Parent Code of Conduct

This is designed to ensure a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for pupils, staff and parents/carers. It is also designed to ensure that adults are modelling appropriate behaviour for pupils at all times.

This has been revised in consultation with parents, governors and staff to suit the context of Chew Magna Primary School.

It should be read along side the school`s Home- School Agreement.

1. Purpose and scope

At The Partnership Trust, we believe it’s important to:

• Work in partnership with parents to support their child’s learning
• Create a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for pupils, staff and parents
• Model appropriate behaviour for our pupils at all times

To help us do this, we set clear expectations and guidelines on behaviour for all members of our community. This includes staff (through the staff code of conduct) and pupils (through our behaviour policy).

This code of conduct aims to help our schools work together with parents by setting guidelines on appropriate behaviour.

We use the term ‘parents’ to refer to:

• Anyone with parental responsibility for a pupil
• Anyone caring for a child (such as grandparents or child-minders)
  
  

2. Our expectations of parents and carers

We expect parents, carers and other visitors to:

• Respect the ethos, vision and values of our schools
• Work together with staff in the best interests of our pupils
• Treat all members of our school community with respect – setting a good example with speech and behaviour
• Seek a peaceful solution to all issues
• Correct their own child’s behaviour (or those in their care), particularly in public, where it could lead to conflict, aggression or unsafe conduct
• Approach the right member of school staff to help resolve any issues of concern
  
  

3. Behaviour that will not be tolerated 

• Disrupting, or threatening to disrupt, school operations (including events on any of our schools’ grounds, sports team matches or at a school event)
• Swearing, or using offensive language
• Displaying a temper, or shouting at members of staff, pupils or other parents
• Threatening another member of our school community
• Sending abusive messages to another member of our school community, including via text, email or social media
• Posting defamatory, offensive or derogatory comments about our school, our staff or any member of our community, on social media platforms
• Use of physical punishment against your child while on our school premises or at a school event
• Any aggressive behaviour (including verbally or in writing) towards another child or adult
• Disciplining another person’s child – please bring any behaviour incidents to a member of staff’s attention
• Smoking, vaping or drinking alcohol on the school premises (unless alcohol has been allowed at a specific event)
• Possessing or taking drugs (including legal highs) on the school premises or at any school event
• Bringing dogs onto our school’ premises (other than guide dogs or school dogs)
• Damaging or destroying school property

 
4. Issues of conduct with the use of social media:

 Most people take part in online activities and social media. It’s fun, interesting, and keeps us connected.  There are various online school groups managed by parents for parents, such as WhatsApp groups, and they can be a wonderful source of knowledge, support, and advice. We encourage you to join in and positively participate if you wish.  Within these spaces, however, we ask that you use common sense when discussing school life online. 

Think before you post...

We ask that social media, whether public or private, should not be used to voice complaints against the school, school staff, parents, or pupils.  We take very seriously the inappropriate use of social media by a parent to publicly humiliate or criticise another parent, pupil, or member of staff or use social media as a medium to air any concerns or grievances.

 
Online activity that we consider inappropriate:  

• Identifying or posting images/videos of pupils
• Sharing images of other people`s children
• Abusive or personal comments about staff, pupils or other parents
• Bringing the school into disrepute
• Posting defamatory comments
• Emails circulated or sent directly with abusive or personal comments about staff or pupils
• Using social media to publicly challenge school decisions or school policies or discuss issues about individual children
• Threatening behaviour, such as verbally intimidating staff, or using bad language
• Breaching school security procedures

 At Chew Magna Primary School, we take our safeguarding responsibilities seriously and will deal with any reported incidents appropriately in line with the actions outlined above.

 
5. Complaints

This code of conduct does not prevent parents/carers from raising a legitimate complaint in an appropriate manner.  In most cases, we hope that all complaints and concerns can be resolved through open dialogue with class teachers or other members of staff as appropriate.

 Where you are not satisfied with the responses received, however, we would ask that you then follow the complaints procedure as laid out in our school complaints policy. This is available on the school’s website, but if you would prefer, please contact the school office and we can arrange for a hard copy to be made available.

 

6. Breaching the code of conduct

If any of our school staff or member of our school communities’ suspects, or becomes aware, that a parent has breached the code of conduct, the schools will gather information from those involved and speak to the parent about the incident.

Depending on the nature of the incident, the schools may then:

• Invite the parent in to schools to meet with a senior member of staff or the headteacher
• Send a warning letter to the parent or contact the appropriate authorities (in cases of criminal behaviour)
• Seek advice from the trust’s central team and if necessary, their legal advisors regarding further action (in cases of conduct that may be libellous or slanderous)
• Ban the parent from school sites

The schools will always respond to an incident in a proportional way. The final decision for how to respond to breaches of the code of conduct rests with the relevant school’s headteacher.

The headteacher will consult the chair of governors before banning a parent from the school’s site.

 

Thank you for following this parental code of conduct. Together we strive to create a positive environment, not only for the children but also for everyone who works at or visits Chew Magna Primary School.