law or the school’s conduct code, in accordance to biblical principles, to help to minimise potential risk or harm to pupils. As outlined in The King Alfred School’s Behaviour Policy, if a pupil has a significant negative influence on other pupils, the Head Teacher has the right to seek to permanently exclude the pupil.

Online harm

As a school we are aware of the potential for children to experience harm through online activities they undertake at school. Our online ICT curriculum begins at year 7, and the school will ensure that a suitable filtering and monitoring system is in place to prevent harm occurring. As part of their safeguarding and online safety training, staff will receive training in the expectations, roles and responsibilities of all teachers to ensure that the school’s filtering and monitoring system is used effectively to keep children safe.

We are acutely aware of the issues that can cause harm to children through mobile phones and other smart devices, and our approach to this is summed up in our mobile phones and smart devices policy. Children will not have access to their own smart devices whilst on school premises. We work with parents to make them aware of the dangers posed by smart devices, including access to pornography and other harmful content, and the potential for smart devices to be used to

sexually harass, bully, and control others or to share indecent images. We strongly discourage parents from allowing children unlimited access to smart devices, and work with them to consider strategies for keeping children safe from online harm while not at school, including holding workshops and talks from experts to consider these issues.

Child on Child Abuse

The King Alfred School also recognises that children are capable of abusing their peers. Child on child abuse can take many forms and any concerns raised will be investigated and dealt with appropriately. No child on child abuse should be tolerated or minimised as part of growing up and all those involved will be provided with an appropriate level of support. It is understood that those pupils who have experienced abuse in their own lives may in turn abuse others. We recognise that this requires a considered and sensitive approach in order that the pupil can receive appropriate help and support. (See Child on Child Abuse Policy for detailed information.)

The full list of additional guidance and supportive hyperlinks can be found in Appendix 1 and 2 of this policy. All staff have been sent an electronic version of the policy so that hyperlinks may be accessed (in addition to the training they have received). All staff are expected to ensure they are familiarised with these definitions.

Safer Recruitment

When recruiting new staff, for any role within school, The King Alfred School is committed to ensuring that the best safer recruitment procedures are followed. This helps to ensure that anyone working at The King Alfred School in any capacity, is a safe person to work with children. Our safer recruitment procedure includes the following:

All adverts for posts include a paragraph on safer recruitment informing potential applicants that an enhanced DBS and other relevant checks, including online checks, will be carried out prior to recruitment
Application forms are scrutinised for gaps in employment or other discrepancies. If interviewed, candidates will be asked about this at interview.
Every interview for a post will include at least one question on safeguarding.
Successful candidates will be required to undergo an identity check, DBS check, and other checks including barred list, prohibition check, section 128 check (if applicable) before taking up the post.
If a candidate has spent time abroad, checks relevant to the country they have been in will be carried out.
Successful candidates will be required to provide at least two references including their last employer before taking up their post.
Once in post, staff will undergo a one month probation period. They will undergo an induction process which will involve reading all relevant policies, including this safeguarding policy.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead

The Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mrs Charmian Gamble and the deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mrs Katy Patla. They have overall responsibility for safeguarding and child protection, the appropriate authority and training and are able to provide advice and support to other staff on child welfare and child protection matters.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead is responsible for:

developing and reviewing the Safeguarding Policy.
implementing the policy and measuring its impact.
being familiar with local procedures and referral routes and liaising with governors and external services/agencies and professionals.
managing the reporting and recording of safeguarding incidents.
organising regular, up-to-date training and support for staff.
ensuring that they are always contactable (either by phone or adequate alternative means when not on site) and that all staff and parents know that they are the referral route for any concerns.
being aware of all school excursions and residentials and clarify with the educational visit co-ordinator/group leader(s) their role and responsibility in connection with safeguarding/child protection.
ensuring that an effective whole school policy against bullying/cyber-bullying, inclusive of measures to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils, is implemented.
Understanding the filtering and monitoring processes that the school has in place to support online safety, ensure these remain effective, and ensure that staff are trained in their responsibilities regarding these.
informing the Local Authority of any pupil to be deleted from school admission register and that missing from education protocols are followed.
informing the Local Authority of any pupil who fails to attend school regularly or has been absent without the school’s permission for a continuous period of 10 days or more.

The more detailed role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead can be seen below, as taken from Keeping Children Safe in Education, 2023: Annex B.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead will:

Manage referrals

Refer cases of suspected abuse to the First Contact Team.
Support staff who make referrals to the First Contact Team.
Refer cases to the Channel programme where there is a radicalisation concern as required.
Support staff who make referrals to the Channel programme.
Refer cases where a person is dismissed or left due to risk/harm to a child to the Disclosure and Barring Service as required.
Refer cases where a crime may have been committed to the Police as required (including Sexual Exploitation or Female Genital Mutilation and Forced Marriage).

Liaise with others

Act as a point of contact with the three safeguarding partners
Liaise with the Head Teacher (where the Designated Safeguarding Leader is not the Head Teacher) to inform him or her of issues, especially ongoing enquiries under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 and police investigations.
Liaise, as required, with the case manager (Head Teacher, or where the Head Teacher is the subject of the allegations the Chair of Governors, Chair of Management Committee or Proprietor of an Independent School) and the Designated Officer, operating on behalf of the Local Authority for child protection concerns (all cases which concern a staff member).
Liaise with all staff on matters of safety and safeguarding (including online and e-safety) and when deciding whether to make a referral by liaising with relevant agencies.
Act as a source of support, advice and expertise to staff on matters of safety and safeguarding and when deciding whether to make a referral by liaising with relevant agencies.

Undertake Training

Receive appropriate training which is updated every two years, including undertaking Prevent awareness raising
Regularly refresh their knowledge and skills, as required, and at least annually, so that they:
Understand and keep up with any developments to their role.
Understand the assessment process for providing early help and intervention, for example through locally agreed common and shared assessment processes such as early help assessments.
Have a working knowledge of how local authorities conduct a child protection case conference and a child protection review conference and be able to attend and contribute to these effectively when required to do so.
Ensure each member of staff has access to, and understands, the school Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and procedures, especially new and part time staff.
Be alert to the specific needs of children in need, those with special educational needs and young carers.
Understand relevant data protection legislation and regulations, especially the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation.
Understand the importance of information sharing, both within the school and college, and with the three safeguarding partners, other agencies, organisations and practitioners.
Be able to keep detailed, accurate and secure, written or electronic records of concerns and referrals.
Understand and support the school with regards to the requirements of the Prevent duty and be able to provide advice and support to staff on protecting pupils from the risk of radicalisation.
Be able to understand the unique risks associated with e-safety and be confident that they have the relevant knowledge and up to date capability required to keep pupils safe whilst they are online at school.
Recognise the additional risks that pupils with SEN and disabilities (SEND) face online, for example, from online bullying, grooming and radicalisation and are confident they have the capability to support SEND children to stay safe online.
Obtain access to resources and attend any relevant or refresher training courses.
Encourage a culture of listening to pupils and taking account of their wishes and feelings, among all staff, in any measures the school may put in place to protect them.

Raise Awareness

Ensure the school’s policies are known understood and used appropriately:
Ensure the school’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is reviewed annually (as a minimum) and the procedures and implementation are updated and reviewed regularly, and work with governing bodies or proprietors and the workforce in this regard to ensure its effectiveness. This includes ensuring that all staff receive the policy on their induction.
Ensure the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is available publicly and parents are aware of the fact that referrals about suspected abuse or neglect may be made and the role of The King Alfred School in this.
Link with the Dudley Safeguarding People Partnership to make sure staff are aware of training opportunities and the latest local policies on safeguarding.

Manage Child Protection Files

Where pupils leave the school, the Designated Safeguarding Lead will ensure their child protection file is transferred appropriately to any new school as soon as possible but transferred separately from the main pupil file; ensuring secure transit and confirmation of receipt.

Receiving schools should ensure key staff such as Designated Safeguarding Leads and SENCOs, are aware as required.

In addition to the child protection file, the Designated Safeguarding Lead will also consider if it would be appropriate to share any information with the new school in advance of a pupils leaving. For example, information that would allow the new school to continue supporting victims of abuse and have that support in place for when the pupil arrives.

Be available and contactable

During term time the Designated Safeguarding Lead will always be available (during school hours) for staff in the school to discuss any safeguarding concerns. While the DSL position is held by the two joint head teachers, Mrs Gamble and Mrs Patla, one of these will always be available.

Whilst generally speaking the Designated Safeguarding Lead would be expected to be available in person, we consider it acceptable that in exceptional circumstances phone or other such media may be used.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead and school will arrange adequate and appropriate cover arrangements for any out of hours/out of term activities.

(KCSiE 2023)

Staff Roles and Responsibilities

We recognise that all staff who come into contact with pupils and their families have a particularly important role to play in safeguarding pupils because they are in a position to identify any concerns or disclosures regarding a pupil’s welfare, provide early help and prevent further escalation. To ensure this, they receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training (which is regularly updated where necessary in staff briefings, professional development meetings, etc.) to provide them with relevant skills and knowledge to safeguard pupils effectively including the process for reporting concerns and disclosures. This training is in accordance with What to do if you are worried a child is being abused – Advice for practitioners (March 2015).

Therefore, through a thorough induction process and the sharing of this policy to all staff, students and volunteers, it is important that all staff:

adhere to the Mobile Phones & Personal Devices Policy and the Photography Policy by ensuring they do not take any form of images or photography on their own personal devices.
ensure that they listen to and reflect on what a pupil has shared at all times, taking seriously any concerns raised to them by a pupil.
ensure that they immediately record and report any concerns of a pupil’s well-being – including information shared with them by a pupil or what they have directly observed/witnessed - following the guidance on the Concerns and Disclosures Procedure.
ensure that they attend regular formal training/updates at least annually to support them in recognising the signs and indicators of possible abuse, particularly in support of early identification of needs of children to prevent an escalation of need or risk to the pupil.
ensure that they maintain an attitude of ‘Don’t think: “What if I’m wrong?” Think: “What if I’m right?”’ and report any concerns regarding the behaviour of a child/an adult/staff member in school directly to the Designated Safeguarding Leader/Head Teacher.
ensure that they feel able to raise concerns about poor or unsafe practices of staff and potential failures in the school’s safeguarding regime through whistleblowing procedures and the Staff Behaviour Policy.
recognise that, under the Counter Terrorism and Security Act, April 2015, the school has ‘due regard to Prevent’; and to assess risk of children and young people being radicalised or drawn into extremism (based upon potential risks in local area and that clear protocols are in place for all visitors so that their views are appropriate and not an opportunity to influence others – e.g. see Visiting Speakers Policy).
be aware, and act accordingly, that there is mandatory reporting to the police in all cases where teachers discover that an act of FGM appears to have been carried out.
ensure that they understand through e-Safety training the additional risks for pupils online and continue to promote the school’s e-Safety Policy in the protection of all pupils. This includes the management of unrestricted internet access via pupil’s own mobile phones or electronic devices that can allow them unrestricted access to the internet using their own data allowance.
ensure that they remain vigilant whilst visitors are on site and continue to promote The King Alfred School’s commitment to keeping pupils safe through reminding visitors and parents of the school’s appropriate use of personal mobile phones/devices whilst they are on school premises. This includes staff understanding and adhering to the Staff Behaviour Policy inclusive of use of mobile phones and electronic devices.
The King Alfred School will work with social care, the police, health services and other agencies/services to promote the welfare of its pupils and protect them from harm.

Use of Reasonable Force

There are circumstances when it is appropriate for staff in schools to use reasonable force to safeguard pupils. Section 93 of the Education and Inspections Act, 2006 enables school staff to use ‘reasonable force’ to prevent a pupil from:

Committing any offence (or, for a pupil under the age of criminal responsibility, what would be an offence for an older pupil);
Causing personal injury to, or damage to the property of, any person (including the pupil him/herself); or
Prejudicing the maintenance of good order and discipline at the school or among any pupils receiving education at the school, whether during the teaching session or otherwise.

The term ‘reasonable force’ covers the broad range of actions used by staff that involve a degree of physical contact to control or restrain pupils. This can range from guiding a pupil to safety by the arm, to more extreme circumstances such as breaking up a fight or where a pupil needs to be restrained to prevent violence or injury. ‘Reasonable’ in these circumstances means ‘using no more force than is needed’. The use of force may involve either passive physical contact, such as standing between pupils or blocking a pupil’s path, or active physical contact such as leading a pupil by the arm out of the classroom.

Section 246 of the Apprenticeship, Skills, Children and Learning Act, 2009 requires the responsible body to ensure that a procedure is in place for recording each significant incident in which a member of staff uses force on a pupil; and reporting each such incident to each parent of the pupil as soon as practicable after the incident. The member of staff must not report the incident to a parent if it appears to that member of staff that doing so would be likely to result in significant harm to the pupil. If that is the case, or if there is no parent of the pupil to whom the incident could be reported, then the incident must be reported to the local authority where the pupil lives.

(see Use of Reasonable Force in Schools policy)

Head Teacher

Correspondingly with The King Alfred School’s whole school ethos of knowing our pupils as individuals, the Head Teacher holds termly “heart, soul, mind and strength” meetings with each pupil. These valuable meetings help the Head Teacher to know all pupils as individuals and thus to also be in a position of recognising and responding to any concerns of a pupil’s well-being.

Proprietors and Board Members

The proprietor and board members are responsible for

Ensuring that the Designated Safeguarding Lead and Deputy are trained to a sufficient standard, and that their job descriptions outline the duties that have been delegated to them in regard to safeguarding and child protection.
Ensuring that they are given sufficient time and training to carry out their roles
Ensuring that all staff undergo safeguarding and child protection training (including online safety which, amongst other things, includes an understanding of the expectations, applicable roles and responsibilities in relation to filtering and monitoring at induction.)
Ensure that the recruitment of new staff follows the correct safer recruitment processes and that staff involved in the recruitment process receive safer recruitment training.
ensure that The King Alfred School has appropriate filtering and monitoring for IT systems in place and regularly review their effectiveness. They should ensure that the leadership team and DSL have an awareness and understanding of the provisions in place, manage them effectively and know how to escalate concerns when identified. The number of and age range of children, those who are potentially at greater risk of harm, and how often they access the IT system along with the proportionality of costs versus safeguarding risks should be taken into account when considering appropriate filtering and monitoring systems. Filtering and monitoring systems should be chosen with the DfE filtering and monitoring standards in mind.
Recognising the expertise staff build by undertaking safeguarding training and from managing safeguarding concerns on a daily basis and therefore giving staff opportunities to contribute to and shape safeguarding arrangements and the child protection policy.
Ensuring that, as part of the requirement for staff to undergo regular updated safeguarding training, including in relation to online safety and for children to be taught about safeguarding, including in relation to online safety that safeguarding training for staff, including online safety training, is integrated, aligned and considered as part of the whole school or college safeguarding approach and wider staff training and curriculum planning.
Ensuring that children are taught about how to keep themselves and others safe, including online. In so doing, the specific needs and vulnerabilities of individual children, including children who are victims of abuse, and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities will be considered.

Many of the above roles will be delegated to the Designated Safeguarding Lead, but the proprietor and board members have a duty to ensure that these roles are being carried out.

Supporting Pupils

The King Alfred School recognises that in a home environment where there is domestic violence, drug or alcohol misuse or mental health issues, children are vulnerable and may show behavioural and emotional difficulties which impact negatively on the way they view themselves, others and the world. The school, therefore, recognises that such pupils might exhibit challenging and defiant behaviour and we will take careful note of the context of such behaviour. We understand and value our role in helping to stabilise the lives of some of the pupils in our care as we may be the only stable, secure and predictable element in the life.

We are fully compliant with and promote Operation Encompass, which is a police and education early intervention safeguarding partnership that supports children and young people exposed to Domestic Abuse. It aims to ensure schools are notified in a timely manner of any Domestic Abuse incident where child/ren are present. This includes ensuring all parents/guardians are aware that we are part of this initiative via newsletters, prospectus, school website and induction.

(Note: this has not yet been implemented at the time of this policy’s preparation, but is in process).

We are fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of children in care, previously looked after children and care leavers.

We ensure that pupils who are subject to multi-agency plans are supported by the school as defined in that plan.

The King Alfred School will endeavour to support all its pupils through:

A broad and balanced curriculum:

which encourages self-esteem, self-motivation, self-protection;
which explores human rights, equality, democracy and tolerance and prepares pupils fully for life in modern Britain;
where pupils develop personal resilience and can calculate and take appropriate risks or have personal strategies that allow them to manage their own safety;
where pupils are taught about safeguarding, including digital and online, through various teaching and learning opportunities. Pupils are taught to recognise when they are at risk and the range of support available to them including how to get help when they need it.

The King Alfred School ethos which fosters a positive, supportive and secure environment and which gives all pupils and adults a sense of being respected and valued.
A coherent management of Behaviour and Discipline Policy & Procedures.
Liaison with other agencies and professionals who support children and families.
A commitment to develop productive, supportive relationships with parents/families.
An effective collaboration and support of a responsive and knowledgeable staff group whose role it is to respond appropriately in all safeguarding situations.

Information for Families

At The King Alfred School, Governors and staff are wholly committed to keeping our pupils safe and will take any reasonable action to safeguard and promote their welfare. In cases where the school has reason to be concerned that a pupil may be suffering significant harm, ill treatment, neglect or other forms of harm, staff have no alternative but to follow Dudley Safeguarding People Partnership procedures and inform the First Contact Team or police of their concern.

School Procedures

The King Alfred School will ensure that we have systems in place to regularly update contact numbers for parents/guardians and that there are at least two emergency contact numbers on file for every pupil on roll.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mrs Charmian Gamble or Deputy, Mrs Katy Patla, will be informed immediately by an employee of the school, pupil of the school, parent of the school or other persons, in the following circumstances:

suspicion that a child is being harmed
evidence that a child is being harmed

The threshold of significant harm is defined in the Children Act, 1989 Section 31 (9) as:

ill-treatment
impairment of health (as compared to a similar child)

Note: harm now includes the impairment of a child’s health or development as a result of witnessing the ill-treatment of another person (Adoption and Children Act, 2002).

The school will always discuss concerns with parents/guardians and consent for any referrals should be sought unless to do so would:

place the pupil at risk of significant harm or further risk of significant harm.
place a vulnerable adult at risk of harm
compromise any enquiries that need to be undertaken by children’s social care or the police

Attendance

The King Alfred School robustly monitor the attendance of pupils on roll in line with the Attendance Policy.

A child going missing from education, particularly on repeat occasions, can be a potential indicator of a well-being concern. Staff follow the school’s and Local Authority’s procedures for dealing with pupils that go missing from education to help identify the risk of abuse and neglect and to help prevent the risks of their going missing in future, in accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education, 2022.

If there are safeguarding concerns or there has been no contact with school, consideration is given to making a referral to children services.

If a pupil stops attending altogether this will be reported to attendance and prosecution service with information regarding off-rolling the pupil.

Dealing with a Disclosure

Children making a disclosure may do so with difficulty, having chosen carefully to whom they will speak. Listening to and supporting a pupil who has been abused can be traumatic for the adults involved. Support for you will be available from your Designated Safeguarding Lead. They can access further professional support if this is felt necessary.

All concerns or disclosures raised about a child or an adult, no matter how small, are recorded on a Record of Concerns form using the guidance as set out below.

Follow the 5 Rs guidance in the event that a pupil makes a disclosure to you:

Receive: If a pupil wants to talk to you, never ask them to come back later. Ask them what they want to talk to you about and give them the time to speak to you.

Never promise confidentiality, inform the pupil that you are happy to listen to them but if they tell you anything that you believe may be putting them/or others at harm, that you will have to talk to someone who can help.
Listen carefully to them. Do not stop a child who is freely recalling information.
Where a pupil is visibly upset or has an obvious injury, it is good practice to ask why they are upset or how an injury was caused, or respond to a pupil wanting to talk to you to help clarify vague concerns and result in the right action being taken.

Respond: If you need to clarify information ask open-ended questions using the TED prompts e.g.” Is there anything you'd like to tell me?", “Can you explain to me...” Can you describe to me....”

The following four factors may compromise enquiries that need to be made later by children’s social care or Police:

Never ask leading or suggestive questions e.g. 'Did he/she do anything that they shouldn't have done?'
Never ask 'accusing' questions e.g.” Why didn't you tell someone earlier?"
Never criticise the alleged perpetrator, it may be someone that they will continue to live with.
Never ask the pupil to repeat their disclosure for any other member of staff; it is your responsibility to share the information.

Reassure: Ensure that the pupil is aware that they have done the right thing in talking to you and that they have not done anything wrong. Tell them that you have listened and heard them and what you are going to do next.

If you have any concerns that the pupil has been, or is at risk of harm, you must tell them that you will speak to someone to get help. Ensure s/he is ok before leaving.

Record: Make notes as soon as possible afterwards using the words that the pupil has used. Do not record your assumptions and interpretations - only what you heard and saw.

Do not destroy original notes even if you later write things up more neatly and fully. Original notes can be included in the pupil’s profile for future reference.

Record the date, time and place of the disclosure.

Sign any written records and identify your position in the school setting.

There are yellow concern forms to record concerns available in every classroom and in the office.

Do not ask a pupil to write an account or sign any of your documentation as this may compromise enquiries that need to be made later by children’s social care or Police.

Report: To the Designated Safeguarding Lead (Charmian Gamble or Deputy Safeguarding Lead Katy Patla) immediately, who will be responsible for following the appropriate procedures. If neither is on site, use the contact number located in the school office. In the absence of anyone being available in school, contact the appropriate agency listed on the Concerns and Disclosures Procedure for advice.

To consult with the Designated Safeguarding Lead for child protection does not mean a referral has been made. This decision is the responsibility of the Designated Safeguarding Lead for child protection who will contact the appropriate agency as and when required.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU LEAVE SCHOOL WITHOUT DISCUSSING YOUR CONCERNS WITH SOMEONE.

Once a concern has been identified, it is treated sensitively and confidentially by the Designated Safeguarding Lead. Appropriate action/support plan will be devised and implemented, including working with parents/families, pupils and other outside agencies.

All concerns are logged. Everything recorded is factual and not speculation. The Safeguarding system is secure and can only be viewed by the Designated Safeguarding Leaders, and the Head Teacher.
Staff need to record concerns or disclosures within the hour of witnessing/receiving the concern or disclosure.
Disclosures must be recorded using the pupil’s own words, what was said or seen and the location both of the abuse and the disclosure.
Dates and times of events should be recorded as accurately as possible, together with a note of when the record was made.
A record is made of any visible marks or injuries to a pupil that give cause for concern, completed using a body map. The pupil should not be examined intimately, or pictures taken of any injuries/marks (unless requested by statutory services).
If a file is open on a pupil, all monitoring notes and additional actions which relate to the initial concern or disclosures are added to the same file.
The Safeguarding Team will make all referrals to the Local Authorities Children’s Trust, however, pupils who have been referred or are causing concern will be regularly monitored.
If there is a concern about any pupil, from any member of staff, that needs immediate action for the safety of the pupil a ‘crisis’ Safeguarding Team Meeting is called to discuss actions.
Local Authority Children’s Trust/SPOC Team/Early Help services are contacted for advice whenever necessary.
Where necessary, weekly safeguarding meetings take place, to discuss all monitored pupils, new concerns raised, and family support follow ups.

Concerns and Disclosures Procedure

*All information recorded must be factual and accurate. Only record what the pupil has said and do not ask leading questions. Prompts should be: TED (Tell me, Explain to me, Describe to me).

Do not ask the pupil to write anything down, sign anything or take any photographs.

Record Keeping

Well-kept records are essential to good safeguarding practice as the importance of good, clear child welfare and child protection record keeping has been highlighted in the learning from serious case reviews. The King Alfred School is clear about the need to record any concerns, discussions held, decisions made and reasons for those decisions about a pupils or pupils within its care.

Up to date record keeping of concerns and action taken is essential for two main reasons:

It helps the school identify causes for concern at an early stage. Often it is only when a number of seemingly minor issues are seen as a whole, that a pattern can be seen indicating safeguarding or child protection concern.
It helps the school monitor and manage their safeguarding practices and provides evidence of robust and effective safeguarding policy and practice.

Safeguarding recording within The King Alfred School is through a paper-based system. A record of a concern, suspicion or allegation is made using a yellow Cause for Concern form at the time of or as soon as possible after the event.

All written records will be signed and dated clearly with the name of the signatory clearly printed. Original notes will not be destroyed in case they are needed by a court.

All staff will ensure record keeping is compliant and in line with the General Data Protection Regulations, 2018 and Data Protection Act, 2018.

Following a pupil leaving our school, we will follow the appropriate transfer procedures and retention guidelines, in liaison with the receiving school.

Confidentiality

Safeguarding children raises issues of confidentiality that must be clearly understood by all staff and volunteers in school. The King Alfred School recognises that the only purpose of confidentiality in this respect is to benefit the pupil.

All staff in schools, both teaching and non-teaching staff, have a responsibility to share relevant information about the protection of pupils with other professionals, particularly children’s social care and the Police.

If a pupil wishes to confide in a member of staff and requests that the information is kept secret, the member of staff/volunteer will tell the pupil, in an appropriate manner to the individual needs of the pupil, that they cannot promise confidentiality and may need to pass the information on to help keep the pupil or others safe.

Allegations Involving Staff

The King Alfred School recognise that although the vast majority of adults who work with children aim to provide a safe and supportive environment, it must be recognised that there are adults who will deliberately seek out, create or exploit opportunities to abuse children. It is therefore essential that, alongside a stringent recruitment process, a clear process is employed for the investigation and resolution of allegations made against staff and volunteers.

An allegation relates to an adult who works with children (in a paid or unpaid capacity) and they have:

behaved in a way that has/or may have harmed a child; or
possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child; or
behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates that they may pose a risk of harm to children; or
behaved/may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children

Dealing with Allegations of Abuse against Teachers and Other Staff (2012)

A safeguarding complaint involving a member of staff must be reported to the Headteacher immediately. Where there are concerns about the Head Teacher, this should be referred to the chair of governors. In the event of allegations of abuse being made against a proprietor of the school, allegations should be reported directly to Dudley’s LADO (Local Area Designated Officer). (KCSiE 2023)

In Dudley, Yvonne Nelson-Brown is the LADO, who has direct accountability for allegations and reports to Dudley Safeguarding People Partnership Board.

All allegations must be reported to the LADO within one working day. All referrals should be sent to allegations@dudley.gov.uk. For advice and information about allegations against staff and volunteers please contact Yvonne on 01384 813110.

A consultation with the LADO will determine what action follows. A multi-agency strategy meeting may be arranged to look at the complaint in its widest context, the Head Teacher/senior member of school staff must attend this meeting, which will be arranged by the LADO. All issues must be recorded on the allegation management form and the outcome reached must be noted to ensure closure.

As with all other concerns about the welfare of pupils, the member of staff receiving the allegation should make a written record of the allegation using the informant's exact words - including time, date and place where the alleged incident took place, brief details of what happened, what was said and who was present. This record should be signed, dated and immediately passed on to the Head Teacher.

Appendix 1

Useful local contact details and links:

Dudley Safeguarding People Partnership Board
3-5 St James's Road, Dudley, DY1 1HZ

Office hours: 9am - 5pm

0300 555 0050

Out of office hours

0300 555 8574

Dudley Early Help:

Dudley Central Family Centre
Selborne Road, Dudley, DY2 8LJ

Office hours: 9am - 5pm

01384 812 440

Email:

fs.dudleycentral@dudley.gov.uk

Dudley Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
Dudley Children's Services contact number: 01384 813200

Other useful links:

Hate Crime App for parent/carers:

West Midlands Police Hate App in App Store or Google play. This app provides the most accurate advice and tells you how to report hate crime.

Anti-Bullying:

www.bullying.co.uk

www.samaritans.org.uk

www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk

www.familylives.org.uk

www.dudley.gov.uk/kids/anti-bullying

Barnardos:

www.barnados.org.uk

Childline:

www.childine.org.uk

The Children’s Society:

www.childrenssociety.org.uk

Child Sexual Exploitation:

www.seeme-hearme.org.uk

www.stop-cse.org/rg.uk

Domestic Violence:

www.womensaid.org.uk

www.refuge.org.uk

www.thehideout.org.uk

www.familylives.org.uk

Drugs:

www.talktofrank.com

www.drugs.gov.uk

e-Safety:

www.internetmatters.org

https://nationalonlinesafety.com/guides

https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM):

www.feminist.org

www.youngminds.org.uk

Forced Marriage:

www.gov.uk/stop-forced-marriage

Mental Health:

www.youngminds.org.uk

www.familylives.org.uk

www.mind.org.uk

NSPCC:

www.nspcc.org.uk

Refuge:

www.refuge.org.uk

Save the Children Fund:

www.savethechildren.org.uk

Appendix 2

Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2018 defines the four categories of harm as:

Physical Abuse

Neglect

The persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child's health or development.

Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance misuse.

It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child's basic emotional needs.

Sexual Abuse

Emotional Abuse

Additional information and guidance can be found in:

What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused – advice for practitioners, 2015

Appendix 3

Dudley Process Map:

All Dudley Process Maps:

https://dudleychildcare.proceduresonline.com/local_resources.html

Appendix 4

Multi Agency Referral Form (MARF):

For Practitioners and those working with Children

Please refer to the Threshold Guidance and Framework for Support (2019 document) before completing this form

A multi-agency referral should be made when the agency considers that:

A child has been identified as a ‘Child in Need’ or is a Child in need of Protection’, as detailed at level 4 in the threshold document.

CONSULT: Dudley Threshold Guidance and Framework for Support 2019 (found on the Early Help web page), discuss with your safeguarding lead and use your professional judgement to identify the level of need.

If you think the need has reached level 4 but require further advice or guidance, you can contact the MASH Team on: 0300 555 0050

Completed MARF must be emailed to: MASH_Referrals@dudley.gov.uk (note: only fully secure, if emailing from another secure email account).

For those that do not have access to a secure email account:

Password protect the form and send the password in a separate email

MASH is open Mon- Fri 9am to 5pm. If your referral is URGENT and is outside of these times or on a Bank holiday please contact the Emergency Duty Team on: 0300 555 8574.

All telephone referrals must be followed up with completion of a MARF by the referrer within 24 hours.

Consent
Are Parents/Carers aware of the referral to the MASH?	Yes	No	Written/Verbal
Has consent been obtained from the parent/carer to share information?	Yes	No	Written/Verbal
If consent has NOT been obtained, please record the reason/s for this:
Do you consider that the child/young person is at IMMEDIATE RISK OF HARM?				Yes	No

Child/Young Person Details
Forename:	Surname:
Address Details:
Home Telephone:	Mobile Telephone:
Date of Birth:	Gender:		Male	Female
EDD if unborn baby/hospital where booked:
Ethnic Origin:		Disability:
1st Language:		Religion/Belief:

Parent/Carer Details: Person 1

Forename:

Surname:

Date of Birth:

Relationship:

Address Details:

Home Telephone:

Mobile Telephone:

1st Language

Is an Interpreter Required?

Yes

Identified Disability

Do you have Parental Responsibility?

Yes

Parent/Carer Details: Person 2

Forename:

Surname:

Date of Birth:

Relationship:

Address Details:

Home Telephone:

Mobile Telephone:

1st Language

Is an Interpreter Required?

Yes

Identified Disability

Do you have Parental Responsibility

Yes

Other Household Members

Individual 1

Forename

Surname

DOB

Relationship

Was this individual also referred?

Yes

Individual 2

Forename

Surname

DOB

Relationship

Was this individual also referred?

Yes

Individual 3

Forename

Surname

DOB

Relationship

Was this individual also referred?

Yes

Individual 4

Forename

Surname

DOB

Relationship

Was this individual also referred?

Yes

Individual 5

Forename

Surname

DOB

Relationship

Was this individual also referred?

Yes

Individual 6

Forename

Surname

DOB

Relationship

Was this individual also referred?

Yes

Are you aware of any other agencies involved e.g. School Nurse, CAMHS, YOS
Name	Designation	Address	Telephone








Reason for Referral: Please use the following headings to structure your referral and identify how a referral to MASH will address the issues you have highlighted and lead to an improvement in the situation
Presenting Concerns (Please describe the incident or circumstances that have led to a referral being made, including the date the child was last seen)

The Child’s Developmental Needs – How I grow and develop

Parenting Capacity – What I need from people who look after me

Family and environment – My wider world (E.g. issues related to: alcohol misuse, drugs misuse, domestic abuse, mental health problems, learning difficulties, offending behaviour/imprisonments and offences against children, any significant history)

Please outline any services that have been provided to address any previous concerns prior to this referral

Are any Court Orders in Place?			Yes	No
If yes please describe the type of Court Order that is in place:

Has an NWG CSE screening tool been completed?			Yes	No
Has an EHA been completed?			Yes	No
If “No” please give reasons
If “Yes” please attach a copy and identify the lead professional and their contact details

Details of referrer
Name: (Print)
Designation:
Address (Including Postcode)
Telephone No:	Mobile No:
Email Address:

Have you discussed this referral with your designated child protection officer or your line manager		Yes	No
Date of referral:
Signed

TO BE COMPLETED BY CHILDREN’S SOCIAL CARE AND RETURNED TO THE REFERRER
Feedback to the referrer
Name of child/young person:
Date of Birth:
Referring Agency:
Date Referral Received:
Outcome of the Referral
Information and advice provided
Signpost to other services
Referring agency advised to undertake EHA
Referred for Early Help
Undertake a Child, Young Person and Family Assessment, include specific team to undertake this
Section 47 investigation and/or joint assessment to be undertaken
Other Please Specify
Reason for decision

Case Allocated to:			Tel
Team Manager Signature:
Date Signed:
If you are worried about a child you can telephone the MASH Team for advice and consultation on 0300 555 0050 9am - 5pm OR 0300 555 8574 after 5pm/weekends and Bank Holidays. If you are worried that a Child needs a statutory social care assessment, complete a Multi-Agency Referral Form (MARF) and email children’s services at: MASH_Referrals@dudley.gov.uk In circumstances where a Child has committed an offence the Police/Courts will refer the child to Youth Offending Services. If the concern involves anyone working with children contact the LADO Officer allegations@dudley.gov.uk Tel: 01384 813110 If the referral is concerning a relinquished baby contact is to be made with the MASH Team as above. If the concerns relate to CSE refer to the CSE Pathway If there is a professional disagreement regarding decision, please refer to: Dudley’s Resolution and Escalation Protocol.

MASH_Referrals@dudley.gov.uk

Appendix 5

Dudley Prevent Referral Process

https://www.dudleysafeandsound.org/prevent

CTU_GATEWAY@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk

MASH_Referrals@dudley.gov.uk

Appendix 6: Dudley Early Help Strategy ’21-‘24

For further info on Dudley Early Help Strategy:

https://dudleyci.co.uk/storage/3207/Early-Help-Strategy-2021--2024.pdf

Complaints Procedure

Complaints Procedure

NOTE: The number of complaints received by the school will be shown here, and updated every term.

In the vast majority of cases, problems and concerns can be dealt with by way of a brief meeting or telephone call between parents/pupils and the teacher(s) involved. Apart from when they are very minor in nature, these contacts are logged and recorded on pupil files. If at any time a member of staff has any concerns regarding the safety of a child he or she should alert the Designated Safeguarding Officer immediately. The formal complaints procedure is as follows:
1. If a parent writes to a member of staff expressing concern or complaint, the member of staff will contact the parent in writing or in person within two school days of receipt either to attempt to deal with the matter or to explain that the letter has been referred to the Principal and that a reply can be expected by a given date.
2. If a parent contacts the school to discuss an incident which has taken place within school, the first point of reference will be the form tutor or the member of staff involved in the incident or
with the closest involvement in it. If the issue cannot be resolved immediately, the parent will be asked to come in to school within one week of the staff member’s reply to the initial concern raised.
3. If the meeting or its outcome does not in the opinion of the parent fully deal with the issue, the parent will be directed to the Headteacher and a meeting will be arranged within seven days of
the concern being escalated to the Headteacher. The person complaining may put the complaint in writing at this stage or at any other stage in the procedure.
4. If the parent is still not satisfied following a meeting with the Principal, an appeal may be made in writing to the Chairmanof the Board, who will reply within ten working days arranging a
meeting.
5. If a parent meets with the chair person and is still unsatisfied with the outcome of the meeting they can then request a panel hearing, parents ask the chair person for this meeting.
6. A letter will then be sent to the parent to confirm the date and time of the scheduled meeting.
7. Following a hearing, the decision by the Chairman on behalf of the Board is final and binding.
8. A record of all meetings and hearings referred to above will be made at the time and held confidentially within school. At any of the stages a parent, or parents, may choose to be accompanied by another person.
9. Where the chair person deems it necessary to arrange a hearing, one person on the panel responsible for hearing the appeal will be independent of the management and running of the

school. The panel will consist of not fewer than three and not more than four members, including the Chairman of the Board who will also be a member unless he or she is personally involved
to an extent that would render his or her membership of the panel untenable, in which case another member of the panel will assume the role of Chairman. The panel will consist of at least
three people who have not been directly involved in the incident being complained about. Parents will be invited to attend the hearing and may be accompanied.
10. The chair person of the Board will give to all concerned (i.e. the parent making the complaint, members of the Board, members of the panel, the Principal and, where relevant, the
person complained about) a written copy of the panel’s findings, decision and recommendations
11. All correspondence, written information, statements and records of meetings, hearings etc. which relate to complaints will be held confidentially under lock and key except where the Secretary of State or a body conducting a formal school inspection requests access to them. This procedure will be made available to all parents and pupils on request and will appear on
the school website.
12. At the end of the process the board of governors will meet (at the half termly board meeting) to discuss any necessary actions to be taken. (Throughout this procedure, the use of the word parent includes guardian as well as any other person involved in the life of the school who may have cause to make a complaint.) This policy should be read in conjunction with the Safeguarding
(Child Protection) Policy and other relevant Policies.
This policy will be reviewed every two years, or more frequently if required.
Reviewed: Feb 2022
Reviewed:
Next Review due: Feb 2024

Covid-19 Policy

COVID-19 Policy

In conjunction with The King Alfred School Health and Safety Policy, this policy works to maintain safe and healthy working conditions at the school for all staff, pupils and visitors in accordance to government guidance concerning COVID-19. As this is an ever evolving issue, this policy will be kept under constant review and be updated to meet the latest changes.

System of Controls (PHE)

We operate under the current and latest guidance of Public Health England (PHE) where the system of controls has been advised to be adopted to reduce risks, minimize transmission of COVID-19 and its variants, and create an inherently safer environment.

Prevention

You must always:

1. Minimise contact with individuals who are required to self-isolate by ensuring they do not attend the school.

2. Ensure face coverings are used in recommended circumstances.

3. Ensure everyone is advised to clean their hands thoroughly and more often than usual.

4. Ensure good respiratory hygiene for everyone by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach.

5. Maintain enhanced cleaning, including cleaning frequently touched surfaces often, using standard products such as detergents.

6. Consider how to minimise contact across the site and maintain social distancing wherever possible.

7. Keep occupied spaces well ventilated.

In specific circumstances:

8. Ensure individuals wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) where necessary.

9. Promote and engage in asymptomatic testing, where available.

Response to any infection

You must always:

10. Promote and engage with the NHS Test and Trace process.

11. Manage and report confirmed cases of COVID-19 amongst the school community.

12. Contain any outbreak by following local health protection team advice.

(Schools Coronavirus (COVID-19) Operational Guidance, May 24^th 2021)

This list is not exhaustive and therefore more information for each of these points can be found on the PHE website. All staff must use this link to access the website to read the guidance in further detail.

Process for staff or students with COVID-19 symptoms

Pupils, staff and other adults must not come into the school if:

• they have one or more COVID-19 symptoms

• a member of their household (including someone in their support bubble or childcare bubble if they have one) has COVID-19 symptoms

• they are legally required to quarantine, having recently visited countries outside the Common Travel Area

• they have had a positive test

• have been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19

They must immediately cease to attend and not attend for at least 10 days from the day after:

• the start of their symptoms

• the test date if they did not have any symptoms but have had a positive LFD or PCR test (if an LFD test is taken first, and a PCR test is then taken within 2 days of the positive lateral flow test, and is negative, it overrides the LFD test and the pupil can return to school)

All visitors to the school are to be made aware of this policy before visiting the site.

If any student or member of staff in school develops a new and continuous cough or a high temperature, or has a loss of, or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia), we will:

• send them home to begin isolation - the isolation period includes the day the symptoms started and the next 10 full days

• advise them to follow the guidance for households with possible or confirmed COVID-19 infection

• advise them to arrange to have a test as soon as possible to see if they have COVID-19

• Other members of their household (including any siblings and members of their support or childcare bubble if they have one) should self-isolate.

Roles and Responsibilities

These are the actions our school leaders and staff take to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in school:

• The School Board is responsible for monitoring and reviewing the COVID-19 Policy of the school as and when necessary. Health and safety is an agenda item at every meeting with the school board where they will prepare a review of incidents, developments etc. related to health and safety since the last meeting including any updates or actions related to COVID-19. The School Board will, as appropriate, make recommendations relating to COVID-19 as an area of health and safety.

• The Operations Manager has overall responsibility for the detailed health and safety arrangements within the school as well as to ensure compliance with Health and Safety legislation including the latest government guidance and legislation concerning COVID-19. The Operations Manager is also responsible for recording any reports of health and safety concerns raised by members of staff in the Health and safety/incident book. The Operations Manager will monitor the cleanliness of the building as part of the weekly visual inspection including the availability of antibacterial hand washing facilities.

• All staff have the responsibility to work together to achieve a healthy and safe workplace and to take reasonable care of themselves and others. This includes reporting any health and safety concerns noticed to the Operations Manager. It is the responsibility of classroom teachers, liaising with the cleaners, to keep their rooms in a hygienic condition, ensuring that antibacterial hand washing facilities are available and easily accessible to staff and students. All staff are responsible for modelling, teaching and encouraging good hygiene habits in the students. Particular emphasis is placed on regular hand washing and steps to minimize spreading germs e.g. using tissues to catch coughs and sneezes and throwing them in the bin, washing hands regularly and efficiently, etc. (see Prevention strategies below).

• Cleaners are responsible for daily cleaning of all classrooms and areas within school ensuring surfaces and areas touched frequently are cleaned with suitable antibacterial detergents and cleaning equipment. A deep clean will be directed as and when necessary by the Operations manager.

A Risk Assessment has been undertaken to identify the measures needed to reduce the risks from coronavirus (COVID-19) so far as is reasonably practicable and is updated regularly.

Please see the latest Risk Assessment at the end of this policy.

Measures in place

In order to comply with government guidance, The King Alfred School implements the following measures to reduce risk and minimise transmission:

• Antibacterial hand gel is available and accessible in various locations in the building – particularly at the main entrance and exit and in classrooms. Regular handwashing is encouraged to all students and staff.

• Social distancing signs are displayed in the building to remind visitors and staff to maintain social distancing where possible.

• Face coverings are required for visitors to wear upon entry to the building (unless they are exempt).

• Procedures in place for parents during picks up and drop off such as wearing face coverings if indoors and restrictions to numbers congregating in small spaces.

A system for remote/home learning in the instance of another lockdown is currently being planned.

Curriculum Policy

Curriculum Policy

Introduction

The curriculum at The King Alfred School is the means by which we achieve our objectives of educating students in the knowledge, skills and understanding that they need in order to lead virtuous lives and can succeed as human beings in the wider society. It comprises all the planned activities which are organised to promote excellent learning and personal growth and development within all our students. We ensure that all students have a broad, balanced and relevant education which provides continuity and progression and takes individual differences into account.

The curriculum provides a rigorous, knowledge-based education that will utilise material, methods, and themes from the vast wealth of the classical form of education. It is developed to work toward our goal of training our students to be independent thinkers who know and love the great books of the Western tradition and have respect for the cultural achievements of previous generations. We teach the great books of our civilisation to enrich our students’ lives with the best of what has been thought said and done down through the ages.

Our students will be knowledgeable individuals trained in logic and rhetoric with the expectation that they will grow to be positive, responsible people who can work co-operatively with others while developing knowledge and skills that will enable them to achieve their full potential.

As an independent school, we are not required to follow the National Curriculum. We do recognise, however, the excellence of the National Curriculum in many areas, and we will use appropriate resources when we believe them to be in line with our curriculum aims.

We currently use elements of Memoria Press Classical Core Curriculum and Core Knowledge UK as the basis of our curriculum, but as the school develops, we aim to draw upon what we have found to be the most effective practises to design our own. We find the Memoria Press curriculum to be extremely good at providing a knowledge-based curriculum and feel that daily recitations are a particular strength in helping students retain facts. We also supplement our curriculum in subjects such as History and Geography with materials from Core Knowledge UK. This series is based on the National Curriculum although the depth with which it treats some topics is greater and its emphases are at times different. It focuses especially, for example, on knowledge – a focus with which we fully concur. We link our topics together to help embed learning and bring lessons to life with practical elements. All subjects within the curriculum will thus be covered appropriately.

A typical school day at The King Alfred School (from Year One onwards) will involve Assembly, Recitation, Christian studies (which often incorporates PSHE and British Values) followed by Maths and English, and then a more flexible afternoon which involves enrichment learning of knowledge and skills in Science, P.E, Music, Art, History, Geography and Horticulture. We structure our day as such so we have a good level of academic rigour in the morning followed by more expressive subjects in the afternoon, we think this fosters a love of learning and helps pupils develop a good work ethic.

Values

Our school curriculum is underpinned by our school values of Truth, Goodness and Beauty. The values mean that students will always seek out what is true and what is good and appreciate all that is beautiful in the world – adding to their sense of purpose and belonging.

Our school is underpinned by Christian values. The Scripture we hold dear to us is Deuteronomy 6:47 which talks of raising up children well, teaching them how to navigate this world and speaks of loving one neighbour as oneself.

It also means that we will respond equally, warmly and constructively to all students including those that are attaining lower than their age-related expectations and to those with special educational needs. We believe that all students, of varying abilities and needs, can contribute immeasurably to the life of a school and we will nurture them to the best of our ability. In every aspect of the curriculum, we will promote the value of equality.

Aims

The aims of our school curriculum are:

To enable all students to learn and develop their academic ability so that they achieve their potential at each stage of school life and are well-prepared for the next stage.
To enable students to develop intellectually, emotionally, socially, physically, morally and aesthetically, so that they become independent thinkers and responsible, useful, confident and considerate members of the community.
To promote a positive attitude towards learning, so that students enjoy coming to school and develop a love of learning.
To create, maintain an exciting and stimulating learning environment where all students are encouraged to push themselves and take on challenges.
To provide all students with a safe learning environment.
To ensure that each student’s education demonstrates continuity and progression.
To enable students to contribute positively within a culturally diverse society.
To enable all students to have respect for themselves and others and work cooperatively with others.
To recognise the crucial role which parents play in their child’s education and make every effort to encourage parental involvement in their educational process
To help students develop respect for authority, for others, especially those who are different from themselves, and for the world around them.

The Curriculum

Preschool: In our Nursery and Reception classes we will follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework and provide teaching and assessment in line with its requirements.

The EYFS is the very beginning of an exciting and extensive learning journey for our students where we facilitate a broad range of opportunities for them to experience and discover the world around them through the educational programmes across the seven areas of development. It is in these years that we will nurture our students to develop effective characteristics of learning that will begin the foundations of lifelong skills as well as ignite student’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. This is detailed further in the EYFS Curriculum Plan and accompanying Scheme of Work.

Grammar Stage: The Grammar Stage consists of Year One to Year Six classes (ages 5-11). From Year One, the scope of students’ study is taught in subjects. The subjects within the curriculum are:

English (we will sometimes refer to it as Language and Literature),
Mathematics,
Science,
History,
Geography,
Religious Education,
Visual Arts,
Music,
Horticulture,
Physical Education,
Information Technology, and
PSHE including Citizenship
Latin

These are detailed further in the Year One to Year Six Curriculum Plans and accompanying Schemes of Work.

Logic Stage: The Logic Stage consists of Year Seven to Year Nine classes (ages 11-14). The school is currently applying to extend our age range to cater for this stage of learning and has created Curriculum Plans and Schemes of Work for Year Seven and Year Eight in preparation. From Year Seven, the scope of students’ study is taught in subjects as outlined in the Grammar Stage above as well as additional skills including a focus on careers. These are detailed further in the Year Seven to Year Eight Curriculum Plans and accompanying Schemes of Work.

Through the curriculum, we aim to equip our students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes which will enable them to:

Be creative, imaginative thinkers
Be problem solvers
Be unafraid of making mistakes
Challenge themselves to do even better
Be enquiring and able to ask good questions
Understand their own and others’ emotions and feelings
Form their own views and be able to articulate them
Be wholly respectful towards others who are different and/or have different views
Possess a wide and deep knowledge of the “grammar” of the subjects they study
Become avid readers
Have a sound knowledge of what it means to be British and the diverse nature of modern Britain
Avoid being taken in by spurious arguments
Be able to act appropriately in a range of “risky” situations
Develop confidence
Develop a good sense of humour and a sense of perspective
Work as part of a team where necessary
Be aware of how to live a healthy lifestyle
Enjoy positive relationships with others
Know the difference between right and wrong
Know how to care for the environment

The above is not an exhaustive checklist but sets out our priorities for our pupil’s academic, personal and social development.

Organisation and Planning

We take great care to plan our curriculum carefully so that there is coherence and progression at every stage. Currently, we agree a long-term plan for each year group which indicates which topics are to be taught in each term, and to which groups of students. These plans are drawn up for the whole year but the class teachers, with leadership support, review them as a team each term, making changes and always promoting best practice.

As the school is developing, we are reviewing our long-term plans on an annual basis.

Maths and English are taught every morning. Afternoon sessions (from Year One onwards) will, as described above, typically involve enrichment subjects. This covers a wide range of subjects to offer a broad and balanced curriculum and help students grasp concepts in an engaging way.

We recognise that classes consist of students with a range of different needs, skills and personalities and, in order to teach effectively and for all pupils to make good progress, class teachers must take this into account. Therefore, our plans and schemes of work for each year group work to provide a benchmark for age-related expectations but it is within the role and responsibilities of class teachers to adapt their planning and teaching to meet the needs of all pupils through avenues such as differentiation, level of adult involvement/support, challenge to stretch, etc. Assessments should actively inform class teachers’ planning in this regard.

Assessment

At The King Alfred School we believe that accurate assessment is the basis of high-quality teaching as it allows teaching and learning to be planned and delivered appropriately to meet the needs of students so that all are supported and stretched in the most effective way, enabling them to make good progress and reach their very best potential.

At the end of Reception, EYFS profiles, produced in line with statutory requirements, are completed which provide a basis upon which Year One teachers can build. These profiles are produced in accordance with the guidance we have included in our EYFS Curriculum Plan.

In the Grammar and Logic Stages, assessment will be carried out in line with our Assessment Procedure Policy. Progress in subjects will be assessed as an ongoing practice and will be formally assessed at the end of each year. Each subject will be included in reports given to parents twice a year.

Curriculum Monitoring and Review

Evaluation is essential for the planning and development of the curriculum. The Joint Headteachers are responsible for the overall school curriculum. They monitor planning, are part of “Work Scrutinies” and moderations, lead Pupil Performance Meetings, and carry out regular learning walks in order to support teachers as they deliver their plans and develop their knowledge and expertise.

The School Board places the quality of teaching at the very top of its list of priorities and it will actively and formally review the curriculum, its delivery and its effectiveness at least annually. That process will be undertaken by Mrs Hayley Bowen, the Chair of the School Board, and Mr Thomas Bowen, Director of The King Alfred School.

Reviewed and updated: September 2023

Mrs. K Patla

Educational Visits Policy

Educational Visits Policy

The King Alfred School will seek to enhance the educational experience of all students throughout the school by providing a number of trips and visits during the year, including for example:

Curriculum-related visits (e.g. to a famous building, place of worship, theatre production, art gallery or historic site)
Adventure activities (e.g. camping, Forest School, rock climbing and Hiking)
Sports-related trips and tours

Information regarding school trips will, where possible, be made available to parents at the start of the year. The school will provide for participants and their parents all relevant details, including travel arrangements, for each trip.

Good Practice

The King Alfred School seeks to apply best practice in the management of all trips, including:

Staff to use trip checklist before attending any trip

A comprehensive King Alfred school approval procedure for all trips which embraces all relevant regulations, including stringent risk assessments
As a first priority ensuring the safety and welfare of all trip participants, including all relevant health and safety and safeguarding arrangements – though it should be noted that risk is an essential element of some trips (e.g. adventure activities and contact sports), in which case all practicable steps will be taken to minimise the risks
Careful choice of activities and destinations
Using appropriately qualified and experienced trip leaders and staff
Careful choice of tour-operators and third party providers of activities
Having in place appropriate arrangements to deal with emergency situations
Financial procedures to ensure good value for money
Ensuring that all parties involved have all the information required and are aware of their own responsibilities with regard to ensuring a safe and enjoyable trip for all staff and students participating.

Trip Leaders and Staff

The King Alfred School seeks to ensure that:

The trip leader and all staff travelling on the trip have the appropriate experience and, where appropriate, specific training and/or qualifications for the particular trip
The staff : student ratio is appropriate for the age of the participants and the nature of the trip
All staff involved have the means of contacting each other, a member of the Senior Leadership Team and the home contact of every child on the trip at all times during the trip
For trips involving at least one overnight stay, a member of staff is appointed and briefed as home contact to deal with any emergency or unforeseen circumstance.

Participants

The King Alfred school:

So far as is practicable, all students will have the opportunity to take part in a trip for which they are the appropriate age and have the appropriate skills/abilities/interests
All trip participants, including staff, have an appropriate level of health and fitness for the trip, checked where appropriate by means of a medical questionnaire/consent form for each participant
All those intending to take part in a trip are fully aware of the nature of the trip, what they should gain from it and what will be expected of them
Arrangements will be made to include participation of students with disabilities and special needs, so far as is practicable and without putting them or other participants at risk.

Parents

The school will advise parents well in advance by letter of any trip involving their child(ren) which will start and finish wholly within one school day
For trips longer than the school day, or for a trip where participants have to be collected from a venue other than the school, the school will ask parents to give written consent for their child(ren) to participate
For all trips involving at least one overnight stay, a medical/consent form (disclosing all known existing conditions) will be required, signed by the parent of each participant
We will ensure that parents have all relevant information regarding a trip, including details for making contact in case of an emergency

Parents will be encouraged to:

Take an interest in the destination of the trip and find out more about it with their child(ren)
Impress upon their child(ren) the importance of following instructions and rules for the trip so that they maximise the benefit and enjoyment while minimising any risk
Ensure that they follow all joining instructions and, where appropriate, ensure that their child(ren) has/have a currently valid passport, EHIC and spending money/foreign currency.

Travel and accommodation

Where travel and/or accommodation is provided by a third party, we will only use reputable companies (e.g. ABTA/ATOL bonded)
Third party providers of activities are required to provide their evidence of their licence to operate and their own safety procedures
A member of staff will be appointed as home contact for each overnight trip

Financial and insurance arrangements

We will seek to make sure that all trips are adequately funded and provide good value for money by a range of measures including:

Approval at an early stage of a detailed cost plan
Agreeing the minimum and maximum number of participants for the trip’s viability
Ensuring that all aspects of the trip are appropriately funded, including a contingency sum to cover unforeseen events or emergencies
On extended trips, ensuring that staff have access to funds while away.
Where parents are required to meet or contribute to the cost of the trip, they will receive clear details of the costs and when payments are required. Where a deposit is non-returnable, that will be made clear at the time payment is requested.
The King Alfred School will hold a block insurance policy which covers all the kinds of trips we will organise, details of which can be provided on request. For some pre-existing medical conditions insurance cover is not provided under the school’s block insurance policy. In these circumstances parents will be asked to provide their own specific insurance cover. Some expeditions, such as World Challenge, require special insurance, which is included in the charge for the expedition.

Following a Trip

All staff involved in the trip will be required to destroy all the personal details for participants which they have carried during the trip
The head teacher will receive feedback from trip leaders and reviews the annual programme of trips, updates the trips approval procedure as necessary and seeks to ensure that staff planning future trips learn from experience of previous trips and, if necessary, adjust their plans accordingly.

This Policy will be reviewed as above and at least annually.

The King Alfred School

October 2023

C Gamble

Reviewed informally after every visit

Next formal Review due: October 2024

English as an Additional Language Policy

English as an Additional Language (EAL) Policy

The King Alfred School is committed to Equal Opportunities and recognises the importance of making provision for children who have English as a second or additional language (EAL).

Aims

Provide appropriate support to enable pupils with EAL to get the help they need to access the curriculum and assessment.
Work alongside parents and other agencies to help children progress.

Assessment

Students with EAL will be assessed upon entry to the school. Where available, detailed information will be sought from the child’s previous school. Where appropriate, a TEFL-trained teacher will be used to give focused individual support in English. Parents/carers will be asked to contribute to the cost of this support.

Integration

Students with EAL will be immersed in the full range of activities within the curriculum, school life such as assemblies, excursions, plays/performances and in extra-curricular activities. This will encourage rapid acquisition of language. Class teachers will monitor these students socially to ensure that they have the chance to learn English through normal play and social interaction with their peers.

Monitoring & Partnership

The school will work closely with parents and other agencies and will review progress for every child with EAL at least half-termly.

Reviewed: September 2023

K Patla

e-Safety policy

e-Safety Policy

This policy operates in conjunction with the Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy and the Behaviour Policy. There are also a number of documents and resources that are used to support this policy’s implementation (please see the Annex).

Low-tech Stance

The King Alfred School prides itself in operating as a low-tech school where technology use is intentionally limited. Interactive whiteboards and handheld devices such as tablets are not used as resources by teachers or students. Some digital technology and electronical tools are sometimes used as recording equipment, speaker systems, etc. where it is necessary and appropriate to do so such as for capturing learning with photographs, playing music for Music lessons.

One of our primary goals at The King Alfred School is to educate our students in their cultural and academic inheritance and cultivate a wide range of skills and interests. Technology is not a vital component in achieving this and the same can be accomplished without. We believe in the importance of fostering skills and intelligence that separates humans from technology – the ability to think independently and creatively, problem solve, make important decisions and use social intelligence in communicating with others, collaborating, empathising and forming positive relationships. In line with our school values of pursuing and appreciating Truth, Goodness and Beauty, we know that knowledge and understanding through human experience, creativity and imagination outweighs any attained through means of artificial intelligence.

In the same way, a good maths curriculum teaches the skills to first master calculating with written methods and mental strategies before introducing the use of a calculator, we believe technology ought to be the successor in a child’s learning journey. We believe that building our students’ prime skills will first enable them to successfully navigate the digital world with confidence and ease.

We are confident that are students, as with anyone, can become tech-fluent at any point in their childhood and even adulthood. In fact, with such a strong foundation in all other areas, both personally and academically, and as well-rounded individuals equipped with intelligence and virtue, they will apply responsibility and safety in their use of technology.

And so, with that being said, we recognise the pertinence for our (future) secondary-aged students to have a broad range of skills and experiences that will equip them for their lives post education. Therefore the curriculum for year groups Seven to Eleven will teach students skills in using technology within ICT lessons and within other subjects that provide appropriate opportunities to do so.

Purpose of this policy

Despite The King Alfred School’s low-tech stance, we recognise that being online is an integral part of many people’s daily life. In our ever-increasing digital world, our pupils are likely to be interacting with a variety of technologies on a daily basis outside of school, which includes not only internet technologies but also electronic communications via mobile phones, games consoles and wireless technology. Social media, online games, websites and apps can be accessed through mobile phones, computers, laptops, tablets and gaming devices – all of which form a part of many young people’s online world.

There are a number of potential risks that can place children in danger when using technology. The internet is predominately an unmanaged, open communications channel where anyone can publish and distribute information and material from all across the world and with little restriction. Some of this material on the internet is published for an adult audience that may be unsuitable and/or harmful for children.

Therefore, The King Alfred School e-Safety policy encompasses the safeguarding strategies needed to protect and educate pupils by ensuring that students are taught in a way that they are equipped, aware, responsible and safe when they are accessing online systems anywhere, anytime. It also works alongside the Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy to establish mechanisms to respond to any concerns staff may have about pupils and their online behaviour.

Potential risks

Online abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the internet, facilitated through technology like computers, tablets, mobile phones and other internet-enabled devices. It can happen anywhere online that allows digital communication, such as:

social networking websites and apps
text messages and messaging apps
email and private messaging
online chats
comments on live streaming sites
voice and/or text chat in games via websites, gaming devices/consoles and apps.

Current* potential risks and abuse children may face can include, but are not limited to:

content: being exposed to illegal, inappropriate, explicit or harmful content, for example: pornography, violence, drug and alcohol usage fake news, racism, misogyny, self-harm, suicide, anti-Semitism, radicalisation, and extremism.
contact: being subjected to harmful online interaction with other users; for example peer to peer pressure, commercial advertising and adults posing as children or young adults with the intention to groom or exploit them for sexual, criminal, financial or other purposes. Sexual abuse and exploitation can be in a variety of forms including grooming, sexting, including pressure or coercion to create and share sexual images. Perpetrators may use online platforms to build a trusting relationship with the child in order to abuse them. This abuse may happen online or the perpetrator may arrange to meet the child in person with the intention of abusing them.
conduct: online behaviour that increases the likelihood of, or causes, harm; for example, making, sending and receiving explicit images e.g. consensual and non-consensual sharing of nudes and semi-nudes and/or pornography, sharing other explicit images and online bullying including emotional blackmail such as pressure to comply with sexual requests via technology. Children can be revictimised (experience further abuse) when abusive content is recorded, uploaded or shared by others online. This can happen if the original abuse happened online or offline.
commerce: risks such as online gambling, inappropriate advertising, phishing and or financial scams. If there are concerns that pupils or staff are at risk, it must be reported to the Anti-Phishing Working Group (https://apwg.org/). Viruses, hacking and computer security.

*The King Alfred School recognises that with the ever-changing technological world, new opportunities, challenges and risks are appearing all the time. This can make it difficult to stay up to date with the latest devices, platforms, apps, trends and related threats. The DSL will keep up to date with changes and adapt the policy and training needs as necessary.

School procedures

The King Alfred School recognises it has a dual responsibility to safeguard our pupils; firstly, by ensuring the school’s online procedures keep pupils safe:

The King Alfred School operates with low-tech usage in studies which decreases the risks children face whilst at school, providing a safe and secure environment. We currently have one password-protected computer in the older years class. All classes use the Yoto audio player to play music during music lessons to minimise the use of YouTube.
Staff are protected from potential risk in their use of technology in their everyday work as computers have filtering systems such as SafeSearch on Google Chrome and other search engines are enabled which block harmful and inappropriate content.
All staff and volunteers agree to be responsible users and stay safe while using the internet and other communications technologies for educational and professional use only.
All staff and volunteers are vigilant in ensuring pupils do not have unmonitored access to the school computers, keeping passwords protected.

Secondly, The King Alfred School is diligent in educating our pupils so that they are aware, responsible and safe when they are accessing online systems in and outside of school. This can be seen through a whole-school approach both in classrooms and in the wider school. As part of the statutory relationships and health education in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education in secondary schools, pupils are taught about online safety and harms.

This includes being taught:

what positive, healthy and respectful online relationships look like,
the effects of their online actions on others,
how to recognise and display respectful behaviour online.

There are also other curriculum subjects which include content relevant to teaching pupils how to use the internet safely. For example, sessions that teach British Values and citizenship explores:

freedom of speech,
the role and responsibility of the media in informing and shaping public opinion,
the concept of democracy, freedom, rights, and responsibilities.

Throughout these subjects, class teachers will address online safety and appropriate behaviour in an age-appropriate way, with progression in the content to reflect the different and escalating risks that pupils face, that is relevant to their pupils’ lives. This includes:

how to use technology safely, responsibly, respectfully and securely,
how to evaluate and analyse content online including recognising persuasive techniques and forms of manipulation,
where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies.

Planning for e-Safety Awareness:

Class teachers should plan sufficient opportunities for pupils to be taught and apply specific skills in understanding potential risks they may face online and how to use technology safely and responsibly.
Opportunities to deliver e-Safety awareness are incorporated within the whole school assembly plans by the DSL.

Delivering e-Safety - lessons/activities should:

incorporate education about the potential risks and harmful online behaviours (at age-related pitch and suitability) as well as clear guidance on how to manage such risks and report breaches of e-Safety.
emphasise ways to develop safe, conscientious online behaviours that promote pupils as confident, responsible users anytime, anywhere.
teach pupils to develop critical skills to access online systems that do not compromise the safety and security of themselves and that of others.

Embedding e-Safety:

The ethos of a ‘listening and talking’ school is communicated to pupils so that they are encouraged and feel safe to report any e-Safety violation, whether they are victims or bystanders, to a member of staff.
Opportunities to deliver e-Safety awareness should be interwoven in whole school situations where possible such as school assemblies, family assemblies, parent workshops, etc.
Any appropriate and useful advice and support materials will be distributed to parents/guardians to support families in consolidating e-Safety practice at home.

Roles and responsibilities

It is the responsibly of all staff to ensure that they use communications technology, and the internet safely and responsibly.
Class teachers are responsible for planning for and delivering e-Safety awareness in their medium-term plans.
The staff member who has encountered an e-Safety violation will investigate and report it to the Designated Safeguarding Leader: Mrs Charmian Gamble dependent on nature of the breach.
The Designated Safeguarding Leader is responsible for investigating incidents after they have been reported.
e-Safety training is an essential element of staff induction and part of an on-going CPD programme, delivered at least once annually.
It is the responsibility of the Designated Safeguarding Leader to review and update this policy annually.

The rapid development and accessibility of the internet and new technologies, such as personal publishing and social networking, means that e-Safety is an ever-growing and changing area of interest and concern. Therefore, the Designated Safeguarding Leader is responsible for refreshing their knowledge and skills and keeping up to date with any changes, editing and updating this policy and arranging training and/or support for staff where needed.

Supporting families

The King Alfred School is committed to proactively engaging our parents and families to promote and agree on principles of online safety. Therefore, in line with our parental agreement, the school requires at least one parent/adult member of each family to attend one of our Tech Talks which helps to educate families on the increasing digital world with its current trends and challenges, and strategies to reduce these risks and prevent harm. This Tech Talk also provides families with the opportunity to learn more about the school’s stance on technology, the strategies for safeguarding children and the expectations for parents’ responsibility in managing their child’s online behaviour outside of school.

Reviewed and updated: November 2023

Mrs K Patla

Annex

Related guidance is available on:

relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education
national curriculum in England computing programmes of study
national curriculum in England citizenship programmes of study
keeping children safe in education
behaviour in schools
searching, screening and confiscation at school

Support and resources are also available from:

CEOP Thinkuknow Programme
NCA’s Click CEOP
National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE)
UK Council for Internet Safety
Education for a Connected World

Advice from national organisations:

Anti-Bullying Alliance
Association for Citizenship Teaching
Childnet
The Diana Award
DotCom Charity
Hopes and Streams
Internet Matters
Internet Watch Foundation
NSPCC learning
Parent Zone’s school resources
PSHE Association
SWGfL
UK Safer Internet Centre
Parent Zone

Students can be referred to the following national organisations for support:

BBC Own It
Childline

Fire Safety Policy

Fire Safety Policy

This policy is created to ensure all members of staff including visitors and contractors know what The King Alfred Schools’ fire procedure is and know how to act in the event of a fire. The Fire Safety Policy is promulgated to the entire school community.

All staff will have annual fire safety training. This training will take place on the first teacher training day of every new school year. The training involves staff knowing what the policy and procedures are according to the EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN. New staff members receive fire safety training during their induction process.

As a school we recognise and accept our responsibilities as employers to comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) and DfE guidance ‘Health & Safety: Advice on Legal Duties and Powers to: a. Assess the risks posed by fire to the Health and Safety of their employees and to anyone else who may be affected by their activities; and b. To eliminate those risks, so far as reasonably practicable, or to otherwise reduce those risks to a tolerable level. On a day to day basis, the responsibility for ensuring that these duties are undertaken will be delegated to individuals within the school (see organizational responsibilities below). The Board of Directors recognises and acknowledges its responsibility to take general precautions to protect the safety, so far as reasonably practicable, of its employees and anyone else potentially affected by its undertaking, against fire and dangerous substances which could give rise to fire and the effects of fire. All staff and school governors need to be aware through induction and annual training of The King Alfred School Fire Risk Assessment (Red Folder) that has a comprehensive break down conducted by Delta Fire services of our school site.

The following are the 3 Key documents all staff must be aware of and have regard for:

Fire Safety Policy
Emergency Action plan (evacuation plan)
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) order 2005 Fire Risk Assessment

Please note: all staff must be trained on these during induction and complete below test when commencing employment at The King Alfred School.

Roles and responsibilities:

Duty	Who’s responsible	How Often and action
Fire officer (competent person to carry out preventative measures and to lead emergency action (evacuation plan)	Head or most senior member of staff in school.	Preventative measures ongoing Once a term fire drill If there is a real fire
Risk assessment training to staff	Head or staff induction team member	Annually to staff and each time a new staff member starts employment
Consult employees of preventative measures in place	Head or staff induction team member	Annually to staff and each time a new staff member starts employment
Visitors and Contractors on site	Reception Staff	Each time a visitor or contractor arrives on site they must see, understand and sign Emergency Action Plan
Children and parents aware of fire procedures	Head and admin team	Children receive a fire drill each term, school website updated each year with policies reviewed. All new parents and pupils receive policy information with fire protocol information.
Dangerous substances	Head teacher/operations manager plus all staff	Ongoing – keep all dangerous substances in locked metal cabinet located in staffroom labeled COSHH and fill in data sheet
Contacting emergency services/ sound alarm/registers	Head or most senior member of staff in school. Head or office staff to bring entire school registers out.	Call them from school phone or mobile. Sound alarm (any staff member that spots a fire). Inform services of dangerous substances. Head calls register.
Training	Head/operations manager, induction staff and governors.	All staff to have annual fire training with knowledge of Fire Policy, risk assessment and emergency action plan. All new staff to have fire training during induction.
Maintenance of firefighting equipment, lighting	Head/operations manager and governors, Delta fire services	Annual check for services and repairs and upgrading in line with new legislation. Annual checks by Chubb and Delta fire services.
General care and identification of risk	All staff	To bring to the attention of operations manager anything that has been identified that may pose a potential risk of fire
Daily Check	Operations manager to follow up with governors	Daily building check to include fire awareness and identification in safety book to take to governors meeting to raise on health and safety matters.

February 2021

This policy is reviewed annually

Reviewed and updated: June 2023

Mrs. K Patla

Fire Safety Policy Test

What 3 key documents must you know in regards to fire safety?
Where is our assembly point?
What must all visitors and school contractors see, understand and sign when they arrive in reception?
Where are dangerous substances kept?
Who brings out the register?
Who sounds the alarm?
When should my fire training take place?

First Aid Policy

FIRST AID POLICY

Health and Safety legislation (First Aid Regulations 1981) places duties on employers in respect of the health and safety of their employees and anyone else on their premises. The King Alfred School recognises its responsibility for the timely and competent provision of first aid facilities for all students, staff and any visitors while on site.

The King Alfred School will ensure that arrangements are in place:

To provide adequate first aid cover in school, within the competence of the staff trained to provide it.
For taking the appropriate action where further treatment or advice is needed, including the circumstances where an ambulance should be called.
For informing parents, teachers and other appropriate persons of the action taken.
Where appropriate, for following up and monitoring progress after treatment.
For proper and confidential recording of treatment given and action taken.
To make the above provision available to all students, staff and visitors.

To this end the school will provide:

An adequate number of staff with valid first aid qualifications within school and on each school site when students are present (including ensuring that update training is provided as necessary). Whilst the school is small (i.e. under 100 pupils), this means in effect that all teachers and support staff will be first aiders.
As the school grows, School Nurse will be sought who will also be available to students and staff for consultation; co-ordinate arrangements for students with particular conditions (e.g. allergies, asthma and epilepsy); liaise with parents as necessary regarding medical matters, including following up injuries; oversee use of accident books and reporting of accidents and incidents (including, where appropriate reporting under RIDDOR) and maintain associated records; and complete care plans detailing arrangements for students with long term medical conditions such as asthma, epilepsy or diabetes.
In particular training in first aid for all teachers and staff supervising PE and trips and excursions.
Lists displayed at key locations in the school giving the names of qualified first aid staff.
Facilities for the provision of first aid, including medical rooms, first aid boxes within school and first aid kits for activities outside school.
Information on health and safety noticeboards regarding the names of qualified first-aiders and location of first aid equipment (medical room with first aid point to be clearly displayed).
In circumstances where a pupil needs to be taken to hospital immediately by ambulance and a parent is not available to accompany him/her, a member of school staff to go to the hospital to await the arrival of the parent.
Robust arrangements so that contact details for a pupil or member of staff are available in case of an incident, whether within school or not.

Staff qualified to provide first aid will:

Provide immediate care until further assistance is available.
Assess whether further assistance is required and if appropriate seek it (e.g. call an ambulance).
Arrange with office administrators to inform parents (in the case of a pupil)or other adult in the case of a member of staff or adult visitor.
If the incident is outside school and/or outside school hours, inform the parents or responsible adult directly.

First aid equipment and supplies will only be used or administered by qualified first aid staff, in accordance with the instructions for their safe use. For the purposes of this policy, a member of staff is deemed to be qualified to administer first aid if he/she has a valid Practical First Aid certificate issued by a recognised body (e.g. St John Ambulance or British Red Cross). Arrangements for the provision of first aid will be considered in the risk assessment for all sports and adventure activities.

Reviewed and updated: September 2023

Mrs. K Patla

Food and Drink Policy

Food and Drink Policy

The King Alfred School is committed to supporting the long-term health of students in mind, body, and soul, and our food and drink policy is designed to help foster healthy habits that will serve the student into adulthood. As a small school we do not currently offer a hot meal every day but provide the option for students to have hot meals twice a week. Please send your child with a packed lunch and a snack each day.

Drinks

Please send your child with their own water bottle, filled with water. Squash and/or juice should not be sent to school in the water bottle. Children will be offered water at school and can refill their water bottle during the day whenever it is needed.

Snack Time

All students will be given the opportunity to eat a healthy mid-morning snack at 10:30am. Please pack a fresh fruit or vegetable separately from your child’s lunch that they may enjoy for this morning snack; either in their school backpack or in a separate container. Younger students (Nursery/Reception/Year 1) will also be given the opportunity to eat a healthy mid-afternoon snack with their milk at 2:15pm - it is your choice if you wish to provide another fresh fruit or vegetable snack for this time but it is highly recommended to see them through to the end of the school day. We do not recommend dried fruit for snacks.

PLEASE NOTE: we are now a nut free school and so we request that your child does notbring any nuts or products that contain nuts (including nut butters) into school.

Examples of a suitable snack:

whole fruit such as orange, banana, apple, peach, nectarine, or pear
grapes (should be cut in half lengthways for those age five and younger)
berries, such as blueberries, blackberries, or strawberries
cucumber slices
carrot or celery sticks
sugar snap peas
bell pepper slices

Lunch

Please pack a healthy lunch that includes at least one fresh fruit or vegetable, and a main source of protein.

Main source of protein and energy: Most students will bring a sandwich as their main meal. Consider whether your child’s lunch contains a source of protein which will help provide them with sustained energy over the course of the afternoon. This might be meat or cheese in their sandwich, a boiled egg, or a yoghurt. Consider using wholemeal bread for sandwiches, as this contains protein, while white bread does not. Students who eat a lunch which contains a high number of carbohydrates without protein tend to crash in the afternoon and struggle to maintain focus while learning after lunch.

Additional snacks: We recommend supplementing your child’s lunch with additional fruits and vegetables, or foods that will provide energy throughout the afternoon such as yoghurt, cheese, or a fruit and yoghurt drink. Processed foods should be limited to no more than one item in the lunch bag. This includes foods such as crisps, sweets, crackers, biscuits, cereal bars, etc. With the long-term eating habits of your child in mind, students should not have sweets in their lunch more than two times during the week. This includes sweets, chocolates, biscuits, puddings, jellies, pastries, etc.

Warm lunches: Students are welcome to bring warm food in a thermos, especially during the cold months. Please send all the cutlery necessary for a warm lunch. We cannot warm food for students.

Healthy lunch ideas and suggestions:

Main:

Grains (sandwiches/wraps/rolls/bagels/pitta/etc.) filled with:

cheese, meats, or fish
houmous

Cooked food (hot or cold):

pasta, rice (plain or with vegetables, meat, sauce, etc.)
egg (frittatas, muffins, omelette, etc.)
soup, stew, etc. (can be kept in thermal container to keep warm)
pastry
beans/legumes, falafel

Sides:

protein: eggs, cheese, Greek yoghurt
fruit
vegetables

Extras:

crackers or bread sticks with spread/dip
crisps/popcorn/tortilla chips
healthy baked good or pudding: banana bread, chia pudding, malt loaf, muffin, overnight oats, pancakes, rice pudding, etc.

Created: January 2022

Mrs. J. Hodge

Reviewed: June 2023

Mrs. K. Patla

Health and Safety Policy

Health and Safety Policy

Statement of Intent

The policy of The King Alfred School is to maintain safe and healthy working conditions at the school for all staff, pupils and visitors. The allocation of duties for safety matters and the particular arrangements made to implement the policy are set out in this document. An annual review of the policy will take place. The Policy will be kept under constant review.

Responsibilities

The School Board

The Board is responsible for monitoring and reviewing the Health and Safety Policy of the school as and when necessary. Health and safety is an agenda item at every meeting with the school board where they will prepare a review of incidents, developments etc. related to health and safety since the last meeting. The School Board will, when appropriate, make recommendations relating to health and safety.

The Operations Manager

Overall responsibility for the detailed health and safety arrangements within the school lies with the Operations Manager (who is the headteacher) and in their absence, with the most senior member of staff present. It is the Operations Manager’s responsibility to ensure compliance with Health and Safety legislation.

Staff

All staff have the responsibility to work together to achieve a healthy and safe workplace and to take reasonable care of themselves and others. Whenever a member of staff notices a health and safety problem this should be drawn to the attention of the Operations Manager immediately who will record it in the Health and safety log book.

Procedures

Fire Safety

The Lake Street building has been subject to recent high-quality refurbishment and has all necessary professionally conducted fire safety checks completed. The building has recently upgraded fire doors to conform to latest fire safety legislation. The building is on one level and has many evacuation points. All exits are marked and kept free of obstructions. There are four fire extinguishers, one electrical extinguisher and a fire blanket in the school and an extinguisher and blanket in the kitchen (which will be out of bounds). Their location is marked with a red fire sticker. Fire safety equipment is checked regularly by external contractors and records of their visit are kept. The Operations Manager checks the fire alarm on a regular basis. Fire practices are held every term and are recorded in the fire practice book. In the event of a fire, all staff and pupils congregate in the designated assembly area (playground). Named staff are responsible for checking toilets. It is the responsibility of the Operations Manager to call the fire brigade. The school administrator or in her absence, the headteacher, will take the registers out to teachers for roll call. Arrangements in the event of fire are set out in the school’s Fire Plan. Our new entry system features push to override points in the event of a fire.

Accidents

We have a first aid point in the staffroom/medical room this area is clearly signed to identify this as the area to go if someone needs medical attention, the medical room features a medical point which includes x1 first aid box, x1 burns kit, x1 eyewash station, x1 bio hazard kit (all items are British Standard compliant). The school also has an additional first aid bag located by the medical point that is used for trips or if a transportable bag is needed or if medical attention is needed away from the office e.g. in the playground. All accidents are recorded and monitored in the accident book located next to the medical point. All staff will undertake Ofsted recognised pediatric training. (Newly-appointed staff who do not hold such a certificate will receive training within their first term at the school). Notifiable accidents and incidents are recorded and passed on as appropriate. Additional information can be found in the school’s First Aid Policy.

An accident book is used with a duplicate, and original copies of accident reports are given to parents, while duplicate copies are kept at school. These accident reports are checked each half term for trends of accidents and this data is placed before the School Board at each of its meetings. When children have a bump on the head, parents are called and informed. If deemed necessary, they will collect their child from school. Parents are given information about possible symptoms of concussion.

Plastic, disposable gloves are available in each first aid box and staff are advised to use these when dealing with bleeding or other cases of body fluids. If there is an emergency situation, an ambulance should be called to transport a pupil to hospital. Wherever possible, the parent should accompany their child. If this is not possible, the pupil is accompanied by two members of staff. In a non-emergency situation, staff can transport a pupil if accompanied by another adult, but should ensure they have correct insurance cover, otherwise a taxi must be used.

Reporting Hazards

All staff are responsible for reporting hazards. It is then the Operations Manager’s responsibility to follow up reports. The School Board monitors the action taken to remedy hazards.

Electrical Safety

Electrical equipment used within the school is numbered and logged. All staff are expected to visually check equipment before use and report damage and remove from the area with a notice saying “Faulty: Do Not Use”. In addition, a risk assessment is carried out by an electrician who PAT tests equipment on an annual basis, appliances are tested in accordance with legislation by a contractor and a certificate held listing all tested and serviceable equipment.

Staff should note that particular care needs to be taken with extension leads, to avoid trailing wires. No electrical equipment should be introduced into school from home without the prior agreement of the Principal.

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations

Any substances marked as dangerous must not be left in classrooms. Staff should check that instructions are followed when using any such substances. The cleaning cupboard is locked during the day and the key kept in the Reception office. Staff should note that the use of chemicals in science should be checked with the Operations Manager who will seek specialist advice where needed.

Staff must inform the Operations Manager of any additional potential COSHH items that have been brought into school other than those on the list.

Equipment

It is the responsibility of all staff to ensure that equipment is in good working order and is stored safely. Any faulty equipment should be withdrawn from use and reported to the Operations Manager with a note saying “Faulty: Do Not Use”. The following points about equipment should be noted:

Staple guns are not to be used by pupils and must always be stored in a drawer when not in use.
Step ladders are kept in school. The condition is checked during health and safety inspections. Teachers and helpers are advised to use ladders and not chairs when displaying work.
P.E equipment will be inspected annually by the Operations Manager, certain specialist P.E equipment if obtained will be checked by an outside contractor. Records are kept of these inspections.
When the kitchen is used by staff or for cooking lessons, the kitchen risk assessment will be followed at all times.

Health and Hygiene

Notifiable and Infectious Diseases

The school will notify UKHSA and give advice to parents about appropriate exclusion times for infectious diseases based on government advice to be found here:

https://khub.net/documents/135939561/735696704/HPECS+guidance+Exclusion+table.pdf/7829f6cb-6040-c703-b938-fb764683aaec

Medicines

The school will not administer medicine except in the case of chronic illness after discussion with parents. A medical care plan is then drawn up in conjunction with the headteacher. In general, only inhalers and epipens are kept in school. Inhalers, which musts be labelled with the child’s name, will be kept in the child’s classroom in an inhaler box. Epipens are kept in the first aid box in the office.

Smoking

Smoking is not allowed in or around the school grounds (this includes e cigarettes).

Hygiene

It is the responsibility of classroom teachers, liaising with the cleaners, to keep their rooms in a hygienic condition. The Operations Manager will monitor the cleanliness of the building as part of the weekly visual inspection.

All staff are responsible for encouraging good hygiene habits in the children. Particular emphasis is placed on hand washing.

Animals in School

There will be no school pets kept on the school site. No dogs are allowed in the school grounds, including on the car park. Animals may be permitted in school as part of a curriculum activity, such as an animal handler visiting to show animals to the pupils. A risk assessment will then be written and followed for the visit.

Outdoor Visits

Trips and visits are a vital part of school life and will take place regularly. Any outdoor visit is carefully researched and preliminary visit made by the teacher. Appropriate risk assessments must be completed by relevant staff and be approved by the Headteacher before any trip or outing takes place. The school uses a standard risk assessment template.

It is the duty of the lead teacher to ensure that the risk assessment is followed, and that all helpers and children are fully briefed about the visit and the expectations for behaviour. Parental consent for the visit is always sought.

When residential visits are organized, parents are invited into school to discuss the visit in detail.

Security

All staff and pupils are encouraged to be aware of strangers on the premises. All visitors must check in at reception and be issued with a visitors’ lanyard. Visitors may only enter the school by the school Reception door (the main doors to the church building will be locked at all times during school hours). Outside doors at the school are closed once pupils have left the premises. Pushpads, keypads, door fobs and intercom systems on doors prevent entry. Staff who remain in school late are advised to ensure that doors are locked and the door system is switched on. If an unknown person is found on site by any member of staff, they must request their identification, and if they do not have a visitor lanyard, escort them to the office. In the event of anything suspicious or if a pupil or a teacher is at risk of injury, then a message for assistance ‘code red’ will be sent via a pupil to the Headteacher and they will act appropriately (a code red denotes an emergency; a code green means assistance is required). Any act of violence or abuse towards a member of staff must be reported to the Headteacher, who will take the appropriate action. Further notes can be found in our security policy.

Contractors

All contractors are expected to report their arrival and departure to the reception office staff and sign in before commencing work. If they are working in an unsafe manner, they will be requested to stop work by the Headteacher.

Staff and the Health and Safety Policy

All staff, teaching and non-teaching, are given a copy of the policy. New staff are given a copy and are required to confirm they have read it. The Headteacher will be responsible for ensuring that supply staff are briefed on the policy before beginning work at the school.

Training

Staff will attend health and safety courses as appropriate.

A reminder of this policy will form part of the annual staff training days before the start of the school year.

General Building Security

The boundary of the school is clearly defined
The school has an intruder alarm which is part of the landlord's system
The alarm system is set only by the Headteacher, building caretaker, Deputy Head or School Administrator
The alarm system is regularly maintained by the contractor.

. The school has three newly installed security cameras that are located at the front of the door entry points to the school. These are checked weekly.

The key holders for the school are controlled. The Headteacher, school directors, classroom teachers and the school administrators will be registered key holders. In addition, given the nature of the building, a number of church staff are also key holders.
Access to the building during school hours is restricted by the use of push pads, fob entry systems on doors and keypad locks on external gates. The school has an added security measure which includes a visual and audio system that is located in the school office that shows all visitors on screen as they approach reception and cameras show live footage of each entrance point. This system is checked weekly.
Visitors may only use the reception door.
Staff will always challenge strangers and ask for identification.
Church staff (other than those designated as also working for school) will have no access to the school site during school hours.

Equipment/Money

Computer equipment is kept in classrooms and the office. It is security marked and records are kept of serial numbers.
Staff can keep valuables in the office if they wish, which is usually manned.
Cash holdings are kept to a minimum
Cash is counted with the front door locked. Money is not left unattended
The timing of bank visits is varied

Please complete Health and Safety Policy Self-Assessment Check List on the next page.

Health and Safety Policy Self-Assessment Check List

To be completed by all staff following induction and each year during staff training in September

Have I got a copy of the Schools Health and Safety Policy? Yes/No

Do I know how to report an accident?

Do I know where the accident book is kept?

Do I know what the fire drill is?

Have I been made aware of any workplace hazards?

Do I know who to inform about any faulty equipment or anything which may cause injury?

Do I understand my responsibility towards health and safety

Am I aware of the safety policy regarding doors?

Do I know what to do if I encounter a stranger in the school building?

Do I understand the school’s Red/Green callout system?

Do I understand the school’s Medicines Policy as set out in the H&S policy?

Do I believe that the school is a safe place for pupils and staff?

If you have answered “no” to any of the above questions, it is your responsibility to follow the matter up with the Operations Manager. Please be honest: the health and safety of everyone in school, especially pupils, could not be more important and your role is crucial in achieving this. As a member of staff, you are often best placed to spot issues. Any concerns you have will be taken seriously.

Name:

Signed:

Date:

Intimate Care Policy

Intimate Care Policy

This policy is designed to protect staff and those children who require intimate care.

Intimate Care is any care which involves washing, touching or carrying out an invasive procedure that most children carry out for themselves but which some are unable to do due to physical disability, special educational needs associated with learning difficulties, medical needs or needs arising from the child’s stage of development. Care may involve help with drinking, eating, dressing and toileting. In most cases intimate care will involve procedures to do with personal hygiene and the cleaning of equipment associated with the process.

The key points of the policy are as follows:

Clear processes and guidance in intimate care will be highlighted to all staff, particularly during induction training. Intimate care arrangements will where possible be discussed and agreed by parents
New staff will be given every opportunity by their manager to discuss this policy and raise any concerns they might have
No student, visitor or work experience student will ever be responsible for the intimate care of any child
The disabled toilet will be the “hygiene room” for the purposes of this policy (or, if necessary, the nearest toilet).
At least two members of staff must be present in all instances of intimate care being given, with one of them preferably being of the same gender. Where possible, pairs of staff should be mixed up from time to time rather than remaining as a regular pair for these purposes
This policy will only be changed to meet the needs of individual pupils or of the staff as a whole and will not be adapted for any individual staff member
Each time a pupil receives intimate care, this must be documented and recorded and signed by both staff present
Staff must report, in confidence, to a senior member of staff if they have concerns about the way intimate care is being administered by another member of staff

If a child needs help with changing their clothes, for example if they have spilled something on themselves, or vomited, but this does not fall under the category of intimate care as outer clothes only are being changed, a member of staff will encourage the child to change themselves, offering help where needed. If the child is changing in a toilet, they will have the privacy of their own cubicle. Outer doors of toilets are always open for safeguarding purposes, so that the adult helping the child to change is visible to other adults in the building.

If a senior child (year 7+) needed to change clothes for intimate care reasons, they would be advised to deal with the situation themselves, and there is a shower available should it be needed. A member of staff of the same sex would be at hand if required (keeping a sensible distance). If an older child needed help with intimate care, the above processes should be observed, and the procedure would be discussed with parents. In the case of senior children, staff of the same gender as the child should be deployed to help.

July 2021

Reviewed: November 2023

Next review: November 2024

Marking Policy

No Marking Policy

Marking seeks to provide students with feedback and guidance regarding their learning outcome by outlining their next steps to improve and make progress. The King Alfred School holds the view that this form of feedback is most effective when delivered as an instant, verbal response. This means that students can efficiently rectify mistakes that are taking place there and then rather than at a later date. It also provides the opportunity for the teacher and student to have a conversation where the student can ask questions to gain further understanding and/or the teacher is able to explain further to clear misconceptions or demonstrate criteria for making progress. Our small class sizes enable this to take place well.

We expect teachers to simply grade subject work each week using the number system that corresponds with termly reports 1-4 (1 = Excellent 2 = Good 3 = Satisfactory 4= Requires improvement). A 1-4 grade is to be given for attainment and for effort. These figures are recorded in teachers' mark books (see an example at the end of this policy) for individual subjects to assist with end of term assessment and reporting using the Pupil Performance Trackers.

The only time the school encourages written feedback is if a student produces an exceptional piece of work that deserves recognition. Feedback on detailed pieces of work such as project work, written outcomes, etc. can be provided outside of the lesson but before the student is to continue or make any improvements if necessary. If such a piece of work is particularly impressive, a student will receive a comment, a mastery stamp or both.

The King Alfred School is committed to ensuring our teachers’ time is spent on effective lesson planning and delivery. We see no positive impact in detailed marking for the student if feedback is not given at the point of learning. We take a strict stance on marking with the intention that teachers can make a note of common errors occurring so that they can adapt lessons quickly according to how students are performing. We feel this will ensure that work is pitched suitably and demonstrates adaptive practice. This approach is completely in the interest of the learner and their ability to succeed in the classroom.

This policy in practice

As part of good teaching and learning, effective whole class and individual feedback needs to be applied throughout a lesson. Teachers are expected to take time to check for understanding before students are set off on task and to check for understanding early on by checking work live and by providing instant feedback.

The key element to our ‘no marking’ policy is to start with the assumption that all students can work independently if given effective prior input. We increase the amount of intervention if the student requires it. We give students take up time to allow them to employ strategies to work independently and ensure they are thinking of ways to improve their work.

Just as in the triangle on the final page, for most students the teacher input at the beginning of the lesson will be enough. Some may need a gentle prompt – a nudge in the right direction, some might need more guidance, and some might require further support.

Reviewed and updated: September 2023

K Patla

An example of a “Mark Book” teachers may use to record weekly attainment grades:

Michaelmas 2 31^st Oct.-16^th Dec. 2022
Maths	Pupil 1	Pupil 2	Pupil 3	Pupil 4	Pupil 5	Pupil 6
Place value (tens and ones)	1	3	1	2	2	1
Number bonds to 10	1	2	2	2	1	1
Addition using a number line	1	2	1	3	2	2
subtraction using a number line	2	2	2	2	2	2
o’clock times	4	3	3	3	4	1

Teachers can input skills taught that week in the first row and use the next rows to record the attainment grade for each pupil based on their outcomes within that week.

This table works to support teachers in inputting data in a quick manageable way each week which in turn will support teachers in submitting accurate judgements when completing the termly Pupil Performance Trackers.

Missing Child Policy

Missing Child Policy

This policy will work alongside the Risk Assessment and Educational Visits Policy, where necessary. All staff must have a copy of this Policy at hand (e.g. on the wall close to their desk) at all times so that they are able to respond quickly and appropriately.

Preventative Measures

The King Alfred School holds the pupils’ safety and wellbeing as its highest priority. The King Alfred School is a secure site with secure boundaries and doors. Consequently, there are a limited number of situations where a child could go missing. Staff are also trained to be vigilant in ensuring measures are taken to reduce the risk of a child going missing. These measures include but are not limited to:

Ensuring all exits are secured upon entering/leaving the building. Doors with fob access are closed securely with both green lights showing.
Staff members on playground duty – during school arrival, and the morning, lunch and afternoon break times – ‘sweep’ the playground while children are lining up to ensure there are no children left outside. Class teachers collect their own class from the playground by checking all their pupils are in the line before going inside.
Following activities and times in between class-based lessons (returning from Worship/PE/Horticulture sessions, break times, using the toilets, etc.), all children line up outside of their classroom before being permitted to enter the classroom so teachers can account for their pupils and enquire where they are if missing.
Class teachers are vigilant in ensuring they know where their pupils are during lesson time – if children leave the classroom to attend lessons such as piano, phonics, etc. or if excused to use the toilets, the class teacher must be vigilant in recognising if the child has not returned on time. Pupils are reminded of school conduct that loitering during lesson time is not tolerated.
Handshakes at the gate during home time signals a handover to the parents and allows teachers to keep check of which children have gone home.

Procedures

In the event of a child becoming lost whilst in the care of the school, the procedures detailed below will be immediately put into place. These ensure that a systematic approach to finding the child is taken and consideration is given to the levels of risk.

We will ensure a search is made for the child as soon as we become aware that a child is missing. Parents and authorities will be notified at the appropriate stage (see below) and a high level of care will be maintained towards other children at the school whilst procedures are followed.

The class teacher and Headteacher will be alerted immediately.
Enquiries will be made of the relevant members of staff as to when the child was last seen and where.
If appropriate, enquiries will be made of the remaining children as to when the child was last seen and where.
The Headteacher will appoint a person or people to immediately carry out a thorough search of all rooms in all buildings and outside areas.
The remaining children will be gathered into one large group, e.g. for a story to ensure their security and well-being if necessary.
Doors and gates will be checked to see if there has been a breach of security enabling a child to leave the premises.
The signing-in log will immediately checked to ascertain who is on the school site.
If the child cannot be found within fifteen minutes, the parents and the police must be informed.
The search will continue, widening the area until the police arrive.
Staff will ensure the safety of the other children with regards to supervision and security whilst a search is taking place.

If a child goes missing from an offsite* trip/activity, where parents are not present, the following procedures will be followed:

As soon as it is noticed that a child is missing, staff on the outing will ask children to stand with their designated person and a headcount will be carried out to ensure that no other child has gone astray.
At any venue, the staff will contact the venue’s security team who will handle the search and contact the police if the child is not found.
One designated staff member will search the immediate vicinity whilst the other adults will supervise the remaining children.
The Headteacher will be informed as appropriate, if she is not present on the outing.
The Headteacher will make her way to the venue if necessary to aid the search and be the point of contact for the police as well as support staff.
Staff will take the remaining children back to the school.
The Headteacher will contact the child’s parents or carer and report the child missing to the police.

*Risk assessments and procedures prior to educational visits will be undertaken prior to offsite activities to minimise the risk of a child going missing. This policy must also be taken with the lead staff member of the offsite trip/activity.

When the Child is found

A member of staff will care for and talk with the child.
When the situation has been resolved, staff must review the reasons for it happening and implement measures to ensure that it does not happen again.
An incident form will be completed and signed by the parents and the Headteacher and the Governing Board will be informed.
Records of incidents will be filed securely by the Headteacher.

Reviewed and updated: November 2023

K Patla

Monitoring Teaching and Learning Policy

Monitoring of Teaching and Learning Policy

Every educational establishment has a responsibility to monitor the effectiveness of the service being provided so that every student can achieve his or her potential. At The King Alfred School we work continuously to assure the quality of teaching and learning provided is in line with the school’s goal of producing knowledgeable independent thinkers who strive for mastery. This document is designed to help teachers be mindful of the school’s overall aims and how to apply them in all areas of practice.

The process of monitoring teaching and learning starts with the examination of the following areas of a teachers’ practice:

Lesson observations: In order to assess the quality of teaching and learning, class teachers are observed by the Teaching and Learning Leader and/or Headteacher every term. The observer/s will examine the following areas:
- the teacher - delivery of lesson/instructions, quality of feedback given to pupils, standard of expectations, and behaviour management including the promotion of school’s virtues;
- the environment - use, accessibility and quality of resources to support learning, learning ethos reflecting the school’s virtues;
- the pupils - level of engagement in whole class, group and independent activities, demonstration of understanding instructions and expectations set, differentiated outcomes that reflect individual attainment/needs (and SEN provision where applicable), and quality of work produced. The observer will also gain feedback from a selection of pupils.

In preparation for a formal lesson observation, the teacher must complete a lesson plan using the school lesson plan template to submit to the staff member observing prior to the observation taking place. Teachers will receive feedback within one working day of the observation taking place. The observation will include a target for improvement agreed with the lesson observer. Should there be a cause for concern, drop in sessions will be conducted more frequently which will be explained to the teacher and done in a supportive manner. NQT staff will have observations in line with their mentor guidance framework.

“Book Looks”: Useful evidence of the quality of teaching and learning can also be found in the outcomes of pupils’ work. Therefore, each term, or half termly if necessary, the Teaching & Learning Leader will examine the following areas:
- evidence of curriculum coverage;
- outcomes of pupils’ work against both their age-related expectations and their individual attainment as well as evidence of progression across the term/year;
- teachers’ marking and written feedback in accordance with the marking policy;
- evidence of adherence to school policies and values (e.g. British handwriting and spelling, Twinkl phonics scheme, Maths calculations, etc.)
- the standard of presentation in pupil’s work.

This may be done in liaison with the Headteacher/s, the SENCo and/or class teacher. The sample of books required is dependent on the class size but a range of attainments will need to be provided to gain an overview of the whole class and assess differentiation. Following the scrutiny, strengths and areas for development including any targets will be fed back to the class teacher at Pupil Performance Meetings. Again, should there be a cause for concern, book looks may be conducted more frequently which will be explained to the teacher and done in a supportive manner.

Planning: Class teachers are required to upload their medium term (half termly) planning on the Shared Drive at the beginning of each half term. Plans for each term must reflect effective use of assessment of prior learning and line up with the end of year curriculum outcomes for all subjects taught. Leadership will be looking to find evidence that teachers are continually giving opportunities to stretch and challenge pupils and expect target setting to include whole class, groups and individuals. Therefore shorter term (weekly) plans must have consideration for all members of the class and show differentiation in accordance with the range of abilities, any SEN requirements (where applicable) and include extension activities for Gifted and Talented pupils. Weekly planning should be displayed clearly in a designated area of the classroom. Teachers are encouraged to use it as a working document and annotate as necessary/helpful but evidence of this is not required. (This is also particularly helpful in the event of an unexpected absence/need to cover lessons.)
Pupil Performance Meetings: before the end of each term, Pupil Performance Meetings will take place with the class teacher, Teaching and Learning Leader and the Headteacher/s (and SENCO where applicable). During the meeting, the attainment and progress of all pupils’ shown on Pupil Performance Trackers will be reviewed where the class teacher is then able to provide a more holistic overview of the data. This can offer valuable insight into any concerns for pupils in terms of their ability or progress which may generate a conversation regarding any challenges the pupil may be facing and provide the opportunity to explore for possible barriers such as SEN, wellbeing, external influences, etc. From this meeting an agreement can be made on targets/next steps based on the pupils’ individual needs and support can be allocated for the pupil and/or teacher where applicable.

Pupil Performance Trackers must be completed and submitted at the end of each term. (Exact dates are given to staff on the first teacher training day or after school meeting of the academic year.) This tracking strategy shows each pupils’ attainment and progression across the year from their baseline. To support this, teachers need to track progress next to outcomes on an ongoing basis to ensure they can give an accurate attainment grade at the end of each term. End of learning outcomes for subjects need to be displayed in classrooms for use by the teacher as well as for leadership monitoring.

Teachers can find details of the expectations and all things relevant to best practice in the following areas: lesson observation template, school assessment policy, staff roles and responsibilities document, school curriculum plans, behaviour policy, schools mission and vision, curriculum manuals and through staff training.

There is a teaching and learning timetable that all staff should familiarise themselves with at the start of the school year in order that they are aware of the requirements and can prepare fully.

In seeking to maintain standards and achieve continuous improvement, there are a number of processes we follow including:

School Improvement Plan: Regular leadership meetings allow for continuous feedback of the school’s activity and support in generating the content for the School’s Improvement Plan and establishing whole school priorities. During these meetings, members of the leadership team will share any relevant updates and discuss any feedback including strengths and areas for improvement within their area. Next steps can then be agreed upon by leadership and added to the SIP. The SIP is a working document that records the cyclical process of identifying areas for improvement, creating strategies to secure improvement, measuring the impact of the strategies and establishing next steps. It is the Teaching and Learning Leader’s responsibility to ensure the strategies are implemented, monitored and measured but it may be that a particular subject leader also shares this responsibility e.g. if reading standards are marked as requiring improvement, the English subject leader will share responsibility in implementing, monitoring and measuring the strategies.

Ongoing monitoring and responding is essential in the maintenance of the SIP. Measuring the impact of strategies allows the leader to determine their effectiveness and find alternatives where necessary to secure improvement. An example of this may be in analysing data following interventions and determining whether the interventions were successful or whether the pupil/s and/or teacher requires further support.

Data analysis: Whole school data provides an overview of the performance of pupils at The King Alfred School in their attainment and progress. Leadership will use the information to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of teaching and learning in line with the school’s curriculum goals. They may also make comparisons to schools locally and nationally. Analysis drawn helps the school to ensure all of our pupils are achieving and progressing to their best potential and can identify any groups that may require specific support and act on providing it.
Staff training and support: Individualised targets and next steps generated from the examination of teachers’ practice will be agreed upon with the class teacher and Leadership and structured support will be provided. This may be done internally such as in the form of other teachers sharing good practice through modelling lessons, joint planning with subject leaders or teachers demonstrating strong subject knowledge/practice, and/or training during one of the after school weekly meetings, etc. Or this may be done externally such as through specific training sessions, online training through National College membership, moderation with other schools, etc. CPD training will take place in the majority of weekly after school meetings which will be determined based on whole school needs identified in the monitoring process. All staff will receive a CPD meeting each year conducted by the Headteacher. Please note that if a teacher wants support improving practice in a particular area they can request further monitoring and mentoring.

Role and responsibilities of the Teaching and Learning Leader:

Observing lessons including completing observation records and providing feedback to the staff member that had been observed.
Carrying out Book Looks termly and providing feedback to individual staff members.
Leading termly (or half termly) Pupil Performance Meetings with all class teachers and creating next steps/improvement strategies following the meeting.
Timetabling the above events clearly on the whole school calendar so that all staff members are aware of dates and deadlines in a reasonable amount of time. These events should be timetabled at the beginning of each academic year but should the need for changes to dates occur, a minimum of 1 week notice should be given.
Conducting Learning Walks every half term to ensure the school environment meets the expectations set out in this policy and the school’s virtues.
Liaising with the Headteacher/s, SENCo, subject leaders and other relevant members of staff.
Analysing whole school data, writing reports and creating strategies that support in improving the standards and progress of all pupils/groups across the school.
Supporting staff members with receiving support/training to improve their teaching and learning. This includes leading whole school training sessions and facilitating individual training to meet the needs of teachers based on feedback from observations, Book Looks and Pupil Performance Meetings. This also includes supporting teachers with planning where appropriate.
Attending all necessary leadership meetings and contributing regularly to the SIP.
Keeping up to date with changes and developments within school, locally and nationally that are necessary to their role and undertaking relevant training for continual development.
Write, review, and update all relevant policies and supporting documents as needed.

Reviewed and updated: September 2023

Mrs. K. Patla

Photography Policy

Photography Policy

This policy covers all photography taken in school, on school trips or at school events. It is based on guidance provided by the Information Commissioner’s Office, the Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) which came into force in 2018.

For the purposes of this Policy, the word “photograph” includes any kind of still or moving image with or without sound and whether stored/transmitted electronically or as hard copy. Where the Act does apply, a common-sense approach suggests that the photographer asks for permission to take a photograph, which will usually be enough to ensure compliance.

The regulations will always guide our actions in this area - although it is hoped that common sense and goodwill will be applied by all parties. It is often the case that unjustified fear of breaching the provisions of Data Protection legislation stops people taking photographs or videos of school activities. At The King Alfred School we believe that, subject to sensible and legal constraints as set out below, taking photographs of children is part of school life and is something we are happy for parents to do. Parents have important rights in relation to this area, and we are committed to respecting them.

It is important to remember that whilst in the past an "opt out" approach was often used in this area, that is no longer lawful following the introduction of the GDPR; parents and, where appropriate, pupils must specifically and actively "opt in". This leads to the overall principle which underlies this policy, namely that the school will never use a photograph of any child unless that level of permission has been received in writing, and that permission must be based on a full understanding of the context and purpose of the photograph.

Photographs taken for official use by the school may be covered by the law and pupils and parents should be advised that they are being taken. Photographs taken purely for personal use are exempt from the terms of the legislation.

For example:

a parent takes a photograph of his or her child with some friends during School Sports Day to be put in the family album – these images are for personal use and Data Protection legislation does not apply as far as the school is concerned.
the school decides to take a photograph of each student for the school database or similar purpose – wherever and however these images are stored, the relevant legislation doesapply
a small group of pupils are photographed in a lesson and the photograph will be used in a school publication – this will be personal data, but will not breach the law so long as the students and/or their parents are aware this is happening and understand the context in which the photograph will be used and have given their express permission for it to be used.
a photograph is taken by a local newspaper of a school event: as long as the School has agreed to this, and the students and/or their parents are aware that photographs of the event may appear in the newspaper, this will not be a breach of the legislation. Again, as much information will be shared with parents as possible before such an event.

The above examples cover data protection issues, but staff should also be sensitive to the views of students who are included in photographs. The following good practice will be adopted by all staff:

it should not be possible to identify any student appearing in a photograph from any text associated with the photograph (e.g. a caption or comment) unless consent has been actively been given and is based on a full understanding of the context
it is important to be particularly sensitive when photographing children participating in activities such as swimming and gymnastics
even where there is no text identifying the student appearing in the photograph, if it is to appear in a high profile location (e.g. on the website homepage or an advertisement for the school) then specific and active consent must be obtained first;
with regard to consent, for a child under 16 years of age it should be obtained from his/her parent(s). (Note: it appears, in advance of the implementation of the GDPR, that that age limit may be lower in the UK and may be as low as 13 years of age).

No photographs will be retained within school for more than a year. This applies to physical, printed photographs as well as to photographs stored electronically. There are obvious exceptions: where photographs are part of documents and publications which the school wishes to keep for archive purposes photographs contained within them will of course be kept. In such cases, parents will have been advised at the outset of the purpose and long-term nature of the publication concerned.

For information, this is the relevant clause in the Parental Commitment document signed by parents when a child enters the school: The school takes personal data very seriously, particularly in light of the General Data Protection Regulations which came into force in 2018. Among other things, this means that a) we will not publish any photograph of your child without your active consent and will never assume that consent to have been given unless it is in writing; and b) we will destroy all photographs upon request or within one year, whichever comes first. In general, parents should be prepared to be asked to agree that a student’s photograph or image may appear with his/her name attached in printed or electronically transmitted internal school publications. When such images are offered for publication in the public domain(including the school’s website, newsletters, etc.) you will be consulted about the specific images of your child and must give active consent before we can use them. In such cases, your child's name will not appear in association with the image unless you have also given your specific consent (or your child, if he/she is aged 16 or over, has given consent). All photographs, other than those used in internal school publications (booklets, prospectuses etc.), which might be retained for longer periods, will be destroyed, physically and electronically, one year after being used. Parents are asked to cooperate where possible and act reasonably in allowing the school to use photographs of their child - although it is always the case that you have the right to refuse us permission to do so and we will always respect that without question.

This Policy will be reviewed every three years.

Reviewed: July 2022

K Patla

Relationships and Sex Education Policy (RSE)

All schools are required to teach Relationships Education as a statutory component of the PSHE and Citizenship curriculum from September 2020. Sex Education is not a part of our school as we do not currently cater for secondary aged pupils.

Purpose and Principles

This policy aims to set out the purpose of Relationships Education what is covered in our curriculum, how it is delivered and the intended outcomes for our students.

We define Relationships Education as learning about the different physical, social and emotional aspects of growing up, relationships and sexuality. This includes family relationships, friendships and relationships with peers and adults, healthy and unhealthy relationships, the characteristics of positive relationships, relationships online and the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up. It also helps them to develop resilience, independence and self-esteem.

We believe in providing every student with open, honest, accurate and age-appropriate lessons about relationships. Through the school’s ethos and values, we aim to develop students’ knowledge, skills, opinions, and confidence – enabling them to cope with as many of life’s circumstances as possible and live safely and happily in the modern world.

We highly value the partnership between school and home and will promote open and informative two-way communication. We aim to provide parents and carers with accurate information about what their child is learning in school and to provide the best learning environment and opportunities for our students.

We wish to reassure parents that we will fully consult with them, as we do with many aspects of school life, regarding the teaching of Relationships Education.

Content and Delivery

Our Relationships Education planning can be found in each year group’s Curriculum Plans and Schemes of Work under the PSHE subject.

At The King Alfred School, Relationships Education is taught largely within sessions such as PSHE, Christian Studies and during assembly at school. However, as with many aspects of PSHE, ad hoc opportunities may naturally arise throughout the school day and teachers are encouraged to respond to these opportunities appropriately and with the view of extending learning about these topics.

Our Relationships Education aspect of our curriculum is inclusive and meets the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). We also aim to promote equality and represent different communities through our Relationships Education.

Through our comprehensive Relationships Education provision, we aim to provide all our students with:

the knowledge and understanding of a variety of relationships;
the ability to identify any concerns they have about a relationship;
coping strategies and an awareness of how and where to seek support;
an understanding of their rights and responsibilities within a range of relationships;
an awareness of the process of growing up and the changes they and others will experience;
an understanding of the characteristics of positive relationships

Our lessons will be differentiated where appropriate, ensuring all children are able to participate fully. Children will be given the opportunity throughout the units of work to reflect on and evaluate their learning - assessment opportunities are built into every lesson.

Statutory Regulations

From September 2020, all primary schools must deliver Relationships Education. Under the Education Act 2002/Academies Act 2010, all schools must provide a balanced and broadly-based curriculum which:

promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and
prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Relationships Education programme in our school will be led by: Mrs Charmian Gamble

The school governor representative responsible for the Relationships Education programme is: Hayley Bowen

All staff members involved in teaching and supporting the Relationships Education curriculum will be trained and supported by: Mrs Charmian Gamble and Mrs Katy Patla

Safeguarding

Teachers are aware that effective Relationships Education, which brings an understanding of what is and what is not appropriate in a relationship, can lead to a disclosure of a child protection issue. In this instance, teachers will follow the same procedure as set out in the Child Protection (Safeguarding) Policy in dealing with disclosures and reporting immediately to the Designated Safeguarding lead and in her absence, their deputy.

Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mrs Charmian Gamble

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mrs Katy Patla

Visitors and external agencies which support the delivery of Relationships Education will be required to adhere to the school’s safeguarding policy and policies relating to the subjects they are teaching or contributing towards.

Further Documents

Documents that inform the school’s Relationships Education Policy include:

Education Act (1996)
Learning and Skills Act (2000)
Education and Inspections Act (2006)
Equality Act (2010),
Supplementary Guidance SRE for the 21st century (2014)
Keeping Children Safe in Education – Statutory safeguarding guidance (2016) New KCSIE (2023) guidance.
Children and Social Work Act (2017)

Policy date: August 2020

Policy review date: October 2023.

Risk Management Policy

RISK MANAGEMENT POLICY (Including Risk Register)

Objectives

To seek to identify as far as is practicable all risks facing the school, its pupils, staff and visitors at all levels and in all activities
To identify how such risks may be controlled and minimised by means of formal risk assessment
To record the risk assessments and make them available to all who need to know about them
To ensure that all staff are aware of the full range of risks identified, understand their responsibility in regard to them and of informing the management of the school if any other risks are apparent

Procedure

Identify potential risks and hazards
Evaluate the likelihood of the risk/hazard causing harm
Evaluate the nature of the harm which might be caused
Identify the parties involved
List control measures to mitigate the risk
Consider if further action is required
On the basis of formal risk assessment, decide whether the activity may take place
Complete a risk assessment before commencing the activity
Obtain approval from the Head Teacher of all risk assessments

The King Alfred School has completed a General Risk assessment (see index of Standards Part 3) covering all aspects of school life currently identified as giving rise to risk. The risk assessment will be regularly reviewed as indicated.

The first formal review of the risk assessment was carried out at the first meeting of the School Board, which took place in October 2021. At the beginning of each school year, the risk assessment will be reviewed and updated by the school’s leadership. This updated risk assessment will be reviewed at the first Board meeting of the year.

In certain cases, more detailed and activity-specific risk assessments are set out within the relevant school policy, e.g. the Trips & Excursions Policy.

Reviewed and updated: 3.11.23

C Gamble

Next Review due: November 24

School Closure Procedure

School Closure Procedure

There may be an emergency or exceptional circumstances in which The King Alfred School will have to close. The decision to close or partially close the school will only be made by the Headteachers, in consultation with the Directors of the school.

Decision Process

The decision to close is based on access to essential services (heating, water, etc.), staffing levels, transport safety, and site safety. The decision-making process will first and foremost take account of the health and safety of pupils, their families and staff - which always remains paramount.

The King Alfred School will always seek to remain open and will first seek solutions in order to keep the school open where safe and possible. Therefore, the decision-making process will also consider alternative ways to avoid complete closure such as:

offering a reduced curriculum (or even non-curriculum) provision
changing the opening and closing time
closing the school to just some year groups

Notifying Families

The school will make the decision to close as quickly as possible in order to give parents and families reasonable notice of school closure. However, in some circumstances, the decision may require further deliberation in order to avoid school closure. The decision will always aim to be made before 8 a.m. where possible.

The King Alfred School will always communicate with parents via the school’s website and in most circumstances, where possible, via email. Upon the decision to close, the school website will be updated immediately and in most circumstances, an email will be sent to all parents. Unless advised otherwise, parents are informed that it is to be assumed that the school is reopening the next school day and that they must check the website daily in case of multiple day closures (such as severe weather, etc.). Parents and families are encouraged to use the website and the Parent Portal to keep up to date with notices and important information.

Phone calls will only be made in exceptional circumstances that require immediate closure during school hours or in the event where the school will be closed to some year groups in order to avoid whole school closure.

Severe Weather

When severe warnings have been issued by The Met Office, the school will be alert to the potential of a school closure and may remind parents to use the website to check frequently before making their journey to school.

The Headteacher will use their judgment of the school site and surrounding area and road conditions to decide whether they deem it is safe to travel to and access the school building, as well as whether conditions are likely to worsen. The website will then be updated as to whether the school has decided to remain open or closed.

If the decision has been made to remain open but there is a weather warning in place, the school will advise parents to use their own judgment on whether their own journey to school is safe and will strongly advise not to make the journey if it is dangerous to do so. If parents deem the journey to be unsafe, they are still expected to contact the school office to explain the absence as ‘dangerous travel conditions’ which will be recorded as an authorised absence.

Other Procedures

Where possible, and if safe to do so, The King Alfred School will plan to receive pupils who are unaware of the closure and ensure that during office hours the school mobile (and office telephone if possible) is still staffed as far as possible.

Created: March 2023

Reviewed and updated: September 2023

Mrs. K Patla

School Uniform Policy

School Uniform Policy

The King Alfred School is committed to high standards and that extends to dress. We believe a smart uniform will give our young people pride in their school, and dressing the same means there is no hierarchy of dress.

Our exclusive school supplier is Abbiss in Wombourne High Street. Most of the items you need are stocked at Abbiss as we have tried to make it as easy as possible for parents to get uniform as a one-stop-shop. We recommend you order uniform well in advance to avoid disappointment. We have been very impressed with Abbiss and their customer service. Their friendly team will assist you with any questions you may have and they have changing room facilities available.

All items of clothing must be labelled clearly with your child’s full name. This makes it much easier for children to find their item of clothing if they have removed it and helps in returning any stray items found to its owner.

All lunchboxes and accessories (winter hats, scarves, etc.) must be plain navy, royal blue or black.

Boys Uniform

Main Uniform:

White shirt (long or short sleeve) - purchase from Abbiss or any shop
Navy shorts - purchase from Abbiss
Navy blue trousers (for days when the weather is extremely cold) - purchase from Abbiss
School tie (clip on not elasticated) - purchase from Abbiss
School jumper - purchase from Abbiss
School blazer* - purchase from Abbiss
Knee-high plain navy socks – purchase from Abbiss or any shop
School waterproof coat - purchase from Abbiss
Black smart shoes (no trainers) - purchase from Clarks or any shop
School back pack - purchase from Abbiss

*Nursery children do not wear a blazer

Summer and Winter Variations for Boys:

Our uniform does not vary much from winter to summer, the only differences are during warmer months boys can come to school without their blazer and jumper, switch long sleeve shirts for short and wear white ankle socks instead of knee high. Ties remain. Pack their waterproof jacket in school backpacks each day for break times in case of wet or cooler weather.

The blazer acts as a coat. If it is raining, the waterproof coat can be put over the blazer on wet days. In the winter a plain navy coat will be needed which can be purchased from any shop of your choice.

Nursery Pupil’s Summer Variation:

In the warmer/drier months, Nursery pupils will be outdoors much more for their learning so we ask you to send Nursery children in P.E kit every day during the summer term.

Boys P.E Kit:

Navy shorts – purchase from Abbiss
White school polo top with logo and blue trim- purchase from Abbiss
White P.E plain ankle socks - purchase from any shop
School navy P.E jumper with logo – purchase from Abbiss
Navy plain tracksuit bottoms – purchase from Abbiss or any shop
Trainers (preferably white and navy) – purchase from any shop
Black pumps
School logo drawstring P.E bag - purchase from Abbiss

The amount of P.E kit you purchase is personal preference, one of each item should be sufficient.

Horticulture kit:

During horticulture lessons children wear P.E kit with a puddle suit over the top; this helps keep children warm. The all in one suit protects the kit underneath and more importantly protects your child from nettles, etc.

All in one plain puddle suit (navy, green or pink) - purchase from Regatta or any shop
Wellies (plain navy, green or pink) - purchase from any shop

Girls Uniform

Main Uniform:

White blouse* with a rounded “peter pan” collar (long or short sleeve) - purchase from Abbiss or any shop
School skirt – 2 options for skirt fitted or elasticated waist, purchase from Abbiss (elasticated may be easier for Reception and Year 1 aged children)
Girls school tie - purchase from Abbiss
School cardigan - purchase from Abbiss
School blazer** - purchase from Abbiss
Knee high navy socks with bow – purchase from Abbiss or any shop
School waterproof coat - purchase from Abbiss
Black smart shoes (no trainers)- purchase from Clarks or any shop
School back pack - purchase from Abbiss
School hair bobble and/or plain royal blue headband, bows or clips – purchase from Abbiss or any shop

*Nursery girls may wear a rounded “peter pan” collar polo shirt as an alternative to blouses

**Nursery children do not wear a blazer

Summer and Winter Variations for Girls:

Our uniform does not vary much from winter to summer, the only differences are during warmer months (March to July) girls can come to school without their blazer and cardigan, switch long sleeve shirts for short and wear white ankle socks instead of knee high. Ties remain. Pack the waterproof jacket each day in school backpacks in case of wet or cooler weather for break times.

The blazer acts as a coat if it is raining the school waterproof can be put over the blazer on wet days. In the winter a plain navy coat will be needed which can be purchased from any shop of your choice. Girls can wear navy tights instead of knee-high socks when we experience very cold weather.

Nursery Pupil’s Summer Variation:

In the warmer/drier months, Nursery pupils will be outdoors much more for their learning so we ask you to send Nursery children in P.E kit every day during the summer term.

Girls P.E Kit:

Plain navy skort – purchase from Abbiss or any shop
White school polo top with logo and blue trim- purchase from Abbiss
White ankle P.E socks - purchase from any shop
School navy P.E jumper with logo - purchase from Abbiss
School tracksuit bottoms - purchase from Abbiss or any shop
Trainers (preferably white and navy) – purchase from any shop
School logo drawstring P.E bag - purchase from Abbiss
Black pumps - purchase from any shop
Bobble for hair

Horticulture kit:

All in one plain puddle suit (navy, green or pink) - purchase from Regatta or any shop
Wellies (plain navy, green or pink) - purchase from any shop

Other Uniform and Accessory Requirements:

Plain blue lunch bags with name clearly displayed – purchase from any shop but Etsy is recommended.
Plain water bottle with name clearly displayed – purchase from any shop.
Do not buy or bring to school, stationary is supplied.
No mobile phones are allowed with the exception for children who walk home. Children who are permitted to bring a mobile phone in must bring it to the office each morning to be safely secured and then it will be returned to them at home time.
No expensive watches to be worn or brought to school. Basic analogue or digital watches are allowed but they must not go off during class. No smart watches permitted.
No jewellery apart from small plain stud earrings for girls. No jewellery permitted for P.E lessons.
Please always pack a bobble for long hair in P.E bag.
Spare items - underwear, socks, school pumps and any other items are especially helpful in case of soiled clothing for all ages. We recommend you keep them in a separate clearly named bag – the PE drawstring bags from Abbiss are ideal for this.

Please do not bring expensive items to school.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Policy

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Policy

The King Alfred School welcomes children who may have additional needs but, and at the writing of this policy, we are currently a small school and have a small team of staff, and therefore we do not have provision to take pupils with significant special educational needs at this stage.

The King Alfred School has high aspirations and expectations for all our pupils including those with special educational needs (SEN). We are committed to ensuring all pupils achieve their best, becoming well rounded, confident individuals who are equipped to succeed in the wider world.

Supporting SEN pupils

The King Alfred School will endeavour to make sure that a pupil with SEN receives the appropriate support they need. We commit to making reasonable adjustments to their provision and access to learning, where it is possible to do so, in order that the pupil can fully engage in all aspects of academic and physical school life.

We maintain an inclusive ethos to ensure that pupils with SEN engage in the activities of the school alongside pupils who do not have SEN.

In the case of pupils who have an EHC Plan, we will participate fully in the planning and review process for such pupils, and provide the relevant Local Authority with information to facilitate the formal Annual Review process.

We value and utilise close communication with our families so that we work collaboratively with parents/guardians when we are making special educational provision for their child.

Identifying SEN

“A child has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.”

(Special educational needs and disability code of practice, 2015)

The King Alfred School values knowing our pupils as individuals and being attentive to their educational needs. We recognise the benefits of early identification in order to make effective provision to improve long-term outcomes for the pupil.

We recognise the broad scope of special needs and the challenges in diagnosing some needs. For instance, some needs could be reasoned as characteristics of normal child development and so may only be determined once a child has experienced considerable difficulties. Therefore, there may be some pupils that have not had their SEN identified in the early years, and it may only become apparent later on.

The King Alfred School recognises that parents know their children best and so when parents express concerns about their child’s development, we listen and seek to understand. We also listen to and address any concerns raised by our pupils themselves.

The above input, from parents, staff, and the pupil, will help to paint a holistic view of our pupils.

All pupils’ progress will be regularly assessed through termly data progress meetings. These meetings will include a base-line assessment from the pupil’s entry or the beginning of the year, monitoring of the curriculum and assessments, the pupil’s early years’ action plans, progress made, and academic movement between stages. In these meetings, the senior leadership team, supported by the SENco, will review and assess pupils who are behind age-related expectations.

Being “behind” can be characterised by progress which:

is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline
fails to match or better the pupil’s previous rate of progress
fails to close the attainment gap between the pupil and their peers
widens the attainment gap

It can include progress in areas other than attainment – for instance where a pupil needs to make additional progress with wider development or social needs in order to make a successful transition to adult life.

We recognise that slow progress and low attainment do not necessarily mean that a pupil has SEN. However, they may be an indicator of a range of learning difficulties or disabilities. Equally, it should not be assumed that attainment in line with chronological age means that there is no learning difficulty or disability.

(Special educational needs and disability code of practice, 2015)

In addition to these termly meetings, any time a teacher or staff member has concerns about the progress and attainment of a pupil, and are reasonably concerned that this may be the result of a Special Educational Need, that member of staff should submit a referral to the SENco. Referral forms are available upon request.

Roles and Responsibilities

The SEN co-ordinator (SENco), Mrs. Katy Patla, is responsible for coordinating SEN provision at The King Alfred School. The SENco’s roles and responsibilities include:

undergoing regular training.
overseeing the school’s provision for pupils with special needs and EHC plans.
being responsible for developing and reviewing the SEND policy, implementing the policy and measuring its impact.
liaising with governors and external professionals where necessary.
organising appropriate training and support for staff, particularly in recognising indicators of special needs.
being actively part of termly data progress meetings with class teachers (of SEN pupils) and the Senior Leadership Team to monitor and support the learning and progress of SEN pupils.
working closely with the Headteacher, all staff and a designated member of the Governing Board to ensure that the school’s SEND policy is appropriate to each pupil.

Teachers

All class teachers, working closely with the SENco where appropriate, will have the responsibility for delivering the curriculum to pupils with SEN, and will also regularly monitor and review the progress made by all pupils within their class. If a concern arises, they will seek support from the SENco if they feel there is a pupil displaying indicators of a special need.

All teachers must implement all required accommodations from a pupil’s EHC or IEP. Evidence of provision of accommodations must be clear. The King Alfred School’s SENco will work closely with teachers to support them in their provision of accommodations and to assist with any helpful guidance or training they may require to fulfil the terms of a pupil’s EHC or IEP.

Reviewed and updated: September 2023

Mrs. K Patla

Staff Behaviour Policy

STAFF BEHAVIOUR POLICY

This Policy is separated into the five “bubbles” of Safeguarding.

Our responsibilities to safeguarding at The King Alfred School

Purpose of the Policy

To keep children safe by clarifying which behaviours constitute safe practice and which behaviours should be avoided.
To assist adults working with children at our school to work safely and responsibly and to monitor their own standards and practice.
To support managers and employers in setting clear expectations of behaviour and/or codes of practice relevant to the services being provided.
To support employers in giving a clear message that unlawful or unsafe behaviour is unacceptable and that, where appropriate, disciplinary or legal action will be taken.
To support safer recruitment practice.
To minimise the risk of misplaced or malicious allegations made against adults who work with children and young people.
To reduce the risk of positions of trust being abused or misused

Safeguarding Children & Vulnerable Adults

Principles for the Whole Workforce

Everyone at The King Alfred School who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play in safeguarding children. Therefore it is important that all staff:

Ensure that they listen to and reflect on the voice of the child at ALL times and take seriously any concerns raised to them by a child
Ensure that they report any concerns of harm to any child to the Designated Safeguarding Lead immediately.
Ensure that they record any information shared directly with them by a child or observed/witnessed with the Designated Safeguarding Lead immediately. This could include sharing information on behalf of the Designated Safeguarding Lead with other agencies
Ensure that they maintain an attitude of “it could happen here” and report any concerns regarding the behaviour of an adult/staff member in school directly to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Chair of Governors (if the allegation is relation to the Head teacher).
Ensure that they attend regular training/updates to support them in recognising the signs and symptoms of abuse, particularly in support of early identification of needs of children to prevent an escalation of risk to the child.

Safe People

Principles for the Whole Workforce

The welfare of the child is paramount
It is the responsibility of all adults to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. This responsibility extends to a duty of care for those adults employed, commissioned or contracted to work with children and young people.
Adults who work with children are responsible for their own actions and behaviour and should avoid any conduct which would lead any reasonable person to question their motivation and intentions.
Adults should work and be seen to work in an open and transparent way.
Everyone should be treated with the same professional standards regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation
Adults should continually monitor and review their practice and ensure they follow the school’s policies and practice.
Responsibilities for safeguarding are set out in the school’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and a clear understanding of those responsibilities will be an important part of induction for all staff, including temporary and supply staff. Specific responsibilities are attached to various individuals but ultimately the welfare of our pupils is everyone’s concern at The King Alfred School.
It is always better to err on the side of caution, and staff will never be criticised for doing so. Professional judgement, however, is valuable and should always be used in dealing with children.
Adults working with children are in a position of power and trust. All staff should be aware that under section 16 of the Sexual Offences Act “it is an offence for a person aged 18 or over (e.g. teacher, youth worker) to have a sexual relationship with a child under 18 where that person is in a position of trust in respect of that child even if the relationship is consensual”. Although we currently have only primary aged children, we aim to grow and this issue cannot be ignored for that reason.
All staff must be aware of their area of influence and potential “disqualification by association” together with the “duty to prevent” contained within the Counter Terrorism and Security Act, 2015. Adults can influence and in turn be influenced by partners and be able to influence those they educate. A culture of vigilance is important in this respect.
Confidentiality must never be promised to a child. Appropriate confidentiality, however, is important in maintaining the trust of
Staff must at all times maintain the highest standards of behaviour. This sets a good example to children. It gives parents confidence in the school.
The dress code for staff is an important indication of our professionalism. Female staff must wear a smart business suit (skirt or trousers) or close equivalent. Low cut tops and skirts above the knee are not acceptable. High heels must not be worn. Staff working with small children may wear more comfortable clothing, but always maintain a smart appearance. Male staff must wear smart business clothing including a tie and jacket. Male or female staff who are teaching games may wear appropriate clothing (e.g. a tracksuit) and may wear such clothing in the classroom but only where it is impossible to change before the lesson in question begins. Neither staff nor children are permitted to chew gum. Staff must not walk around school with hot drinks. Unless the weather is especially hot, male staff must wear a jacket at all times.
Staff may accept token gifts at Christmas, at the end of the year etc. Such gifts may be flowers, chocolates or similar. Any gift which is clearly more valuable (i.e. having an estimated value of more than £30) must be politely refused or if that is not possible handed in to the Headteacher who will dispose of it appropriately.
Staff will never use their personal media (text, email, Facebook etc.) to communicate with any child at The King Alfred School of whatever age. Although it would be difficult to prevent anyone from communicating with an adult over the age of 18 who may be a former pupil from another school, staff are discouraged from doing so. All communications with parents or children must be through the school’s own channels and a formal tone should always be maintained.
The school’s Intimate Care Policy must similarly be read and scrupulously observed by all staff.
Staff must avoid one to one situations with children. If it is absolutely necessary to be one to one with a child, make sure the meeting takes place in a place that can be seen by others, with an open door, and in an area where an adult could easily join and overhear the subject matter.
The school’s Photographic Policy must be read and understood by all staff.
Even young children, especially those with older siblings, may be exposed to inappropriate images, for example on a mobile phone.This must be taken very seriously and reported immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Mobile phones must not be used during the school day. It follows that cameras must not be used either. No personal devices are allowed in classrooms or around students. Staff are required to leave their phones and devices in the staff office. This rule must be followed and if not sanctions will be used.
The school has a Whistleblowing Policy and staff are expected to read and understand it.

Safe premises & Safe Places

Most of the following points are linked to the school’s Health and Safety Policy, a key document which all staff must read, understand and observe.

All teaching and classroom support staff will receive first aid training.
The location of the school is on a fairly busy road, with this in mind we allow parents to park in our school car park for drop off and pick up times.Safety for children in the car park is good and manageable, as long as staff on duty are vigilant.
All educational visits, trips etc. must be carefully planned in line with the school’s policy and appropriate risk assessments carried out. All risk assessments must be approved by the Head Teacher before any trip outside school can take place.

Safe Children

This “bubble” typically covers the following issues, all of which are covered earlier in the Policy but are detailed below. (Information from GSWP May, 2019)

Communication

Staff should

not seek to communicate/make contact or respond to contact with pupils outside of the purposes of their work
not give out their personal details
turn off data access on school premises
follow the school’s Bring Your Own Device Policy
ensure that their use of technologies could not bring their employer into disrepute
not discuss or share data relating to children/ parents / carers in staff social media groups

Social contact outside of the workplace

Staff should

always approve any planned social contact with pupils or parents connected with The King Alfred School with senior leadership, for example when it is part of a reward scheme.
advise senior leadership of any regular social contact they have with a pupil which could give rise to concern
do not send personal communication to pupils
inform senior leadership of any requests or arrangements where parents wish to use their services outside of the workplace e.g. babysitting, tutoring, music lessons, etc

Sexual conduct

Staff must

not have any form of sexual contact with a pupil from the school or setting
avoid any form of touch or comment which is, or may be considered to be, indecent
avoid any form of communication with a pupil which could be interpreted as sexually suggestive, provocative or give rise to speculation e.g. verbal comments, letters, notes, by email or on social media, phone calls, texts, physical contact
not make sexual remarks to or about a pupil
not discuss sexual matters with or in the presence of pupils other than within agreed curriculum content or as part of their recognised job role

Physical contact

Staff should

be aware that even well-intentioned physical contact may be misconstrued by the pupil, an observer or any person to whom this action is described
never touch a pupil in a way which may be considered indecent
always be prepared to explain actions and accept that all physical contact be open to scrutiny
never indulge in horseplay or fun fights
always allow/encourage pupils, where able, to undertake self-care tasks independently
ensure the way they offer comfort to a distressed pupil is age appropriate
always tell a colleague when and how they offered comfort to a distressed pupil
establish the preferences of pupils for physical contact
consider alternatives, where it is anticipated that a pupil might misinterpret or be uncomfortable with physical contact
always explain to the pupil the reason why contact is necessary and what form that contact will take
report and record situations which may give rise to concern
be aware of cultural or religious views about touching and be sensitive to issues of gender

This policy was developed in January 2021 and will be reviewed at least every year or more frequently if appropriate

Reviewed and updated: October 2023

C Gamble

Whistle-Blowing Policy

WHISTLE-BLOWING POLICY

What is a whistle-blower?

A whistle-blower is a member of staff who reports certain types of wrongdoing. This will usually be something which has been seen in school - though not always.

The disclosure of wrongdoing must be in the public interest. This means it must affect others, e.g. the general public. As a whistle-blower you are protected by law. Although we obviously hope that it will never be necessary, should you ever feel you are obliged to “blow the whistle” you will not – indeed under law cannot – be treated unfairly or lose your job because you have exercised your rights under this legislation.

You can raise your concern at any time about an incident that happened in the past, is happening now, or you believe will happen in the near future.

Complaints that count as whistle-blowing

Staff are protected by law if they report any of the following:

a criminal offence, e.g. fraud
someone’s health and safety in danger
risk or actual damage to the environment
a miscarriage of justice
the school is breaking the law,
you believe someone is covering up wrongdoing

Complaints that don’t count as whistle-blowing

Personal grievances (e.g. bullying, harassment, discrimination) are not covered by whistle-blowing law, unless your particular case is in the public interest.

You should report these under the school’s Grievance Procedure.

Raising a whistle-blowing concern

We would hope that in most cases staff will be able to raise any concerns with a senior member of staff, e.g. the Head Teacher by either speaking to him or her in person or putting the matter in writing if they prefer. They may be able to agree to a way of resolving a concern quickly and effectively.

However, where the matter is more serious, or you feel that your first attempt has not been effective, you should contact the Chairman of the School Board of Governors.

Following a notification of a concern, the Head Teacher will arrange a meeting with the whistle-blower as soon as practicable to discuss the concern. Sufficient details will be recorded at this stage to enable the matter to be thoroughly investigated. As a minimum the Head Teacher will record the name of the employee but also indicate whether the individual wishes his or her identity to remain confidential, if possible, and the nature of the concern. In some cases it will not be possible to maintain confidentiality and this will be explained to the member of staff. In such instances the member of staff will have the choice of either withdrawing or agreeing to his/her identity becoming known to enable the concern to be effectively dealt with.

Staff may bring a colleague or trade union representative to any meetings under this policy who must respect the confidentiality of the disclosure and any subsequent investigation.

The school will take notes and produce a written summary of the concern raised and provide the whistle-blower with a copy as soon as practicable after the meeting. The school will also aim to give the whistle-blower an indication of how it proposes to deal with the matter.

Confidentiality

We hope that staff will feel able to voice whistle-blowing concerns openly under this policy. However, if a member of staff wants to raise his or her concern confidentially, The King Alfred School will endeavour to keep his or her identity secret in so far as it is possible to do so when following this policy and procedure. If it is necessary for anyone investigating that member of staff’s concern to know the whistle-blower’s identity, the school will discuss this with the member of staff first.

The school does not encourage staff to make disclosures anonymously. Proper investigation may be more difficult or impossible if the school cannot obtain further information. It is also more difficult to establish whether any allegations are credible and have been made in good faith. Whistle-blowers who are concerned about possible reprisals if their identity is revealed should come forward to one of the contacts listed above and appropriate measures can then be taken to preserve confidentiality.

If you are in any doubt you can seek advice from Public Concern at Work, the independent whistle-blowing charity, who offer a confidential helpline. Their contact details are:

Public Concern at Work (Independent whistleblowing charity)

Helpline: 020 7404 6609

E-mail: whistle@pcaw.co.uk

Website: www.pcaw.co.uk

Concerns about Members of the School Board

If a concern surrounding a member of the School Board is received then this will be treated in the same way as any other concern. The concern will be raised by the Head teacher with the Chair of the Board who will decide how it should be dealt with.

If the concern is against the Chair of the Board then clearly this process cannot be followed. In such circumstances, the concern will be taken directly to the Head Teacher who will decide in consultation with other members of the School Board how it should be dealt with.

External disclosures

The aim of this policy is to provide an internal mechanism for reporting, investigating, and remedying any wrongdoing within school. In most cases staff should not find it necessary to alert anyone externally. We strongly encourage staff to seek advice before reporting a concern to anyone external. The independent whistle-blowing charity, Public Concern at Work, operates a confidential helpline. They also have a list of prescribed regulators for reporting certain types of concern.

Whistle-blowing concerns usually relate to the conduct of school staff, but they may sometimes relate to the actions of a third party, such as a service provider. The law allows staff to raise a concern in good faith with a third party, where the member of staff reasonably believes it relates mainly to their actions or something that is legally their responsibility. However, staff are encouraged to report such concerns internally first.

Investigation and outcome

Once a member of staff has raised a concern, the school will carry out an initial assessment to determine the scope of any investigation. In most cases a panel of three will investigate any issue. The school will inform the whistle-blower of the outcome of its assessment.

The school will aim to keep the member of staff informed of the progress of the investigation and its likely timescale. However, sometimes the need for confidentiality may prevent the school from giving specific details of the investigation or any disciplinary action taken as a result. The member of staff is required to treat any information about the investigation as strictly confidential.

If the school concludes that a whistle-blower has made false allegations maliciously, in bad faith or with a view to personal gain, the whistle-blower will be subject to disciplinary action.

There are no rights of appeal against any decisions taken under this procedure. However, an employee or the Head Teacher will have the right to refer any particular case to the Chair of the Board for review.

Protection and support for whistle-blowers

It is understandable that whistle-blowers are sometimes worried about possible repercussions. The school will seek to follow its core value of transparency in all it does and therefore will encourage openness and will support staff who raise genuine concerns in good faith under this policy, even if they turn out to be mistaken.

As described above, staff will not and cannot be treated unfairly as a result of having raised a concern under this Policy.

Reviewed and updated: June 2023

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