Parent and Visitor Code of Conduct Whole School
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DATE October 2024
REVIEW DATE August 2025
Owner Director Version Number: 02
Working Date: 04/10/2023
Legal Sign-off by: N/A
Type of Policy: External, Internal
Authorised by Exec: 30/10/2024
Effective date of Policy: September 2024
Circulation: Website, Parent Portal, Staff Handbook
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
1.1 The purpose of this code is to provide a reminder to all parents and visitors about expected conduct so that we can work together to ensure safe and positive environments for our children.
1.2 We use the term ‘parents’ to refer to:
1.2.1 Anyone with parental responsibility for a student.
1.2.2 Anyone caring for a child (such as grandparents or child-minders)
RESPECT AND CONCERN FOR OTHERS AND THEIR RIGHTS
2.1 We expect parents and visitors to show respect and concern for others by:
2.1.1 supporting the respectful ethos of our schools by setting a good example in their own speech and behaviour towards all members of their school community;
2.1.2 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. This can include seeking to clarify a child’s version of events with the school’s view in order to bring about a peaceful solution to any issue;
2.1.3 not using WhatsApp groups to negatively discuss any staff or other people’s children, or to raise grievances which may have occurred in school;
2.1.4 correcting their own child’s behaviour, especially where it could lead to conflict;
2.1.5 demonstrating in their own behaviour that all members of the school community should be treated with respect and understand that even if there is conflict due to a member of staff’s oversight, parents must remain calm and respectful;
2.1.6 reinforcing the School’s Behaviour Policy;
2.1.7 keeping our children safe by adhering to the school’s request to drive and park safely around and outside the school gates during morning and afternoon collections as well as showing respect and consideration for our neighbours.
IN ORDER TO SUPPORT A CALM AND SAFE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT JESS DOES NOT TOLERATE:
3.1 Disruptive behaviour which interferes with the operation of a classroom, an office area or any other part of the school grounds (including events on the school grounds and sports team matches);
3.2 Using loud and/or offensive language or displaying temper;
3.3 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);
3.4 Damaging or destroying school property;
3.5 Filming or recording of any abusive, threatening or aggressive behaviour instigated towards a member of staff or child;
3.6 Abusive, threatening, malicious, or inflammatory emails, phone or social network messages to anyone within the school community;
3.7 Smoking (including vaping) and consumption of alcohol or other drugs or accessing the school site whilst intoxicated;
3.8 Pets being brought on to the school premises (other than guide dogs or reading dogs).
3.9 JESS reserves the right to restrict an offending adult from entering the school grounds to safeguard the school community.
LANYARD ACCESS SYSTEM
4.1 This image explains the JESS lanyard access system. Lanyards must be worn and visible whilst on site.
4.2 OUT OF HOURS ACCESS (ALL GATES)
4.2.1 JESS parents must wear their JESS parent lanyard and complete the sign in sheet at Security Hut to access the site outside of hours.
4.2.2 All other visitor (including JESS parents who do not have their lanyard) must provide a physical photo ID to sign in. Security will hold the ID and issue the visitor with a white Visitor – Out of Hours lanyard. When the lanyard is returned to Security the ID will be returned.
4.2.3 Site access will not be permitted if there is no physical photo ID is available.
4.3 SCHOOL ECA ACCESS
4.3.1 Outside Hire companies who art part of the primaries ECA programme will access via gates:
(a) JESS Jumeirah: Gate 1
(b) JESS Ranches: Gate 2
4.4
SPORTS FIXTURES ACCESS
4.4.1 All attendees (including referees and additional support staff) will enter via gates:
(a) JESS Jumeirah: Gate 2
(b) JESS Ranches: Gate 5
4.4.2 JESS parents are required to wear their JESS parent lanyard and sign in at designated gate
4.4.3 The Head Coach of the visiting team/school should present their staff ID card to Security on arrival together with an attendee register of those participating in the fixture.
4.4.4 The Head Coach is responsible for confirming with Security that all registered attendees have exited the site when signing out.
4.4.5 Parents/Visitors from other schools can use their school lanyard to access the site and sign in and out with Security.
4.4.6 Any other visitor (including JESS parents who do not have their lanyard) must provide a physical photo ID to sign in. Security will hold the ID and issue the visitor with a white Visitor – Out of Hours lanyard. When the lanyard is returned to Security the ID will be returned.
SOCIAL MEDIA
5.1 If any student or member of the JESS community is found to be posting libellous or defamatory comments on social network sites about staff and/or students, they will be reported to the appropriate 'report abuse' section of the network site.
5.2 Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, is the issue of cyber bullying and the use by any student or member of the JESS community to publicly humiliate another by inappropriate social network entry will be dealt with as a serious incident of school bullying.
5.3 Online activity which we consider inappropriate:
5.3.1 Identifying or posting images/videos of children;
5.3.2 Abusive or personal comments about staff, governors, children or other parents;
5.3.3 Bringing the school into disrepute;
5.3.4 Posting defamatory or libellous comments;
5.3.5 Emails circulated or sent directly with abusive or personal comments about staff or children;
5.3.6 Using social media or WhatsApp groups to publicly challenge school policies or discuss issues about individual children or members of staff;
5.3.7 Threatening behaviour, such as verbally intimidating staff, or using bad language;
5.3.8 Breaching school security procedures.
5.4 At JESS we take our safeguarding responsibilities seriously and will deal with any reported incidents appropriately in line with the actions outlined below.
WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE IGNORES OR BREAKS THE CODE?
6.1 In the event of any parent or visitor of the school breaking this code then proportionate actions will be taken as follows:
6.1.1 If the School suspects, or becomes aware, that a parent has breached the code of conduct, the School will gather information from those involved and speak to the parent about the incident.
6.1.2 Depending on the nature of the incident, an individual school may then:
(a) Send a warning letter to the parent. In cases where the code of conduct has been broken but the breach was not libellous, slanderous or a criminal matter, the relevant school will send a formal warning letter to the parent with an invitation to a meeting with a senior member of staff or the Headteacher.
(b) If the parent refuses to attend the meeting then the School will write to the parent and ask them to stop the behaviour causing the concern
(c) If the behaviour continues, the School will report the behaviour/ incident to the KHDA.
WHAT HAPPENS IF A PARENT HAS A CONCERN ABOUT THEIR CHILD IN RELATION TO THE SCHOOL?
7.1 We ask that the parent initially contacts the Class Teacher or Head of Year.
7.2 If the concern is not resolved, parents are asked to contact a member of the School Leadership Team.
7.3 If still unresolved, they should contact the Headteacher prior to following the steps outlined in our Parental Complaints Policy.
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