Parent Code of Conduct

Parent Code of Conduct

Introduction

At the Roseland Multi Academy Trust, our communities are at the heart of everything we do. Our vision for our schools includes:

• Being securely anchored in the heart of their communities

• Developing and supporting the next generation

• Instilling pride in everyone connected to them, directly or indirectly

• Building strong parental partnerships that form the foundation of our exceptional schools

Our Trust schools are dedicated to providing a safe, positive, and supportive learning environment for all students. As a valued member of our parental community, we expect you to adhere to the following guidelines to maintain a respectful and professional atmosphere within our schools.

Purpose and Scope

We believe it is essential to:

• Partner with parents/carers to support their child’s learning

• Create a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all students, staff, and parents/carers

• Model appropriate behaviour for students and staff at all times

• Uphold our values of Kindness, Responsibility, and Ambition

• Fulfil our Trust Mission to provide outstanding education for our communities, where everyone succeeds

• Realise our Trust Vision to inspire a love of learning within environments that are happy, respectful, and challenging, where everyone feels valued and can reach their full potential

To achieve these goals, we set clear expectations and guidelines on behaviour for all community members. This includes staff (through the Staff Cultures) and students (through the Behaviour Policy). These guidelines help our schools collaborate with parents/carers by establishing expectations for appropriate behaviour.

We use the term ‘parents’ to refer to:

• Anyone with parental responsibility for a student

• Anyone caring for a child (such as grandparents or childminders)

Our Expectations of Parents and Carers

We expect parents, carers, and other visitors to:

• Respect the Mission, Vision, and Values of our Trust

• Collaborate with staff in the best interests of our students Treat school staff, students, and other parents or visitors with respect and professionalism at all times, avoiding behaviour that may disrupt the educational process or create a hostile environment

• Communicate with school staff respectfully, professionally, and with a solution-focused approach. Parents are encouraged to bring any concerns or questions to the appropriate school staff member, such as a teacher or administrator, promptly

• Attend school events, such as family learning, open evenings, and school performances, in a respectful and professional manner

• Support the school’s efforts to maintain a safe, positive, and supportive learning environment for all students, including adhering to school policies and procedures and supporting disciplinary measures when necessary

• Limit the use of electronic devices, such as mobile phones, during school events or visits to the school. Parents/carers should refrain from using these devices in a manner that may disrupt the educational process or create a hostile environment

• Maintain the confidentiality of student information and not share it with others without the express written consent of the school or the student’s parent/carer

• Clarify a child’s version of events with the school’s perspective to reach a peaceful resolution to any issue

Behaviour That Will Not Be Tolerated

The following behaviours may result in the immediate ending of an encounter:

• Disrupting, or threatening to disrupt, school operations (including events on the school grounds and sports team matches)

• Swearing, using offensive language, displaying a temper, or shouting at members of staff, students, or other parents

• Threatening another member of a school’s community

• Removing your child from school without engaging in respectful, professional, and solution-focused conversations

• Recording and/or filming staff and/or students without consent or knowledge

• Sending abusive messages to another member of a school’s community, including via text, email, or social media

• Posting defamatory, offensive, or derogatory comments about a school or Trust, its staff, or any member of its community on social media platforms

• Using physical punishment against your child

• Any aggressive behaviour (including verbal or written) 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/being under the influence of alcohol on school premises, or possessing or taking drugs (including legal highs)

• Demanding an instant meeting with a member of staff and/or refusing to leave premises until a meeting has taken place

• Refusing to follow signing in/out procedures, thus failing to follow safeguarding procedures

Inappropriate Use of Social Media

Social media platforms are increasingly used to fuel negative campaigns and complaints against schools, Headteachers, staff, and sometimes other parents/carers or students. The Trust Board considers such use of social media unacceptable and not in the best interests of the children or our school communities.

Any concerns should be made through appropriate channels by speaking to a member of staff or by following the Trust’s Complaints Policy to ensure concerns are dealt with fairly, appropriately, and effectively. If a student or parent/carer is found to be posting libelous or defamatory comments on social media, they will be reported to the appropriate 'report abuse' section of the network site.

All social media sites have clear rules about acceptable content and provide mechanisms to report content or activity that breaches these rules. A school will expect any parent/carer or student to remove such comments immediately. In serious cases, a school will consider its legal options to address misuse of social networking and other sites.

Cyberbullying and using social media to publicly humiliate another child or parent/carer is a serious incident of bullying, which will be addressed accordingly.

Breaching the Code of Conduct

If a school suspects or becomes aware that a parent/carer has breached the Parent Code of Conduct, the school will gather information from those involved and speak to the parent/carer about the incident.

• Depending on the nature of the incident, the school may:

• Invite the parent/carer into school to meet with a senior member of staff or the Headteacher

• Send a warning letter to the parent/carer

• Contact the appropriate authorities (in cases of criminal behaviour)

• Seek advice regarding further action (in cases of conduct that may be libelous or slanderous)

• Ban the parent/carer from the school site

The school will always respond to an incident in a proportionate way. The final decision for how to respond to breaches of the Parent Code of Conduct rests with the Headteacher, who will consult the Chair of the Trust Board before banning a parent/carer from the school site.

Please note that by sending your child to Falmouth School, you agree to adhere to the Parent Code of Conduct, which is not an opt-in/out policy.