We are very fortunate to have a committed and supportive school community where staff, governors and parents recognise that the education of our children and young people is a partnership between all of us.  Accordingly, we welcome the full participation of our parents in the life of the school.  We endeavour to maintain positive relationships with parents and visitors.  We are committed to resolving difficulties in a constructive manner through open, positive communication.

Our school values and ethos require that all members of our school community can expect to be treated reasonably and with respect.  Barnwood Park School further has a duty of care to its employees and volunteers to protect them from behaviour which is rude, intimidating, abusive, aggressive or threatening.

Purpose: This code is intended to ensure that we share a common expectation and understanding in relation to the behaviour of parents and visitors.

Code of Conduct

We expect parents and visitors to:

• Respect the inclusive, caring values and ethos of the school
• Understand that the values and ethos of the school encompass relationships with staff and volunteers
• Demonstrate that all members of the school community are to be treated with respect and dignity
• Respect, and cooperate with, the school’s policies, processes and procedures
• Recognise that school staff are endeavouring to act in the best interests of the child/ren involved in events
• Approach the school in a proportionate and measured way to resolve any issues of specific concern
• Recognise that school staff have many competing duties during a typical day which may mean that they are not immediately available, for example, staff should not be expected to respond to a queries within an unrealistic time-frame e.g., staff may not be able to respond on the same day
• Understand that requests for meetings without appointment or for an unspecified reason cannot be accommodated and allow time for staff to look into and respond to a query/issue rather than seeking a meeting in the first instance
• Respond calmly when any incident is reported by a child or young person and contact us to clarify what has happened, so that issues can be resolved swiftly and positively
• Use our Complaints policy appropriately to raise concerns and complaints

We are obliged to secure a safe and calm school environment, and to support the well-being of all members of our school community.  We cannot accept, and will not tolerate, any of the following behaviours towards any child or adult:

• Disruptive behaviour which interferes with, or threatens to interfere with, the normal business of the school
• Violence or the threat of violence
• Shouting or raising of the voice
• Speaking in an aggressive or threatening tone
• Abusive or aggressive communications
• Physical intimidation e.g. standing close, blocking exit
• Physical contact
• Swearing
• Spitting
• Language or actions which breach our commitment to Equality and Diversity, for example, racist, sexist, LGBTQ-phobic
• Behaviour which causes staff or volunteers to feel uncomfortable or bullied
• Threats of non-violent action designed to intimidate staff or volunteers
• Defamatory, offensive or derogatory comments (direct or implied) about any member of the school community, including unfounded and/or blanket comments about the professional competency or motivation of staff or volunteers – this extends to comments made on social media.
• Damaging of school property
• Approaching someone else’s child in order to chastise them because of their actions towards their own child
• Smoking, vaping or consuming drugs or alcohol whilst on school property (alcohol may be consumed only during authorised events)
• Bringing animals onto school premises (other than assistance dogs)

This applies to personal interaction and also all telephone, email, text, letter or social media communications.

Unacceptable behaviour may result in:

• A letter from the school requesting that the behaviour ceases
• An invitation to attend a meeting to discuss and address the behaviour
• Restrictions on the school’s response to communications (any restrictions will be detailed in a letter to the parent/s or visitor concerned)
• A ban on entering school premises (usually for a limited period in the first instance)
• Complaints/communications being deemed vexatious
• Information being passed to the police
• Police being called to remove people from the premises
• The school taking legal or local authority advice

Complaints:

This Code of Conduct does not prevent parents or visitors raising legitimate concerns or complaints.

Concerns and complaints can be resolved through constructive, open dialogue with members of staff, utilising our Complaints Policy as appropriate.