Want to join Middle Street? We have limited places available in most year groups.
Want to join Middle Street? We have limited places available in most year groups.
Please reach us at admin@middlestreet.brighton-hove.sch.uk if you cannot find the information you are looking for.
The school's Name: Middle Street Primary School
The school’s postal address: Middle Street. Brighton, BN1 1AL.
The school’s telephone number: 01273 323184.
The name of the member of staff who deals with queries from parents and other members of the public: Claire Mcgrath (School Business Manager).
The name and contact details of the special educational needs and disabilities co-ordinator (SENCO): Lucy Roberts, lucyroberts@middlestreet.brighton-hove.sch.uk.
The local authority manages our admissions process. To find out about our school’s admission and appeal arrangements please click HERE.
For our Attendance Policy please click HERE.
The school does not have a school uniform but the following dress code is in place for all pupils,
Click HERE for the latest Ofsted report from Middle Street Primary School.
2023 Performance Data:
Click HERE for the school performance measures website and the school’s performance measures page.
School opens at 8:45am and closes at 3:15pm for all pupils (this amounts to a total time, in a typical week, of 32.5 hours).
Click HERE for information about the Middle Street Curriculum.
To find out more about our curriculum please contact the school office.
This information is intended to provide clarity and transparency to pupils and parents or carers about what to expect from remote education if local restrictions require entire cohorts (or bubbles) to remain at home.
For details of what to expect where individual pupils are self-isolating, please see the final section.
The remote curriculum
What is taught to pupils at home
A pupil’s first day or two of being educated remotely might look different from our standard approach, while we take all necessary actions to prepare for a longer period of remote teaching.
What should my child expect from immediate remote education in the first day or two of pupils being sent home?
On the first day, that pupils are sent home, no remote learning will be set by class teachers. Please use this day to check that you can access Class Dojo, ensure your IT equipment is working, set up a quiet work space at home and gather together all the equipment and resources you think you will need.
Remote learning provision will begin on day two.
Following the first few days of remote education, will my child be taught broadly the same curriculum as they would if they were in school?
We teach the same curriculum remotely as we do in school wherever possible and appropriate. However, we have needed to make some adaptations in some subjects. For example, to ensure all pupils can access the activities of that they have the required equipment or support at home.
Remote teaching and study time each day
How long can I expect work set by the school to take my child each day?
We expect that remote education (including remote teaching and independent work) will take pupils broadly the following number of hours each day:
Early Years - 2 hours a day
Key Stage 1 - 3 hours a day
Key Stage 2 - 4 hours a day
Accessing remote education
How will my child access any online remote education you are providing?
We use Class DOJO to deliver our remote learning provision, integrated with Zoom and Vimeo for live lessons.
If my child does not have digital or online access at home, how will you support them to access remote education?
We recognise that some pupils may not have suitable online access at home. We take the following approaches to support those pupils to access remote education:
Please contact your child's class teacher if you wish to make use of any of these approaches.
How will my child be taught remotely?
We use a combination of the following approaches to teach pupils remotely:
Engagement and feedback
What are your expectations for my child’s engagement and the support that we as parents and carers should provide at home?
Pupils’ are expected to engage with all remote learning set by the class teacher.
Parents and Carers are expected to support pupils by setting routines to support their child’s education, providing support to unsure pupils can access the remote learning (with both technology and the activities).
How will you check whether my child is engaging with their work and how will I be informed if there are concerns?
We will check pupils’ engagement with remote education on a daily basis and evaluate their engagement weekly.
Where engagement is a concern and member of staff will get in touch with parents and carers via Dojo, phone or email to provide support and identify barriers to engagement. We will then work with families to break down the barriers so engagement can increase.
How will you assess my child’s work and progress?
Feedback can take many forms and may not always mean extensive written comments for individual children. For example, whole-class feedback or quizzes marked automatically via digital platforms are also valid and effective methods, amongst many others. Our approach to feeding back on pupil work is as follows:
Additional support for pupils with particular needs
How will you work with me to help my child who needs additional support from adults at home to access remote education?
We recognise that some pupils, for example some pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), may not be able to access remote education without support from adults at home. We acknowledge the difficulties this may place on families, and we will work with parents and carers to support those pupils in the following ways:
Remote education for self-isolating pupils
Where individual pupils need to self-isolate but the majority of their peer group remains in school, how remote education is provided will likely differ from the approach for whole groups. This is due to the challenges of teaching pupils both at home and in school.
If my child is not in school because they are self-isolating, how will their remote education differ from the approaches described above?
We will take ensure individual pupils self-isolating are provided with learning in-line with their peers in school. Work will be set via Class Dojo, all the communication methods and support mechanisms detailed above will be provided to pupils self-isolating. Time scales for feedback and support may be slightly longer as staff will be engaged in whole class teaching.
Aims
This policy aims to:
Legislation, statutory requirements and statutory guidance
This policy is based on legislation and advice from the Department for Education (DfE) on:
Definitions
Examples of low level behaviours:
Examples of medium level behaviours:
Examples of high level behaviours:
Examples of exceptionally high level behaviours
Bullying
Bullying is defined as the repetitive, intentional harming of 1 person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power.
Bullying is, therefore:
Bullying can include:
Details of our school’s approach to preventing and addressing bullying are set out in our anti-bullying strategy in Appendix 4.
Roles and responsibilities
The governing board
The governing board is responsible for:
The headteacher
The headteacher is responsible for:
Teachers and staff
Staff are responsible for:
The senior leadership team (SLT) will support staff in responding to behaviour incidents.
Parents and carers
Parents and carers, where possible, should:
The school will endeavour to build a positive relationship with parents and carers by keeping them informed about developments in their child's behaviour and the school’s policy, and working in collaboration with them to tackle behavioural issues.
Pupils
Pupils will be made aware of the following during their induction into the behaviour culture:
Pupils will be supported to meet the behaviour standards and will be provided with repeated induction sessions wherever appropriate.
Pupils will be supported to develop an understanding of the school’s behaviour policy and wider culture.
Pupils will be asked to give feedback on their experience of the behaviour culture to support the evaluation, improvement and implementation of the behaviour policy.
Extra support and induction will be provided for pupils who are mid-phase arrivals.
School behaviour curriculum
Positive behaviour reflects the values of our school. We is establish this by creating an environment where good conduct is more likely and poor conduct less likely. We teach what is expected, to all pupils, so that they understand what behaviour is expected and encouraged. We use positive reinforcement to identify when expectations are met and we use support when behaviour falls below expectations.
Pupils are expected to:
Where appropriate and reasonable, adjustments may be made to routines within the curriculum to ensure all pupils can meet behavioural expectations in the curriculum.
Mobile phones
Responding to behaviour
Classroom management
Teaching and support staff are responsible for setting the tone and context for positive behaviour within the school.
They will:
Safeguarding
The school recognises that changes in behaviour may be an indicator that a pupil is in need of help or protection.
We will consider whether a pupil’s behaviour may be linked to them suffering, or being likely to suffer, significant harm.
Where this may be the case, we will follow our child protection and safeguarding policy, and consider whether pastoral support, an early help intervention or a referral to children’s social care is appropriate.
Please refer to our child protection and safeguarding policy for more information.
Responding to good behaviour
When a pupil’s behaviour meets or goes above and beyond the expected behaviour standard, staff will recognise it with positive recognition. This provides an opportunity for all staff to reinforce the school’s culture and ethos.
Positive reinforcements will be applied clearly and fairly to reinforce the routines, expectations and norms of the school’s behaviour culture.
Positive behaviour will be rewarded with:
Responding to behavior that requires support
When a pupil’s behaviour requires support, staff will respond in order to restore a calm and safe learning environment, and to prevent recurrence of behaviour.
Staff will endeavour to create a predictable environment by always supporting behaviour that falls short of the standards, and by responding in a consistent, fair and proportionate manner, so pupils know with certainty that low and medium level behaviour will always be addressed.
De-escalation techniques can be used to help prevent further behaviour issues arising, such as the use of pre-arranged scripts and phrases.
All pupils will be treated equitably under the policy, with any factors that contributed to the behavioural incident identified and taken into account.
When supporting behaviour, staff will consider how to help a pupil meet behaviour standards in the future.
Supporting low/medium level behaviour:
At any point, when appropriate, support the pupil to rejoin and engage with the learning/activity.
If the pupil is not ready to re-engage continue to support the behaviour moving up and down the support as appropriate.
Use other adults within your team to support pupil's as necessary and in exceptional circumstances call for SLT support (this may be a supply teachers in post, or if no other staff are available).
Supporting high level behaviour:
In consultation with SENDCO, SLT and Learning Mentors, review incident and agree next steps – this could be:
Ensure all relevant stakeholders are consulted and informed.
Supporting repeated high level behaviours or exceptionally high level behaviours
Respond as per supporting high level behaviours above.
Consider if next steps require internal or external exclusion where, for example, there has been:
Ensure all relevant stakeholders are consulted and informed.
Personal circumstances of the pupil will be taken into account when choosing support and decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis, but with regard to the impact on perceived fairness.
Reasonable force
Reasonable force covers a range of interventions that involve physical contact with pupils. All members of staff have a duty to use reasonable force, in the following circumstances, to prevent a pupil from:
Incidents of reasonable force must:
When considering using reasonable force, staff should, in considering the risks, carefully recognise any specific vulnerabilities of the pupil, including SEND, mental health needs or medical conditions.
Confiscation and searching
Searching and confiscation is conducted in line with the DfE’s latest guidance on searching, screening and confiscation.
Confiscation
Any prohibited items (listed above) found in a pupil’s possession as a result of a search will be confiscated. These items will not be returned to the pupil.
We will also confiscate any item that is harmful or detrimental to school discipline. These items will be returned to pupils after discussion with senior leaders and parents/carers, if appropriate.
Searching a pupil
Searches will only be carried out by a member of staff who has been authorised to do so by the headteacher, or by the headteacher themselves.
Subject to the exception below, the authorised member of staff carrying out the search will be of the same sex as the pupil, and there will be another member of staff present as a witness to the search.
An authorised member of staff of a different sex to the pupil can carry out a search without another member of staff as a witness if:
When an authorised member of staff conducts a search without a witness, they should immediately report this to another member of staff, and make sure a written record of the search is kept.
If the authorised member of staff considers a search to be necessary, but is not required urgently, they will seek the advice of the headteacher, designated safeguarding lead (or deputy) or SENDCO who may have more information about the pupil. During this time the pupil will be supervised and kept away from other pupils.
A search can be carried out if the authorised member of staff has reasonable grounds for suspecting that the pupil is in possession of a prohibited item or any item identified in the school rules for which a search can be made, or if the pupil has agreed.
An appropriate location for the search will be found. Where possible, this will be away from other pupils. The search will only take place on the school premises or where the member of staff has lawful control or charge of the pupil, for example on a school trip.
Before carrying out a search the authorised member of staff will:
If the pupil refuses to agree to a search, the member of staff can give an appropriate behaviour sanction.
If they still refuse to co-operate, the member of staff will contact the headteacher / designated safeguarding lead (or deputy) / SENDCO, to try to determine why the pupil is refusing to comply.
The authorised member of staff will then decide whether to use reasonable force to search the pupil. This decision will be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration whether conducting the search will prevent the pupil harming themselves or others, damaging property or causing disorder.
The authorised member of staff can use reasonable force to search for any prohibited items identified above, but not to search for items that are only identified in the school rules.
The authorised member of staff may use a metal detector to assist with the search.
An authorised member of staff may search a pupil’s outer clothing, pockets, possessions, desk or locker.
‘Outer clothing’ includes:
Searching pupils’ possessions
Possessions means any items that the pupil has or appears to have control of, including:
A pupil’s possessions can be searched for any item if the pupil agrees to the search. If the pupil does not agree to the search, staff can still carry out a search for prohibited items and items identified in the school rules.
An authorised member of staff can search a pupil’s possessions when the pupil and another member of staff are present.
If there is a serious risk of harm if the search is not conducted immediately, or it is not reasonably practicable to summon another member of staff, the search can be carried out by a single authorised member of staff.
Informing the designated safeguarding lead (DSL)
The staff member who carried out the search should inform the DSL without delay:
All searches for prohibited items (listed in section 3), including incidents where no items were found, will be recorded in the school’s safeguarding system.
Informing parents/carers
Parents/carers will always be informed of any search for a prohibited item (listed in section 3). A member of staff will tell the parents/carers as soon as is reasonably practicable:
Support after a search
Irrespective of whether any items are found as the result of any search, the school will consider whether the pupil may be suffering or likely to suffer harm and whether any specific support is needed (due to the reasons for the search, the search itself, or the outcome of the search).
If this is the case, staff will follow the school’s safeguarding policy and speak to the designated safeguarding lead (DSL). The DSL will consider whether pastoral support, an early help intervention or a referral to children’s social care is appropriate.
Strip searches
The authorised member of staff’s power to search outlined above does not enable them to conduct a strip search (removing more than the outer clothing) and strip searches on school premises shall only be carried out by police officers in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) Code C.
Before calling the police into school, staff will assess and balance the risk of a potential strip search on the pupil’s mental and physical wellbeing and the risk of not recovering the suspected item.
Staff will consider whether introducing the potential for a strip search through police involvement is absolutely necessary, and will always ensure that other appropriate, less invasive approaches have been exhausted first.
Once the police are on school premises, the decision on whether to conduct a strip search lies solely with them. The school will advocate for the safety and wellbeing of the pupil(s) involved. Staff retain a duty of care to the pupil involved and should advocate for pupil wellbeing at all times.
Communication and record-keeping
Where reasonably possible and unless there is an immediate risk of harm, before the strip search takes place, staff will contact at least 1 of the pupil’s parents/carers to inform them that the police are going to strip search the pupil, and ask them if they would like to come into school to act as the pupil’s appropriate adult. If the school can’t get in touch with the parents/carers, or they aren’t able to come into school to act as the appropriate adult, a member of staff can act as the appropriate adult (see below for information about the role of the appropriate adult).
The pupil’s parents/carers will always be informed by a staff member once a strip search has taken place. The school will keep records of strip searches that have been conducted on school premises, and monitor them for any trends that emerge.
Who will be present
For any strip search that involves exposure of intimate body parts, there will be at least 2 people present other than the pupil, except in urgent cases where there is risk of serious harm to the pupil or others.
One of these must be the appropriate adult, except if:
If this is the case, a record will be made of the pupil’s decision and it will be signed by the appropriate adult.
No more than 2 people other than the pupil and appropriate adult will be present, except in the most exceptional circumstances.
The appropriate adult will:
Except for an appropriate adult of a different sex if the pupil specifically requests it, no one of a different sex will be permitted to be present and the search will not be carried out anywhere where the pupil could be seen by anyone else.
Care after a strip search
After any strip search, the pupil will be given appropriate support, irrespective of whether any suspected item is found. The pupil will also be given the opportunity to express their views about the strip search and the events surrounding it.
As with other searches, the school will consider whether the pupil may be suffering or likely to suffer harm and whether any further specific support is needed (due to the reasons for the search, the search itself, or the outcome of the search).
Staff will follow the school’s safeguarding policy and speak to the designated safeguarding lead (DSL). The DSL will consider if, in addition to pastoral support, an early help intervention or a referral to children’s social care is appropriate.
Any pupil(s) who have been strip searched more than once and/or groups of pupils who may be more likely to be subject to strip searching will be given particular consideration, and staff will consider any preventative approaches that can be taken.
Off-site behaviour
Behaviour support may be required where a pupil is off-site when representing the school. This means when the pupil is:
Behaviour support may also be required where a pupil has displayed low/medium or high level behaviours off-site, at any time, whether or not the conditions above apply, if the behaviour:
Support will only be required on school premises or elsewhere when the pupil is under the lawful control of a staff member (e.g. on a school-organised trip).
Online behaviour
The school may be required to support behaviour for pupils where online behaviour when:
Support will only be required on school premises or elsewhere when the pupil is under the lawful control of a staff member.
Suspected criminal behaviour
If a pupil is suspected of criminal behaviour, the school will make an initial assessment of whether to report the incident to the police.
When establishing the fact
s, the school will endeavour to preserve any relevant evidence to hand over to the police.
If a decision is made to report the matter to the police, the Headteacher or a member of the senior leadership team will make the report.
The school will not interfere with any police action taken. However, the school may continue to follow its own investigation procedure, as long as it does not conflict with police action.
If a report to the police is made, the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) will make a tandem report to children’s social care, if appropriate.
Zero-tolerance approach to harmful sexual behaviours, peer-on-peer sexual abuse, sexual harassment and sexual violence
The school will ensure that all incidents of sexual harassment and/or violence are met with a suitable response, and never ignored.
Pupils are encouraged to report anything that makes them uncomfortable, no matter how ‘small’ they feel it might be.
The school’s response will be:
The school has procedures in place to respond to any allegations or concerns regarding a child’s safety or wellbeing. These include clear processes for:
Please refer to our child protection and safeguarding policy for more information
Malicious allegations
Where a pupil makes an allegation against a member of staff and that allegation is shown to have been deliberately invented or malicious, the school will consider action to take against the pupil in accordance with this policy.
Where a pupil makes an allegation of sexual violence or sexual harassment against another pupil and that allegation is shown to have been deliberately invented or malicious, the school will consider whether to take action against the pupil in accordance with this policy.
In all cases where an allegation is determined to be unsubstantiated, unfounded, false or malicious, the school (in collaboration with the local authority designated officer (LADO), where relevant) will consider whether the pupil who made the allegation is in need of help, or the allegation may have been a cry for help. If so, a referral to children’s social care may be appropriate.
The school will also consider the pastoral needs of staff and pupils accused of misconduct.
Please refer to our child protection and safeguarding policy and our policy for allegations against staff, and a statement of procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse against staff for more information on responding to allegations of abuse against staff or other pupils.
Serious sanctions
Detention
Pupils cannot be issued with detentions.
Removal from classrooms
In response to serious or persistent breaches of this policy, the school may remove the pupil from the classroom for a limited time.
Pupils who have been removed will continue to receive education under the supervision of a member of staff which is meaningful, but it may differ from the mainstream curriculum.
Removal is a serious sanction and will only be used in response to serious misbehaviour. Staff will only remove pupils from the classroom once other behavioural strategies have been attempted, unless the behaviour is so extreme as to warrant immediate removal.
Removal can be used to:
Pupils who have been removed from the classroom are supervised by a senior leader, and will be removed for a maximum of 1 hour.
Pupils will not be removed from classrooms for prolonged periods of time without the explicit agreement of the headteacher.
Pupils should be reintegrated into the classroom as soon as appropriate and safe to do so. The school will consider what support is needed to help a pupil successfully reintegrate into the classroom and meet the expected standards of behaviour.
Parents/carers will be informed on the same day that their child is removed from the classroom.
The school will consider an alternative approach to behaviour support for pupils who are frequently removed from class, such as:
Staff will record all incidents of removal from the classroom along with details of the incident that led to the removal, and any protected characteristics of the pupil on CPOMS.
Suspension and permanent exclusion
The school can use suspension and permanent exclusion in response to serious incidents or in response to persistent poor behaviour which has not improved following in-school support and interventions.
The decision to suspend or exclude will be made by the headteacher and only as a last resort.
Please refer to our exclusions policy for more information.
Responding to behaviour that requires support from pupils with SEND
Recognising the impact of SEND on behaviour
The school recognises that pupils’ behaviour may be impacted by a special educational need or disability (SEND).
When incidents arise, we will consider them in relation to a pupil’s SEND, although we recognise that not every incident will be connected to their SEND. Decisions on whether a pupil’s SEND had an impact on an incident will be made on a case-by-case basis.
When supporting behaviour from pupils with SEND, especially where their SEND affects their behaviour, the school will balance their legal duties when making decisions about enforcing the behaviour policy. The legal duties include:
As part of meeting these duties, the school will anticipate, as far as possible, all likely triggers of behaviour, and put in place support to prevent these from occurring.
Any preventative measures will take into account the specific circumstances and requirements of the pupil concerned.
Adapting support for pupils with SEND
When considering behavioural support for a pupil with SEND, the school will take into account:
If the answer to any of these questions is ‘yes’, it may be unlawful for the school to support the pupil for the behaviour.
The school will then assess if it is appropriate to use specific support and if so, whether any reasonable adjustments need to be made to the support.
Considering whether a pupil displaying challenging behaviour may have unidentified SEND
The school’s special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) may evaluate a pupil who exhibits challenging behaviour to determine whether they have any underlying needs that are not currently being met.
Where necessary, support and advice will also be sought from specialist teachers, an educational psychologist, medical practitioners and/or others, to identify or support specific needs.
When acute needs are identified in a pupil, we will liaise with external agencies and plan support programmes for that child. We will work with parents/carers to create the plan and review it on a regular basis.
Pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan
The provisions set out in the EHC plan must be secured and the school will co-operate with the local authority and other bodies.
If the school has a concern about the behaviour of a pupil with an EHC plan, it will make contact with the local authority to discuss the matter. If appropriate, the school may request an emergency review of the EHC plan.
Supporting pupils following behaviour support
Following behaviour support, the school will consider strategies to help the pupil to understand how to improve their behaviour and meet the expectations of the school.
This could include measures like:
Pupil transition
Inducting incoming pupils
The school will support incoming pupils to meet behaviour standards by offering an induction process to familiarise them with the behaviour policy and the wider school culture.
Preparing outgoing pupils for transition
To ensure a smooth transition to the next year, pupils have transition sessions with their new teacher(s). In addition, staff members hold transition meetings.
To ensure behaviour is continually monitored and the right support is in place, information relating to pupil behaviour issues may be transferred to relevant staff at the start of the term or year.
Training
As part of their induction process, our staff are provided with regular training on managing behaviour, including training on:
Behaviour support will also form part of continuing professional development.
Monitoring arrangements
Monitoring and evaluating behaviour
The school will collect data on the following:
The data will be analysed from a variety of perspectives including:
The school will use the results of this analysis to make sure it is meeting its duties under the Equality Act 2010. If any trends or disparities between groups of pupils are identified by this analysis, the school will review its policies to tackle them.
Monitoring this policy
This behaviour policy will be reviewed by the headteacher and at least annually, or more frequently, if needed, to address findings from the regular monitoring of the behaviour data. At each review, the policy will be approved by the Headteacher.
The written statement of behaviour principles (appendix 1) will be reviewed and approved by the full governing board annually.
Links with other policies
This behaviour policy is linked to the following policies
Appendix 1
WRITTEN STATEMENT OF BEHAVIOUR PRIINCIPLES
This written statement of behaviour principles is reviewed and approved by the full governing board every year.
The governing board also emphasises that violence or threatening behaviour will not be tolerated in any circumstances.
ANTI BULLYING STRATEGY
The overarching aim of this strategy is to ensure our school is a calm, safe, happy, welcoming, inclusive, accessible and positive environment for all. We continually aim to ensure positive relationships within the school and in the wider community beyond. This reflects the ethos and vision of our school.
Definition
Bullying is defined as the repetitive, intentional harming of 1 person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power.
Bullying is, therefore:
Bullying can include:
At Middle Street Primary School staff, parent/carers and children work together, to create a happy, caring and safe learning environment. The ethos of the school is one of inclusion, openness and honesty. Bullying will not be tolerated. All forms of bullying are taken equally seriously and dealt with appropriately. It is everyone’s responsibility to take action to prevent occurrences of bullying and to deal with any incidents calmly, quickly and effectively.
Bullying can be brought to the attention of staff either by the victim(s), their friend(s), their parent(s) or other interested people.
How we work to prevent bullying at Middle Street Primary School:
Strategy for dealing with bullying
The following is a list of actions available to staff. The emphasis is always on a caring, listening approach for both the victim and the presenting with the bullying behaviour. These children are often victims too, that is why they turn to bullying, themselves.
How a bullying situation is dealt with very much depends on who is involved and what has taken place. However, every report of bullying will be taken seriously and actioned. The following provides a broad outline of how a bullying situation will be dealt with but it must be kept in mind that there will be additions to the process depending on what has taken place.
Safeguarding Lead / Learning mentors / Teachers and TA, where appropriate, will undertake the following:
In Brief the Support Available for the Victim and Perpetrator:
In order to identify incidents of bullying and the identities of perpetrators, at Middle Street Primary School we have agreed to carry out the following strategies:
Finally, if it is felt by anyone involved dissatisfaction with how a bullying situation has been dealt with they may wish to make a complaint. The complaint procedure’s should be followed.
Middle Street Primary School Anti-bullying information for pupils
Is it bullying?
It might be if you feel hurt because individuals or groups are:
It might be bullying if you feel hurt because of things said about your ethnic background, religious faith, gender, sexuality, disability, special educational need, appearance or issues in your family.
Middle Street Primary School does not tolerate bullying. This is what we do about bullying:
What should you do?
Talk to someone you trust and get them to help you take the right steps to stop the bullying.
If you feel you are being bullied:
If you have been bullied:
When you are talking to an adult about bullying be clear about:
If you find it difficult to talk to anyone at school or at home, ring ChildLine on freephone 0800 1111. This is a confidential helpline. If you are hard of hearing you can use the textphone 0800 400 222.
Middle Street Primary School Anti-bullying information sheet for parents:
Is it bullying?
It might be if individuals or groups are:
It might also be bullying if your child feels hurt because of things said about their ethnic background, religious faith, gender, sexuality, disability, special educational need, appearance or specific issues in your family.
What should you do if your child is being bullied?
Talk to school staff about the bullying. At Middle Street school your first contact point to report concerns about is bullying is the class teacher. They are best contacted via messaging or email.
What will Middle Street Primary school do?
Middle Street does not tolerate bullying. This is what we do about bullying:
Families who feel that their concerns are not being addressed appropriately by the school should follow the schools complaints procedures.
If you need further support and information at any stage or the problem remains unresolved, ring the helpline at Family Lives 0808 800 2222 or contact other local and national support groups.
We use Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised for Reading and Phonics.
You can access the PE and Sports Premium Report by clicking HERE..
Aims
Our school aims to meet its obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) by having due regard to the need to:
Legislation and guidance
This document meets the requirements under the following legislation:
This document is also based on Department for Education (DfE) guidance: The Equality Act 2010 and schools.
Roles and responsibilities
The governing board will:
Eliminating discrimination
The school is aware of its obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and complies with non-discrimination provisions.
Where relevant, our policies include reference to the importance of avoiding discrimination and other prohibited conduct.
Staff and governors are regularly reminded of their responsibilities under the Equality Act – for example, during meetings. Where this has been discussed during a meeting it is recorded in the meeting minutes.
The school has a designated member of staff for monitoring equality issues, and an equality link governor. They regularly liaise regarding any issues and make senior leaders and governors aware of these as appropriate.
Advancing equality of opportunity
As set out in the DfE guidance on the Equality Act, the school aims to advance equality of opportunity by:
Fostering good relations
The school aims to foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not share it by:
Equality considerations in decision-making
The school ensures it has due regard to equality considerations whenever significant decisions are made.
The school always considers the impact of significant decisions on particular groups. For example, when a school trip or activity is being planned, the school considers whether the trip:
The school keeps a written record (known as an Equality Impact Assessment) to show we have actively considered our equality duties and asked ourselves relevant questions. This is recorded at the same time as the risk assessment when planning school trips and activities. The record is completed by the member of staff organising the activity and is stored electronically with the completed risk assessment.
Equality objectives
Monitoring arrangements
The school will update the equality information we publish, at least every year. This document will be reviewed by the governing board at least every 4 years. This document will be approved by the headteacher.
Links with other policies
This document links to the following policies:
Introduction
It is in everyone’s interest that concerns and complaints are resolved as quickly as possible.
We welcome any feedback that helps us improve and all issues will be dealt with fairly and sensitively. When possible, we will aim to resolve issues informally.
If you need to make a formal complaint, please follow the stages of the complaints procedure carefully to ensure it is dealt with fairly and in accordance with timescales. Please do not approach individual governors to raise concerns or complaints. They have no power to act on an individual basis, and it may prevent them from considering complaints at Stage 2 of the procedure.
Complaints that do not fall under this Complaints Procedure
Matters likely to require a Child Protection Investigation:
Complaints about child protection and safeguarding matters are handled under our child protection and safeguarding policy and in accordance with relevant statutory guidance.
If you have immediate concerns that a child has suffered, or is at risk of suffering significant harm please contact Front Door for Families: Tel 01273 290400 (office hours) or 01273 335905 (out of office hours). https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/frontdoorforfamilies
The local authority designated officer (LADO) is Darrel Clews: Tel 01273
295643.
Admissions to schools:
School Admissions Team (local authority): Tel 01273 293653
SchoolAdmissions@brighton-hove.gov.uk in the first instance, who will advise on the correct procedure to follow.
Exclusion of children from school*:
Access to Education Team (local authority): Tel 01273 293480 attendanceteam@brighton-hove.gov.uk https://new.brighton-hove.gov.uk/schools-and-
learning/absentschool/what-happens-if-your-child-excluded-school
*However, complaints about the application of the behaviour policy can be made through the school’s complaints procedure.
Statutory assessments of SEN:
Special Educational Needs Team (local authority): Tel 01273 293552
Complaints about other providers who may use the school premises or facilities:
Providers should have their own complaints procedure to deal with complaints about the service. Please contact them direct or ask the school office for their contact details.
Staff grievances, capability or conduct:
The school’s internal personnel procedures will be used. You are not entitled to participate in proceedings or receive any detail about the
outcome, but you will be informed that the matter is being addressed
Subject Access Requests and Freedom of Information requests:
Refer to the school’s Data Protection Policy and Freedom of Information
policy.
Whistleblowing (for serious wrongdoing that cannot be covered by other procedures):
Refer to the school’s whistleblowing procedure, which can be used by members of staff and the general public. For those who do not wish to raise matters direct with the school, referrals can be made to the
Department of Education: www.education.gov.uk/contactus
National Curriculum content:
Contact the Department for Education: www.education.gov.uk/contactus
The school policies referred to above can be found on the school website, or you can ask for a copy from the school office. There is further information about different types of complaints at https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-school.
The difference between a concern and a complaint
A concern may be defined as ‘an expression of worry or doubt over an issue considered to be important for which reassurances are sought’. A complaint may be defined as ‘an expression of dissatisfaction however made, about actions taken or a lack of action’.
(Ref: DfE Model Complaints Procedure for Schools 2019)
How to raise a concern or make a complaint
A concern or complaint can be made in person, in writing (email, letter or complaint form) or by telephone. It may also be made by a third party acting on your behalf, as long as they have appropriate consent to do so.
If you wish to raise a concern, i.e. seeking reassurance about a particular issue, your first point of contact is usually your child’s class teacher. If you have difficulty discussing a concern with a particular member of staff, please contact Rob Cooper, Headteacher, who will refer you to another member of staff. Similarly, if the member of staff directly involved feels unable to deal with a concern, they may refer you to another staff member, who may be more senior but does not have to be. The ability to consider the concern objectively and impartially is important, so you could be referred to a school governor. However, that governor cannot then be involved if the concern progresses into a formal complaint. You should expect to receive a written acknowledgement within five school working days and a full response within 15 school working days of receiving the concern.
If you wish to make a formal complaint, you should follow the stages outlined in this procedure. It is helpful if you complete the complaint form at the end of this procedure (Appendix 2) as it ensures the school has all the necessary details about the complaint. However, you may also raise your complaint in person or by telephone, in which case the person you raise the complaint with will complete the form.
Accessibility
In accordance with equality law, we will consider making reasonable adjustments to enable complainants to access and complete this complaints procedure, e.g. providing information in alternative formats, helping to complete the form or holding meetings in accessible locations. Please contact the school office if you require any assistance.
Who can make a complaint?
Any person, including members of the public, can make a complaint about any provision of facilities or services we provide. This complaints procedure is not limited to parents or carers of children that are registered at the school. However, please check the section ‘Complaints that do not fall under this complaints procedure’ first to ensure the complaint is not covered by a different procedure.
Anonymous complaints
We will not normally investigate anonymous complaints. The headteacher and/or chair of governors will determine whether the complaint warrants an investigation.
Please note that any complaints about child protection matters are handled under our child protection and safeguarding policy.
Timescales
You must raise the complaint within three months of the incident or, where a series of associated incidents have occurred, within three months of the last of these incidents. We will consider complaints made outside of this timeframe if exceptional circumstances apply. If complaints are made outside of term time or over a weekend, we will record the day received as the first school day back after that time. If other public bodies are investigating aspects of the complaint (eg the police, safeguarding teams or a tribunal), this may impact on our ability to adhere to the timescales within this procedure or result in the procedure being suspended until those public bodies have completed their investigations. If legal action has been taken against the school in relation to the complaint, we may suspend the complaints procedure until those legal proceedings have concluded.
Resolving complaints
Middle Street Primary School takes concerns seriously and will make every effort to resolve the matter as quickly as possible, by offering an empathetic response, an explanation of events or, if appropriate, a recognition that the situation could have been handled differently or better. If this is the case, we will explain any steps that will be taken to help ensure it will not happen again, with an indication of the timescales within which any changes will be made.
Withdrawal of a complaint
If you wish to withdraw a complaint, please confirm this in writing to the headteacher, via email or letter to the school office.
Governing board review of complaints
The governing board will ensure any specific actions for resolution of complaints are completed. In addition to this, at the end of each academic year, the governing board will receive an annual report from the headteacher that outlines the general nature of complaints that year (anonymised). Any learning from complaints can be used to inform the review of the complaints procedure and also other procedures and policies within the school.
Stages of the formal Complaints Procedure
Stage 1: Investigation
If you wish to complain about actions taken or a lack of action taken by the school, you should raise a formal complaint with the headteacher (unless the complaint is about the headteacher or governing board – see below), via the school office. This may be done in person, in writing (preferably on the complaint form at the end of this procedure), or by telephone. You should make it clear that you are raising a formal complaint under the school’s complaints procedure.
The headteacher will acknowledge receipt of the complaint in writing (by letter or email) within five school working days. Within this response, the headteacher will seek to clarify the nature of the complaint and what outcome you would like to see. The response will outline who will be investigating the complaint and the date you can expect a response by.
The headteacher will then investigate the complaint or they may delegate the investigation to another
member of the school’s senior leadership team (but not the decision to be taken). During the investigation, the headteacher (or investigator) may:
They will keep a written record of any meetings/interviews in relation to their investigation.
After the investigation, the headteacher will provide a formal written response within 15 school working days of the date of receipt of the complaint. If the headteacher is unable to meet this deadline, they will provide you with an update and revised response date. The response will detail any actions taken to investigate the complaint and provide a full explanation of the decision made and the reason(s) for it.
Where appropriate, it will include details of actions the school will take to resolve the complaint. The response will include an explanation of how to escalate your complaint if you are dissatisfied with the outcome.
If the complaint is about the headteacher or a member of the governing board, the chair of governors will complete all the actions at Stage 1. Such complaints must be made to the clerk to governors, via the school office.
If the complaint is about the chair of governors, a suitably skilled governor will complete all the actions at Stage 1. Such complaints must be made to the clerk to governors, via the school office.
If the complaint is about more than one governor or the entire governing board, an independent investigator will be appointed. Such complaints must be made to the clerk to governors, via the school office, who will contact the local authority’s Governance Development Team for advice. At the end of their investigation, the independent investigator will provide a formal written response.
You should not approach individual governors to raise concerns or complaints. They have no power to act on an individual basis, and it may also prevent them from considering complaints at Stage 2 of the procedure.
Stage 2: Governors’ Panel
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome at Stage 1, you can appeal this by requesting a hearing with the
governing board’s complaints panel. The request must be made to the clerk to governors within 20 school working days of receipt of the Stage 1 response. Requests received outside of this time frame will only be considered in exceptional circumstances. The clerk will record the date the complaint is received and acknowledge receipt of the complaint in writing (either by letter or email) within five school working days.
The complaints panel will consist of three governors with no prior involvement or knowledge of the complaint and who do not have a vested interest in the outcomes of the proceedings. If there are fewer than three governors from the school available, the clerk will source any additional, independent governors from another local school or their partnership. An entirely independent panel will be convened if the complaint is against one or more members of the governing board.
The clerk will contact the governors’ panel, the headteacher and you to find a mutually convenient date and time for the hearing. A member of the senior leadership team (SLT) may represent the headteacher at the hearing. The clerk will also check with all parties about any access requirements. The hearing should be set within 15 school working days of receiving the complaint. If the timescales cannot be adhered to then the clerk will explain the reasons why and keep you informed.
Once the date has been set, the clerk will write to all parties, confirming the following:
In order to achieve an outcome within acceptable timescales, every effort should be made to adhere to the confirmed hearing date. Only in exceptional circumstances will the arrangements be changed and if necessary the panel may decide to go ahead with the hearing using only written submissions from both parties.
You may bring someone along to provide support, who can be a relative or friend, noting that the purpose of the hearing is to consider the complaint and wherever possible, work towards a resolution; also that it is not a form of judicial process. Such a person who may be considered for example, if a school employee is called as a witness, they may wish to be supported by union representation. Representatives from the media are not permitted to attend.
Electronic recordings of meetings or conversations are not normally permitted unless a complainant’s own disability or special needs require it. Prior knowledge and consent to electronic recordings must be sought from all parties attending before all meetings or conversations take place. Consent will be recorded in any minutes taken.
The panel will not review any new complaints at this stage or consider evidence unrelated to the initial complaint. New complaints must be dealt with from Stage 1 of the procedure.
The hearing will be held in private. The clerk will welcome all parties, ensuring there is appropriate separate waiting space. Both parties must enter the hearing at the same time.
Although the panel will follow formal procedures, the chair will conduct the meeting as informally as possible, making sure all parties feel at ease and treat each other with respect and courtesy. Extra care will need to be taken if a child or young person is present.
Once the complainant and the headteacher (or SLT member) have withdrawn, the panel will deliberate and come to a decision whether:
If the complaint is upheld in whole or in part, the panel will:
The decision will be communicated in writing to all parties within five school working days. If it is not possible to meet this deadline, the panel chair will contact both parties with a revised date.
Next step
If you believe the school did not handle your complaint in accordance with the published complaints procedure or they acted unlawfully or unreasonably in the exercise of their duties under education law, you can contact the Department for Education after completing Stage 2.
The Department for Education will not normally reinvestigate the substance of complaints or overturn any decisions made by the school. They will consider whether the school has adhered to education legislation and any statutory policies connected with the complaint.
You can refer your complaint to the Department for Education via an online form at https://www.gov.uk/contact-dfe.
Alternatively you can write to: Department for Education, Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester, M1 2WD. Tel. 0370 000 2288
Summary of procedure & timescales
Raising a concern (informally) – ie seeking reassurance about an issue.
Who to contact:
Contact the class teacher or form tutor, who may be able to address your concern straight away or will arrange a meeting to discuss the matter with you at a mutually convenient time. If this person is not appropriate, you may contact the headteacher, who will refer you to another member of staff to deal with your concern.
Timescale to receive response*:
Written acknowledgement within five school working days and full response within 15 school working days of receiving the concern.
Formal complaint: Stage 1 (investigation)
Who to contact:
Contact the headteacher, who will investigate your complaint. They may delegate the investigation to another member of the school’s senior leadership team, but the headteacher will provide the response.
If the complaint is about the headteacher or the governing board, contact the clerk to governors who will direct your complaint to the most appropriate person to carry out the investigation.
Timescale to receive response*:
Written acknowledgement within five school working days and full response within 15 school working days of receiving the complaint.
Formal complaint: Stage 2 (governors’ panel)
Who to contact:
If you are not satisfied with the response at Stage 1, you can appeal the outcome by requesting that a panel of governors hear the complaint. Contact the clerk to governors within 20 school working days of receiving the Stage 1 response and the clerk will arrange the hearing.
Timescale to receive response*:
Written acknowledgement within five school working days.
Hearing will be arranged for within 15 school working days of receiving the complaint.
Decision to be sent in writing within five school working days of the
hearing.
Next step: Department for Education
If you remain dissatisfied, you can contact the Department for Education via
https://www.gov.uk/contact-dfe.
*If it is not possible to meet the timescales above, then you will be contacted to discuss reviewing these.
Roles and Responsibilities
The complainant will receive a more effective response if they:
The investigator’s role is to establish the facts relevant to the complaint by providing a comprehensive, open, transparent and fair consideration of the complaint through:
The investigator should:
The clerk to governors is the contact point for the complainant and the panel and should:
The chair of the panel (one of the panel members must agree to act in this role) should ensure that:
Panel members should be aware that:
Appendix 1: Serial and unreasonable complaints
Middle Street Primary School is committed to dealing with all complaints fairly and impartially, and to providing a high quality service to those who complain. We will not normally limit the contact complainants have with our school. However, we do not expect our staff to tolerate unacceptable behaviour and we will take action to protect staff from that behaviour, including that which is abusive, offensive or threatening.
Middle Street Primary School defines unreasonable behaviour as that which hinders our consideration of complaints because of the frequency or nature of the complainant’s contact with the school, such as, if the complainant:
Complainants should try to limit their communication with the school that relates to their complaint, while the complaint is being progressed. It is not helpful if repeated correspondence is sent (by letter, phone, email or in person), as it could delay the outcome being reached.
Whenever possible, the headteacher (and/or chair of governors, if appropriate) will discuss any of the above issues with the complainant informally before applying an ‘unreasonable’ marking. If the behaviour continues, the headteacher will write to the complainant explaining that their behaviour is unreasonable and ask them to change it. For complainants who excessively contact the school, causing a significant level of disruption, we may specify methods of communication and limit the number of contacts in a communication plan. This will be reviewed after six months.
Any threat or action of aggression or violence will be reported to the Health and Safety department at the local authority.
In the case of any serious incident of aggression or violence, we will immediately inform the police and communicate our actions in writing. This may include barring an individual from the school.
Appendix 2: Complaint Form
Please complete and return to admin@middlestreet.brighton-hove.sch.uk who will acknowledge receipt and explain what action will be taken. If you require help in completing the form, please contact the school office. You can also ask third party organisations like the Citizens Advice to help you.
This form is provided for ease of use – you may also raise your complaint in person or by telephone, in which case the person you raise the complaint with will complete the form.
Your name:
Pupil’s name (if relevant):
Your relationship to the pupil
(if relevant):
Address:
Tel no:
Email:
Please give details of your complaint, including whether you have spoken to anybody at the school about it.
What actions do you feel might resolve the problem at this stage?
Are you attaching any paperwork? If so, please give
details.
Signature:
Date:
Official use
Date acknowledgement sent:
By who:
Complaint referred to:
Date:
Click HERE for our Board of Governors webpage.
No school employees have a gross annual salary of £100,000 or more.
Click HERE for the webpage that is dedicated to Middle Street Primary School on the schools financial benchmarking service.
1. Aims
Our school aims to:
2. Legislation and guidance
This policy is based on advice from the Department for Education (DfE) on charging for school activities and the Education Act 1996, sections 449-462 of which set out the law on charging for school activities in England.
3. Definitions
4. Roles and responsibilities
4.1 The governing board
The governing board has overall responsibility for approving the charging and remissions policy, but can delegate this to a committee, an individual governor or the headteacher.
The governing board also has overall responsibility for monitoring the implementation of this policy.
Responsibility for approving the charging and remissions policy has been delegated to the headteacher.
4.2 Headteachers
The headteacher is responsible for ensuring staff are familiar with the charging and remissions policy, and that it is being applied consistently.
4.3 Staff
Staff are responsible for:
· Implementing the charging and remissions policy consistently
· Notifying the headteacher of any specific circumstances which they are unsure about or where they are not certain if the policy applies
The school will provide staff with appropriate training in relation to this policy and its implementation.
4.4 Parents
Parents are expected to notify staff or the headteacher of any concerns or queries regarding the charging and remissions policy.
5. Where charges cannot be made
Below we set out what we cannot charge for:
5.1 Education
- The national curriculum
- A syllabus for a prescribed public examination that the pupil is being prepared for at the school
- Religious education
5.2 Transport
5.3 Residential visits
- The national curriculum
- A syllabus for a prescribed public examination that the pupil is being prepared for at the school
- Religious education
- Supply teachers to cover for those teachers who are absent from school accompanying pupils on a residential visit
6. Where charges can be made
Below we set out what we can charge for:
6.1 Education
6.2 Optional extras
We are able to charge for activities known as ‘optional extras’. In these cases, schools can charge for providing materials, books, instruments or equipment. The following are optional extras:
- The national curriculum
- A syllabus for a prescribed public examination that the pupil is being prepared for at the school
- Religious education
Any charge made in respect of individual pupils will not be greater than the actual cost of providing the optional extra activity, divided equally by the number of pupils participating.
Any charge will not include an element of subsidy for any other pupils who wish to take part in the activity but whose parents are unwilling or unable to pay the full charge.
In cases where a small proportion of the activity takes place during school hours, the charge cannot include the cost of alternative provision for those pupils who do not wish to participate.
Parental agreement is necessary for the provision of an optional extra which is to be charged for.
6.3 Music Tuition
Schools can charge for vocal or instrumental tuition provided either individually or to groups of pupils, provided that the tuition is provided at the request of the pupil’s parent.
Charges may not exceed the cost of the provision, including the cost of the staff giving the tuition.
Charges cannot be made:
6.4 Residential visits
We can charge for board and lodging on residential visits, but the charge must not exceed the actual cost.
7. Voluntary contributions
As an exception to the requirements set out in section 5 of this policy, the school is able to ask for voluntary contributions from parents to fund activities during school hours which would not otherwise be possible.
Some activities for which the school may ask parents for voluntary contributions include:
There is no obligation for parents to make any contribution, and no child will be excluded from an activity if their parents are unwilling or unable to pay.
If the school is unable to raise enough funds for an activity or visit then it will be cancelled.
8. Activities we charge for
The school will charge for the following activities:
For regular activities, the charges for each activity will be determined by the governing board and reviewed each year. Parents will be informed of the charges each year.
9. Remissions
In some circumstances the school may not charge for items or activities set out in sections 6 and 8 of this policy. This will be at the discretion of the governing board and will depend on the activity in question.
9.1 Remissions for residential visits
Parents who can prove they are in receipt of any of the following benefits may be exempt from paying the cost of board and lodging for residential visits:
10. Monitoring arrangements
The headteacher monitors charges and remissions, and ensures these comply with this policy.
This policy will be reviewed by the headteacher every year.
At every review, the policy will be approved by the headteacher.
A written statement of your relationships and sex education (RSE) policy can be accessed HERE.
Our Vision:
Our Values:
Our Ethos:
Middle Street Primary School embodies a nurturing ethos, fostering inclusivity, collaboration, and holistic development. The school prioritises individualised learning, encourages curiosity, and values diversity, creating a supportive environment where students, parents, and teachers work together to cultivate a love for learning. Through a curriculum that integrates academic excellence with social and emotional growth, the school aims to prepare students for a bright future while instilling empathy and a sense of community. This ethos emphasises a commitment to the well-being of all, ensuring that every child feels valued, empowered, and inspired to reach their full potential.
If a parent requests a paper copy of the information on the school’s website, it will be provided free of charge. Please request paper copies by contacting the school using the 'contact us' details above.
Middle Street Primary School
Middle Street Primary School, Middle St, Brighton, England BN1 1AL, United Kingdom
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