‘AIM HIGH TOGETHER’

HOME SCHOOL AGREEMENT

Updated – July 2014

When you join our school we invite you to share

our HomeSchool Agreement

for

Governors, Staff, Parents and Pupils

GrangePrimary School

West Cross Avenue

West Cross

Swansea

SA3 5TS

Tel/Fax: 01792 404766

e-mail:

Website Address:

THE SCHOOL

We will :-

Maintain a welcoming and caring ethos which encourages good communication within the school and between home/school.

Continue to develop meaningful links between the school and its community.

As a Rights Respecting School we will promote an environment where everyone is encouraged to demonstrate concern and respect for others and their property. The values and principles expressed in the Unicef Children’s Rights Charter will underpin the work of our school.

Provide a broad and balanced curriculum offering opportunities for every child to achieve his/her full potential in all aspects of school life; extending and supporting their learning as needed throughout their time at our school.

Ensure that every child is valued as a member of the school community irrespective of gender, ability, race or religion.

Provide every child with suitable home learning opportunities in accordance with our Home Learning Policy.

Ensure that parents are provided with opportunities to discuss the progress of their child during the course of the school year and are provided with a written Annual Report on Pupil Progress.

Provide clear guidelines for behaviour and ensure a consistent and fair approach to discipline.

Maintain good home/school communications via:

  • The school website and class websites with photographs, relevant text and newsletters/updates on diary dates, etc.
  • the school prospectus
  • information meetings
  • brochures designed to provide parents with additional information on important issues such as attendance, healthy eating, supporting your child in Literacy and Numeracy, and other issues emerging from the Unicef Children’s Rights Charter
  • Annual Parents’ Meeting
  • addressing concerns or complaints sensitively and efficiently in an atmosphere of mutual respect in accordance with our Complaints Policy
  • dealing with requests for information in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act and in compliance with the Data Protection Act
  • following up absences promptly
  • involving parents as early as possible in the process of identifying and reviewing provision for pupils with Additional Needs and those who require English as an Additional Language Support
  • working in partnership with parents when implementing the School Code of Behaviour

Signed on behalf of the School:

July 2014

S Kite- Headteacher

THE PARENTS/GUARDIANS

I will :-

Ensure that my child attends school regularly, on time and properly equipped to participate in the curricular activities provided.

Encourage high standards of work and behaviour.

Support my child in carrying out home learning tasks, endeavouring to provide my own opportunities for learning at home.

Work in partnership with the school should there be a requirement to address my child’s Additional Needs. (This may include extending the partnership to working with outside Agencies such as Social Services, Special Educational Needs Service, Educational Welfare Service, Local Health Authority Services.)

Work in partnership with the school should there be a requirement to learn English as an additional language.

Ensure that the school has up to date emergency contact information at all times.

Inform the school on the first day of absence if my child cannot attend school due to ill health or a medical appointment.

Consult with the school by telephone, in person or in writing regarding any other absences which may take place during the course of the year.

Endeavour to book family holidays outside term time wherever possible. Request ‘authorisation of absence’ from the

Headteacher for any absence during term time using the appropriate request form available on the website.

Inform the school of any concerns or problems which might affect my child’s health, work or behaviour.

Support my child by attending Parents’ Evenings and Review Meetings to discuss my child’s progress and receive information on the work of the school.

Read and respond to my child’s Annual End of Year Report.

Observe the Governing Body request to provide my/our child with school uniform.

Respect the right of all who work at the school to be treated in a civil manner at all times addressing them appropriately and courteously.

Show respect for the ‘systems and organisational rules’ of the school in recognition of the ‘order’ which they bring to the establishment

THE PUPIL

I will :-

Attend school regularly, on time and in school uniform.

Bring all the equipment I need for each day.

Make sure that I complete all my classwork as well as I can.

Complete my home learning taskas well as I can and hand it in on time.

Follow the Grange Golden Rules and behave well at all times.

Be kind to others.

Show respect for other people and their belongings.

‘Aim High Together’

The Governing Body and Staff aim to provide all members of the School Community with a stimulating and caring environment which promotes meaningful lifelong learning, respects the rights of all partners engaged in educating the child and places the child at the centre of all that we do.

The Purpose of Our Home/School Agreement

This Home/School Declaration is a document which represents the partnership between Parents and Our School. It sets out our expectations and declares our intention to provide the pupils with consistent support in all aspects of their development thus enabling them to achieve their educational and personal best. Mutual respect between all partners is considered essential in order to succeed in achieving our aims.

Acceptable Use of Information and Communication Technology

We provide all parents with a summary of our Acceptable Use of ICT Policy covering:

  • curriculum use,
  • home learning,
  • afterschool clubs,
  • use of the Internet
  • e-mail communications
  • e-learning opportunities

It guides the practice of Governors, Staff, Pupils and Parents.

We ask you to support us in working at home with your child as we do at school, protecting children from accessing unsuitable information or communicating in a way which is inappropriate.

As part of our Home School Agreement we ask Governors, Staff, Parents and Pupils to abide by the rules for responsible use of the internet set out on the next pages.

ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

Summary for Parents

Staff and Parents need to be aware that:

  • the Internet is an open communications channel available to allanyone can send messages, discuss ideas and publish material with little restriction
  • some of the material is published for an adult audience and is unsuitable for pupils, e.g.information on weapons, crime and racism
  • email and chat communication could also provide opportunities for adults to make contact with children for inappropriate reasons.
  • The introduction of ‘portable’ wireless technology in the form of I-phones, I-pods, I-pads and laptops makes it vitally important for parents (and staff) to be aware of the possibility of a child accessing inappropriate material in a variety of contexts/settings

There isa requirement on the School and Parents to provide pupils with as safe an Internet environment as possible and a need for the School to teach pupils to be aware of and respond responsibly to the risks.

The School will:

  • introduce good practice in the use of the Internet and e-learning opportunties/equipemnt to enhance teaching and learning by providing opportunities with clear objectives
  • teach pupils what is acceptable and what is not acceptable use
  • plan access levels to reflect curriculum requirements, the pupils’ age and maturity.
  • teach pupils the benefits of effective use of the Internet in research - knowledge location, retrieval,search engines and e-learning equipment/technology.
  • Respect for copyright and the correct usage of published material will to be taught - acknowledging the source of information when using Internet material in their own work.
  • Pupils will be taught what to do if they experience material that they find distasteful, uncomfortable or threatening. If staff/pupils discover unsuitable sites, the URL (address) and content must be reported to Swansea IT Department via the ICT co-ordinator.

Directed use of e-mail and text messaging

  • e-mail will not be considered private and the School reserves the right to monitor e-mails
  • Group e-mail addresses will be usedwith incoming and outgoing e-mail restricted to approved addresses
  • Similar use will be made of the text messaging service which facilitates communication between school and parents
  • Pupils must immediately tell a teacher if they receive offensive e-mail.
  • Pupils must not reveal personal details, address, tel. numbers, or arrange to meet anyone in email communication.

Conferencing and Video Conferencing are powerful methods for pupils and teachers to share information and opinion.

  • The teacher will moderate such chat facilities
  • Unauthorised persons will not know of its existence and hence be unable to gain access.
  • Pupils will not be allowed access to public or unregulated chat rooms.
  • Children should use only regulated educational chat environments. This use will always be supervised and the importance of chat room safety emphasised.
  • The availability of live video can increase safety – you can see who you are talking to – but if inappropriately used, a video link could reveal security details. The I.C.T. Co-ordinator will carry out a risk assessment before engaging in such activities.
  • The use of e-learning opportunities has become part of the educational experiences offered in school throughout the age ranges Nursery to Year 6. The use of I-pods, I-pads and laptops is carefully planned and monitored at all times.

Access to the Internet:

  • is controlled by the use of passwords only known to staff at the school
  • the staff make connection to the Internet then supervises use
  • The risk of encountering unsuitable material is greatly reduced by City and County of Swansea’s filtering system through which the School’s Internet connection is made.

Pupils’ Use of I.C.T

Many pupils are very familiar with Internet use and culture and it is desirable to:

  • discuss the School Internet Policy with pupils - the rules will need explanation and discussion as pupils’ individual perceptions of the risks involved may vary. To facilitate this “Rules for Internet” access will be posted near all computer systems
  • pupils will need to be reminded of the school rules at the point of Internet use which may be ‘a computer’, I-pod, I-pad. Pupils will be informed that Internet use will be monitored
  • clear instruction by the teacher in responsible and safe use will precede Internet access and use of all portable equipment. A module on responsible Internet use will be included in the PSHE programme covering both school and home use
  • an emphasis is placed on ‘the child’s right to be safe’ in addition to ‘the child’s right to learn’ in school and at home

Staff Use of I.C.T

  • The School Internet Policy will only be effective if all staff subscribe to its values and methods. All staff will be provided with the School Internet Policy, and its importance explained.
  • Staff should be aware that Internet traffic could be monitored and traced to the individual user. Discretion and professional conduct is essential. Further guidance will be provided on the appropriate use and safety issues in respect of portable equipment.
  • Staff development in the safe and responsible Internet use, and on school Internet policy will be provided as required. It is important that teachers and Associate Staff are confident to use the Internet and portable equipment in their work.

The School’s website has been constructed following principles taken into account which avoid compromising the safety of staff and pupils.

Please look up this website for further information for parents on safe use of internet – hyperlink on our school website.

RESPONSIBLE INTERNET USE – RULES FOR ADULTS

The school computer system and portable equipment provides internet access for the use of governors, staff, pupils and parents. These rules will help to protect everyone using our systems by clearly stating what is acceptable and what is not.

  • Access must only be made via the user’s password, which must not be given to any unauthorised person (authorised persons are teaching staff only).
  • School computer, portable equipment and internet use must be appropriate to the pupils’ educational needs or to staff professional activity.
  • Copyright and intellectual property rights must be respected.
  • Users are responsible for e-mails and texts they send and for contacts made and these should be appropriate to meet curriculum or staff professional needs.
  • E-mails or texts should be written carefully and politely, as messages may be forwarded, e-mail is best regarded as ‘public

property’ (Freedom of Information Act and Data Protection Act apply).

  • Anonymous messages and chain letters must not be sent.
  • The use of public chat rooms is not allowed. Any inappropriate use of social media sites will be dealt with via the City and County of Swansea Protocol and may result in disciplinary action being taken.
  • The school I.C.T. systems and portable equipment may not be used for private purposes, unless the Headteacher has given permission for that use.
  • Use for personal financial gain, gambling, political purposes or advertising is forbidden.
  • The security of I.C.T. systems and portable equipment must not be compromised, whether owned by the school or by any other organization or individuals.
  • Irresponsible use may result in the loss of internet access for the school or the Authority.
  • Please note: The school may exercise its right by electronic means to monitor the use of the school’s computer systems, including the monitoring of web-sites, the interception of e-mails, texts and social media sites – this may result in the deletion of inappropriate materials in circumstances where it believes unauthorized use of the school’s computer system is or may be taking place, or the system is or may be being used for criminal purposes or for storing text or imagery which is unauthorised or unlawful.

RESPONSIBLE INTERNET USE – RULES FOR PUPILS

We use the school computers and internet connection for learning.

These rules will help us to be fair to others and keep everyone safe.

  • I will ask permission before entering any Web Site, unless my teacher has already approved that site
  • I will not look at or delete other people’s files
  • I will not bring portable equipment,mobile phones, CD’s, DVD’s or memory sticks into school without permission

I will only e-mail or text people I know, or that my teacher has approved

  • The messages I will send will be polite and sensible
  • When sending e-mail, I will not give my home address or phone number, or arrange to meet someone
  • I will ask for permission before opening an e-mail or an e-mail attachment sent to someone I do not know
  • I will not use Internet chat rooms or social media sites
  • If I see anything I am unhappy with or I receive messages I do not like, I will tell a teacher immediately
  • I know that the school may check my computer files and may monitor the Internet sites I visit
  • I understand that if I deliberately break these rules, I could be stopped from using the Internet or computers

When children use the Internet in school the system is ‘filtered’ to minimize the risk of them inadvertently accessing unsuitable material.

As an additional measure use is granted only to a ‘password’ holder i.e. a member of the teaching staff. Passwords are changed regularly and are closely guarded.

When children use the Internet ,e-mail system, mobile phone, textingportable equipment at home the same rules should apply with the parent taking the role of ‘teacher’.

ACCESSIBILITY POLICY

We endeavour to make our premises, curriculum and information accessible to all.

Our Accessibility Plan and Equal Opportunity Policy support our work in this aspect of school improvement.

The Unicef Children’s Rights Charter and our beliefs as a Rights Respecting School underpin this aspect of our work.

Please let us know if there is anything we can do to improve our provision and try to inform us in advance of your visit if you have any special requirements.

We are able to provide:

  • a member of staff to meet you on arrival and accompany you on your visit to our school
  • a member of staff with B.S.L. signing skills to help with communications for anyone who has hearing impairment
  • a communicator/signer booked in advance of the visit for anyone who needs this service
  • communication with our school via ‘type talk’ or your minicom
  • a parking space adjacent to the main door for anyone who had difficulty walking long distances or wheelchair users
  • lightweight aluminium ramps can be used to access outdoor patio areas and entrances which have not yet been ramped
  • a seat next to the aisle at school concerts and special events for anyone who needs ‘extra space’ or is a wheelchair user
  • a disabled toilet with adapted handwash facilities and plenty of space for moving about
  • special dietary requirements can be catered for with advance notice
  • baby changing facilities, nappy disposal bin and a quiet area for feeding
  • documents in a variety of languages provided by the translation service of City and County of Swansea

We will try to make your visit as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

Disability Equality Scheme

It is a legal requirement for every school to consult with all persons working in and with our school in addition to pupils and parents in order to assess the degree of need for any additional provision. This duty was carried out in March 2008. The school has reviewed the Accessibility Plan in the light of the response received.