Appendix 1: Poets in Schools Terms of Agreement for poets

When you go into a school on behalf of The Poetry Society, you must agree to the following terms:

I will

• Communicate with the nominated teacher/staff member in advance to clarify all matters pertaining to the visit and to plan a successful visit.

• Inform the school/venue and The Poetry Society as soon as possible if there is any change in circumstances affecting the prospective visit. Organising a poet visit can be a significant undertaking for a school or organisation, and The Poetry Society asks poets only to commit to visits they know with all reasonable certainty they can carry out. If a poet is no longer able to conduct a physical visit to the school, but can facilitate a digital visit, The Poetry Society will explore a digital alternative with the school, but cannot guarantee that the school will be able to facilitate this.

• Conduct the visit with all reasonable skill and care and to the best of my ability.

• Adhere to the relevant school or venue’s child protection policy at all times. If the host venue does not have its own policy, adhere to The Poetry Society’s child protection policy.

• Ensure that I am not left unsupervised with pupils, whether in a school or online.

• Ensure that the data shared with me about pupils is kept to a minimum, and delete any data about pupils except their first name and their poems immediately after the visit.

• Invoice The Poetry Society in full for fees and expenses as soon as possible after the event, supplying receipts for any expenses claimed.

• Take responsibility for arranging any necessary travel and accommodation. We expect you to take standard class travel, and if you drive, fuel is calculated at 45p per mile.

A note on DBS certificates

We require all Poets in Schools to hold an Enhanced DBS certificate from the last two years, or to sign up to the DBS Update Service. Poets should be aware that a requirement to possess a DBS certificate, whatever the nature or duration of a visit, is at the discretion of the individual school/venue and its child protection policy.

If you need to apply for or renew your DBS, then please contact us and we can arrange this for you for a minimal admin fee.