Section 6 General Information for All Staff

Section 6 – General Information for all Staff

6.1Supervision of Children or Dependants

Academy staff should not bring their children or dependants into work during their normal working day (registration, teaching, calendared meetings etc.) other than in very exceptional circumstances and with the permission of the Principal.

Staff are very welcome to bring children and dependants to special Academy events which are outside the normal working day, for example, Performing Arts Evening, after hours sports matches, etc.

Academy term dates are produced at least a year in advance to allow staff time to make arrangements for when school term dates donot match across Torbay and Devon and to make suitable provision for their own children.

6.2Continuing Professional Development

The Academy has a Staff Development Policy which covers all staff: both teaching and support. In short, the Academy will ensure that, within the budget provided, all levels of staff receive the training necessary for them to carry out effectively their commitment to the education of our pupils; to provide the means for staff to continue their own personal development and to enable members of staff to fulfil the requirements imposed on them by outside agencies. This includes First Aid and Health and Safety training and Child Protection. Faculty INSET and Training will be directly linked to Appraisal, Development Plans and Academy Priorities.

Andrew Thomas, Assistant Principal is there to ensure the Continuing Professional Development Policy is carried out and he is on hand for any help or advice you may need. Myra Pulman who manages the administration side of training will also be able to help you. CPD linked to teaching and learning and appraisal will be supported by Jason Trevarthen.

Professional Development is a key requirement of Appraisal and staff undertaking appraisal reviews. Ultimately we all have a responsibility for our own Professional Development. Review interviews are a time for discussion of requirements – please be prepared.

Documenting any Professional Development will build into a Professional Development Portfolio which will be helpful when making job applications and completing Threshold Assessments.

Staff attending any trainingmay be asked to support Academy-wide CPD.

If you require leave of absence for Professional Development activities this must first be agreed with your Line Manager and approved at Leadership Team level. A Green form must be completed – please see guidelines below.

Completion of Green Forms

Please can all staff ensure the following guidelines are adhered to when completing Green Forms: failure to do so may result in your form being returned to you which could result in non-attendance on the course (Green forms can be found in the Staff Room on both sites or from Senior Cover Supervisors Katie Barnes and Charlotte Singleton at Borough Road Centre.

a)Forms should be submitted in plenty of time before the course so they can be processed for approval. We fully understand that on occasions this may not be possible, but too many forms are received after the event. Therefore please check with the Cover Office that cover has been arranged. In the unlikely event of a Green Form not being submitted prior to the course, it MUST still be completed retrospectively for Academy records. Submission of a Green Form is not instant approval for your leave and you should have a signed receipt to acknowledge success of your application.

b)Forms must be FULLY completed (i.e. travel, fees, supply) including Line Manager’s signature and stating which budget the costs are to be debited from; please complete as many of the costings as possible and ensure they are as accurate as possible. Andrew Thomas will then be able to approve the budget allocation. If you have any queries concerning budgets then please call Andrew Thomas before submitting the form. Where a cost is being met from another budget, the signature of the relevant budget holder should be obtained, and any supporting paperwork attached. Forms will be returned if this information is not completed correctly. Additional costs incurred after the form has been completed will not be met by the Academy.

c)Please ensure a separate form is completed for each member of staff and for each course being attended. (This is essential for the correct distribution / filing of forms following processing).

d)Myra Pulman at Waterleat Road Centre will book courses if necessary, but if you have already booked the course yourself please either annotate the form to confirm this or attach a photocopy of the course booking/confirmation. This will save time when forms are received for processing.

e)Staff attendance on internal/external CPD will be recorded centrally.

6.3Staff Resources

Photocopiers A number of photocopiers are available for staff use. These are located as follows:

Borough Road

*VLC (2 )
Staffroom
Additional machines located in offices:
*6th Form Admin
* PE
*Exams
Technology /

Waterleat Road

Staffroom
*Library
Additional machines located in offices
*HOY
Science

* denotes copiers with capability to print/copy in colour

Large copy/print runs, large format printing, laminating, design and reprographic work should be put through the Resources departments on each site using the appropriate form. Work put through Resources has a general turnaround time of 48 hours, so if your work is more urgent please make sure the staff in Resources are aware and can meet your deadline.

SecurePrint allows you to collect work you have sent to print from any copier within 24 hours of sending to print. Please note that no-one else can access your SecurePrint queue.

If you do not have access to all the Cost Centres you need please ask your Head of Department/Budget holder to authorise your access via an email Sue Thornton.

Fax machines are located in Reception at Borough Road and in the Staff Work Room at Waterleat Road. Reception staff will fax documents for you if given sufficient notice.

Telephones are located in staffrooms and offices. If you need a quiet location for a call please negotiate use of an office-based phone.

Any private calls should be paid for (Reception at Borough Road/Finance Office at Waterleat Road).

Please note that all calls are logged by computer and printouts are available to calculate the cost of private calls.

6.4IT Systems

Internet and E-mail facilities are available to all teaching and support staff in the Academy. These facilities are available primarily for the business use of the Academy, i.e. teaching, learning, professional development, administration and finance, the Trust Directors have approved the use of the Academy’s facilities for personal but not commercialuse and only outside the hours stated (Monday to Friday before 8am and after 4pm, all day during holidays and weekends) subject to the facilities not being in use by the Academy or Community Education.

There are IT facilities available in the Borough Road and Waterleat Road staff rooms.

In order for a member of staff to access the Academy’s IT systems they will require the following:

• Username and Password to access the Academy Network and Academy e-mail
• Username and Password to access the Academy’s MIS system
• Username and Password to access the Learning Gateway

The following documentswill need to be signed before a member of staff accesses the IT Systems provided by the Academy:

• Staff/Directors Acceptable Use Policy
• Laptop/iPad Agreement - Required if you have been issued an Academy laptop or iPad.

Usernames, passwords and documents can be obtained from IT SupportStaff on either site; though the Academy is a split site onlya single username and password for each system is required to access all of the services provided by the Academy.

SIMS InTouch

This is the electronic communication system the Academy uses to message registered parents by e-mail or text. Requests to create a user group or to use SIMS InTouch should be made to Mark Smith, Deputy Principal.

6.5Staff Communication

Staff pigeon holes. Messages and post are left in pigeon holes in staff rooms. All senior staff have a drawer in the reception offices. Please check and clear your pigeon hole regularly.

E-mail. Information will constantly be sent to your Academy e-mail address so please ensure this is checked regularly, a minimum of once a day.

Internal Post. Post left at either Waterleat Road or Borough Road Reception will be collected for delivery to the other site as soon as possible. Receptionists will make arrangements with the Premises Manager or a Caretaker to have heavy parcels and large quantities of post transferred between sites when convenient.

Torbay Council Courier. Although now an Academy post from the Local Authority at Oldway is delivered to Waterleat Road on Tuesday and Thursday mornings (post for Borough Road is transferred the following morning). The courier will take back to Oldway any post required by members of staff.

6.6Staffroom Facilities / Catering Arrangements

Staffrooms/drinks/food. These arelocated on both sites. Drinking water and hot drinks and snacks are available in both staff rooms. Staff can order hot meals from the kitchen. Free meals are available in exchange for duties – please see your Head of Centre if you would like to take advantage of this. Please wash up dishes and return plates and cutlery to the kitchen.

6.7Car Parking

Car parking can be a problem at the Academy, especially on the Borough Road site: therefore car parks are strictly for the use of Academy staff and visitors. There is additional car parking behind the Media Block at Borough Road – please note that this car park is locked during the school day.

You need to display a ‘P’ on your car windscreen: these are available from Reception on either site.

Parents and students are asked not to use the car parks. “Illegal Parkers” are spoken to where possible.

PLEASE LEAVE DISABLED, RESERVED AND VISITOR SPACES FREE. DOUBLE PARKING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE, EVEN WHEN LEAVING A NOTE OF YOUR WHEREABOUTS, AS MANY STAFF ARE SHORT OF TIME WHEN COMMUTING, AND DOUBLE PARKING CAUSES THEM TO BE LATE FOR CLASSES ON THE OTHER SITE, FOR WHICH THEY ARE LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE. EMERGENCY VEHICLES ALSO STRUGGLE TO ENTER THE ACADEMY CAR PARKS WHEN CARS ARE DOUBLE PARKED.

If you prefer to walk between sites it takes 10 – 15 minutes and can be quicker at peak times than driving!

6.8Staff Dress Code

All staff should bear in mind that both their standard and style of dress could affect people’s impression of the professionalism of teachers and the quality of provision at Paignton Community & Sports Academy.

All employees are required to dress in a manner which will inspire trust and respect in pupils and their parents, bearing in mind the needs and circumstances of the environment in which they work.

Gentlemen are expected to wear a collar and tie in the classroom unless the weather makes it unreasonable. Shorts, jeans, leggings, beach style T-shirts and flip-flops are not considered appropriate classroom dress.

It is not possible or desirable to spell out detailed rules on the subject of appropriate dress but senior staff will have the authority to advise an individual member of staff that his or her dress is inappropriate within thisAcademy.

6.9Non Smoking Policy

In line with Government, Torbay Council and Governors’ Policy, from the 1st July 2007, it is against the law for anyone to smoke on Academypremises, this includes the use of electronic or imitation cigarettes. This includes staff, pupils and visitors. If you witness any breach of this law please contact your Head of Centre.

Members of staff are asked not to smoke directly outside the Academy as this is not helpful for our image and could bring the Academy into disrepute.

6.10Keys

Keys for new staff can be obtained by your Head of Faculty from thePremises Manager.

Supply teachers may borrow keys from Reception, if they are available, but must return them each day. Alternatively, Reception staff will ask caretakers to open rooms for you.

Please remember that all buildings are alarmed. Entry outside of normal hours should be kept to a minimum and in any case you will need to consult with the Premises Manager that you wish to come into Academy at times when staff are not expected in school. This is for your own safety and will avoid expensive call outs when alarms are set off accidentally.

6.11Reporting Damage of Academy Buildings/Equipment

All damage to school property should be reported to Heads of Centre in writing. Requests for repairs should be directed to thePremises Manager via a form which can be found in Reception and both staff rooms.

6.12Data Protection / Confidentiality

Sometimes, depending on your job, you will be privy to confidential or sensitive information. Naturally, you will be expected to respect the confidentiality of all persons, whether it is a member of staff or a pupil, at all times (taking into account the guidelines on Child Protection). A breach of confidentiality can lead to a Disciplinary Hearing with the Principal or Governors of the Academy.

Data Protection. All staff should be familiar with Data Protection and how it impacts on our work in the Academy. A small pamphlet is available from the Director of Finance entitled 'A Guide to Data Protection & Security'.

If you have any concerns relating to Data Protection or the Freedom of Information Act, please do not hesitate to ask the Director of Finance for information.

No-one in the Academy should speak to or submit information to the press on any matter associated with the Academy without the permission of the Principal. To contravene this directive could be viewed as a disciplinary issue.

6.13Teenage Information Centre/Teenage Advice Centre (TIC TAC)

TIC TAC (Teenage Information Centre Teenage Advice Centre).

TIC TAC is a service provided by the Academy and is open to all young people, who attend Paignton Community & Sports Academy.

TIC TAC offers support, advice and gives up to date information on many issues which young people may be experiencing. TIC TAC is open every day at each of the Academy sites. The TIC TAC staff are also supported by other Professionals including Health.

TIC TAC promotes a service that:

• Respects the dignity and self-worth of each young person
• Respects and values individual differences
• Recognise and are sensitive to the growing autonomy of each young person
• Respects every young person's right to be a voluntary participant in any helping
• process.
• Recognises the potential of each young person.

TIC TAC works towards good outcomes for young people by working with and through its members and other organisations to secure provision that:

• Responds to the information, advice, counselling and support needs of young people
• Achieves high standards of ethics and good practice
• Demonstrates a commitment to evidence-based practice
• Advocates for individual and groups of young people
• Involves and encourages the participation of young people

TIC TAC can offer young people information, advice, counselling and support services.

TIC TAC has developed an approach which works successfully with young people.

Simple and easy access to information, advice, counselling and support - either through self-referral or with the support of friends, family or another professional.

A range of free services “under one roof” delivered by professional and trained staff who understand young people and who have good links with other services that young people may also want help to access.

A young person-friendly environment offering a flexible mix of drop in and appointments, and with help available on a one off, occasional or regular basis, and over the short, medium and long term.

Impartial help that works alongside young people at their own pace; helping each young person to identify and understand their unique needs and aspirations, supporting them to make their decisions and achieve their goals.

Respect and recognition of every young person's right to privacy and confidentiality within a framework that promotes the safety and well-being of all young people.

Accountable services that secure young people's participation and involvement in supporting and evaluating their continued quality and effectiveness and ensuring they deliver the best outcomes for young people.

6.14Safeguarding Children

The Academy takes its responsibilities in this area very seriously and the advice which follows should serve you well.

Disclosure is when a child tells you something is happening to them or has happened to them which could be considered as abuse. Abuse can be physical, sexual, emotional or by neglect. If anything comes to your attention concerning any pupil please report it and follow the guidelines. Please refer to the Safeguarding Policy.