Behaviour Policy

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Safeguarding and Child Protection

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is the responsibility of all staff, directors, and volunteers working in the school.  When concerned about the welfare of a student, staff members should always act in the best interests of the child.

Our aim is to:

• Establish and maintain a safe environment in which children can learn and develop.
• Establish and maintain an environment where children feel secure, are encouraged to talk, and are listened to.
• Our Safeguarding Lead is Sylvia Young, Principal
• Our Deputy Safeguarding Lead is Alison Ruffelle Managing Director.

Aims and Ethos

We aim to provide opportunities for our students to access and experience the curriculum regardless of race, class, gender or religious belief.  We promote a sense of self-esteem, responsibility and tolerance.  We value and challenge the individual so that they may achieve their highest levels of attainment.

Equal Opportunity

Equal opportunity is the right of everyone to equal chances, and each individual is respected for who they are.

Building Accessibility

There is a lift to the first, second, third and fourth floors from the ground floor.  There is a disabled lift from the ground floor to the basement floor.  Disabled lavatories are available, at reception on the ground floor, in the first aid room, and on the second and third floors. There is a RefugeWatch system in place for evacuation and two evacuchairs located at opposite ends of the building. If necessary an evacuchair can be moved to accommodate the needs of a mobility impaired person prior to their being in the building. The premises have two sunken gardens at basement level from which there is emergency access via a coded lock to street level. Access to the building is via Nutford Place, Brown Street and Seymour Place.

Special Educational Needs

Our staff does their very best to accommodate every child.
However, it is helpful for staff to be aware if a student is dyslexic, for example, so that support can be available in a drama or singing class to read scripts or lyrics.  Support would take the form of teacher awareness only.  We would not be able to provide an additional member of staff.  Equally it may be helpful for dance teachers to be aware  if a student is dyspraxic as the student may need more time to pick up routines. The student would need to be able to benefit from the teaching available  in the class at the same time as not impeding the learning of other students.  Should you wish to discuss any of these points with us to confirm whether the classes would be suitable for your child please feel free to contact us to arrange a meeting with the Prinicipal. 

Health and Safety

We recognise so far as is reasonably practicable the duty to ensure the following:

• To provide adequate resources to maintain a safe place of work, safe systems of work, safe equipment and a healthy and safe working environment
• To ensure that hazards are identified and regular assessments of risks are undertaken
• To provide information, instruction and training as is necessary to ensure employees and others are assured of a safe and healthy working environment
• To promote the awareness of health and safety and encourage health and safety best practice throughout our organisation
• To ensure we are taking the appropriate protective and preventive measures
• To ensure that we have access to competent advice and are able to secure compliance with our statutory duties.

Fire

We will ensure, so far as it is reasonably practicable, that the risk from fire will be managed in compliance with The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1999, The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and other appropriate regulations.        

Management of fire risks will be undertaken in such a way as to prevent injury or ill-health to employees, students, visitors and contractors and others who may be affected by the activities of the organisation.

First Aid

We recognise the need for a duty of care and the legal requirement for first aid provision and sets out to ensure that adequate arrangements are provided for students, staff and visitors who are injured or taken ill at work, or for dealing with emergency situations that require first aid.

A qualified first aider will be onsite at all times. If a student needs treatment for minor injuries or illness, the first aider will administer appropriate first aid. Parents/guardians will be informed of any treatment administered. In the case where a student is not well enough to stay in school then parents/guardians will be contacted and asked to collect the student from school. It is the decision of the parent/guardian whether to seek medical aid once an ill or injured student is collected from school and our advice would always be to follow this course of action, however, we can assume no responsibility for the outcome of any decision.

Where the injury or illness is beyond the scope of basic first aid and requires emergency treatment in A&E the first aider will contact the emergency services and the parent/guardian or host family or any alternative emergency contact.  Where no contact person is available, the first aider or a member of staff will travel in the ambulance with the student to the hospital and act ‘in loco parentis’ until the parent/guardian arrives at the hospital.  The member of staff will have all necessary contact details for the student and any medical information about the student in order to be able to liaise with the hospital.

Medication

Auto-injection use and asthma Inhalers for part time classes. Parents/guardians should follow our simple guidelines if their child is prescribed an auto-injector or an asthma inhaler.

• Please make us aware by completing the medical form during registration. This is automatically printed in the staff registers.
• Your child MUST always carry TWO auto-injector pens with them in their bag. The bag must be clearly marked with the student's name.
• Your child’s bag should be placed where the teacher can quickly gain access if needed.
• Your child must always carry with them two asthma pumps and a spacer if they use one.
• In your child’s interest please make sure that auto-injection pens and asthma inhalers are always in date.

Confidentiality

Information obtained during provision of first aid, including medical conditions and treatment will be kept confidential. Disclosure of this personal health information after the event can only be made with the person's written consent. We are aware that the disclosure of health information without written consent is unethical and may be illegal in some instances.

Emergency Evacuation

The school has an arrangement with Lords’ Cricket Ground to evacuate staff and students if there is an immediate risk to their health and safety.  Students would walk to the venue where there would be shelter provided including toilets and water until arrangements could be put in place for students to make their own way home safely or to  be collected by parents.  The website can be used for passing on any general information