Parent & Visitor Code of Conduct

At Marie Weller Primary School we are very fortunate to have very supportive and friendly parents. Our parents recognise that educating children is a process that involves a strong partnership between home and school and understand the importance of a good working relationship to equip children with the necessary skills for the next stage of education and adulthood.

The purpose of this policy is to provide a reminder to all parents and visitors to our school about expected conduct so that we can work together to ensure a safe and positive school environment for our children.

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Respect and concern for others and their rights

We expect all parents and visitors to show respect and concern for others by:-

• supporting the respectful ethos of our school by setting a good example in their own speech and behaviour towards all members of the school community;
• working together with teachers for the benefit of children. This includes approaching the school to resolve any issues of concern and to discuss and clarify specific events in order to bring about a positive solution;
• reinforcing the school’s policy on behaviour;
• respecting the learning environment appropriately (both in school and off site);
• parking with consideration and respect for others when delivering and collecting children from school.

In order to support a peaceful and safe school environment, the school does not tolerate:-

• disruptive behaviour which interferes with the operation of a classroom, an office area or any other part of the school grounds;
• using loud and/or offensive language or displaying temper;
• threatening harm or the use of physical aggression towards another adult or child. This includes approaching someone else’s child in order to discuss or chastise them and physical punishment against your own child on school premises. (Some actions may constitute an assault with legal consequences);
• damaging or destroying school property;
• issuing or partaking in abusive, threatening, malicious or inflammatory emails, phone or social network messages (see attached appendix);
• smoking and consumption of alcohol or other drugs or accessing the school site whilst intoxicated.

The above behaviours on school premises, or directed at a member of our community online, will be reported to the appropriate authorities, and Governors may prohibit an offending adult from entering the school grounds to safeguard our school community.

We trust that all parents and visitors will fully support this Code of Conduct.

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Appendix 1:

Unfortunately, social media websites are being used increasingly by a significant few to fuel campaigns and complaints against schools, school staff, and in some cases other parents/pupils. Marie Weller Primary School considers the use of social media websites being used in this way as unacceptable, setting a bad example to children and not in the best interests of the children or the whole school community.

Any concerns about the school should be made through the appropriate channels by speaking to the Class Teacher, the Headteacher or the Chair of Governors, so they can be dealt with fairly, appropriately, and effectively for all concerned.

In the event that any pupil or parent/family member of a child/ren being educated at MWPS is found to be posting libellous or defamatory comments on Facebook or other social network sites, they will be reported to the appropriate 'report abuse' section of the network site. All social network sites have clear rules about the content which can be posted on the site, and they provide robust mechanisms to report contact or activity which breaches this. The school will also expect that any parent or pupil removes such comments immediately.

In serious cases the school will also consider its legal options to deal with any such misuse of social networking and other sites. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, is the issue of cyber bullying and the use by any member of the school community to publicly humiliate another by inappropriate social network entry. We will take and deal with this as a serious incident of school bullying and reserve the right to refer the matter to the police.