Information that maintained schools must publish online

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,

• Clothes should be school appropriate.
• No Slogan clothing which could cause offence to other members of the school.
• No dressing up costumes, character outfits or onesies.
• Appropriate sportswear should be worm on scheduled PE days
• Due to health and safety reasons jewellery, make-up, fake nails and flip flops are not permitted.
• Clothing should allow for normal comfortable childhood play in the playground so should be properly fitting clothes and footwear that does not contain a heel or wedge

Click HERE for the latest Ofsted report from Middle Street Primary School.

2023 Performance Data:

• 65.5% of pupils achieved at least the expected standard in reading, writing and maths 
• 10.3% of pupils achieved a higher standard in reading, writing and maths 
• Progress score in reading = 3.71
• Progress score in writing = -0.63
• Progress score in maths = 1.44
• Average scaled score in maths = 105.1
• Average scaled score in reading = 108.3

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:

• issue/lend laptops or tablets to pupils
• issue/lend devices that enable an internet connections e.g routers & dongles
• issue printed materials for pupils that do not have online access 
• provide drop off and collection points for pupils to submit work if they do not have online access

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:

• recorded teaching (video/audio recordings made by teachers)
• live teaching (online lessons)
• Online activities that pupils can:
• complete online
• print and complete on paper
• commercially available websites supporting the teaching of specific subjects or areas, including video clips or sequences

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:

• class teachers will assess all work by viewing and marking submissions made via Class Dojo
• pupils will receive feedback by the end of the next working day following submission

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:

• we will work with families to support and deliver remote education for pupils with SEND by providing support to overcome barriers, providing specific equipment or individual coaching sessions via Zoom with a learning mentor
• we will work with families to deliver remote education for younger pupils, for example those in reception and year 1 by providing support to overcome barriers, providing specific equipment or individual coaching sessions via Zoom with a learning mentor

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:

• Create a positive culture that promotes excellent behaviour, ensuring that all pupils have the opportunity to learn in a calm, safe and supportive environment
• Establish a whole-school approach to maintaining high standards of behaviour that reflect the values of the school
• Outline the expectations and support of behaviour
• Provide a consistent approach to behaviour support that is applied equally to all pupils
• Define what we consider to be unacceptable behaviour, including bullying and discrimination

Legislation, statutory requirements and statutory guidance

This policy is based on legislation and advice from the Department for Education (DfE) on:

• Behaviour in schools: advice for headteachers and school staff 2022
• Searching, screening and confiscation: advice for schools 2022
• The Equality Act 2010
• Keeping Children Safe in Education
• Suspension and permanent exclusion from maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units in England, including pupil movement 2023
• Use of reasonable force in schools
• Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school 
• Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice
• DfE guidance explaining that maintained schools must publish their behaviour policy online

Definitions

Examples of low level behaviours:

• Individual shows signs of anxiety
• Hands over ears
• Hiding face in hands or bent over/under table
• Pulling up collar or pulling down hat
• Rocking or tapping
• Withdrawing from a group
• Refusing to speak or dismissive
• Refusing to cooperate
• Adopting Defensive postures
• Misusing the school environment or resources
• Failing to follow instructions (completing work/tidying up/movement around school)

Examples of medium level behaviours:

• Individual begins to display higher tension
• Making noises and moving around
• Belligerent and abusive
• Talking louder, higher, quicker
• Adopting aggressive postures
• Changes in eye contact
• Pacing
• Breaking minor rules
• Low level destruction
• Picking up objects which could be used as weapons
• Challenges — 'I will not. . .you can’t make me'
• Rough Play
• Being unkind to others
• Deliberately distracting others
• Calling out

Examples of high level behaviours:

• Shouting and screaming
• Crying
• Head banging against people or surfaces
• Slapping or punching self
• Damaging property
• Stealing
• Moving towards danger
• Fiddling with electrics
• Climbing trees, roofs or out of windows
• Tapping or threatening to break glass
• Moving towards weapons
• Picking up objects which can be used as weapons
• Grabbing or threatening others
• Hurting others (Head butting, pinching, biting, kicking, slapping punching)

Examples of exceptionally high level behaviours

• No improvement in attitude or behaviour
• Intentional threats or physical assult of another child or adult
• Persistently rude or disruptive behaviour
• Aggressive, unsafe or unmanageable behaviour
• Behaviour that puts self or others at risk
• Repeated breaches of the school rules
• Any form of bullying 
• Sexual violence, such as rape, assault by penetration, or sexual assault (intentional sexual touching without consent)
• Sexual harassment, meaning unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, such as: Sexual comments, Sexual jokes or taunting, Physical behaviour such as interfering with clothes or Online sexual harassment, such as unwanted sexual comments and messages (including on social media), sharing of nude or semi-nude images and/or videos, or sharing of unwanted explicit content
• Vandalism
• Theft
• Fighting
• Smoking
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or discriminatory behaviour
• Possession of any prohibited items. These are: Knives or weapons, Alcohol, Illegal drugs, Stolen items, Tobacco and cigarette papers, E-cigarettes or vapes, Fireworks, Pornographic images or Any article a staff member reasonably suspects has been, or is likely to be, used to commit an offence, or to cause personal injury to, or damage to the property of, any person (including the pupil)

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:

• Deliberately hurtful
• Repeated, often over a period of time
• Difficult to defend against

Bullying can include:

• Emotional: Being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting
• Physical: Hitting, kicking, pushing, taking another’s belongings, any use of violence
• Prejudice-based and discriminatory, including, Racial, Faith-based, Gendered (sexist), Homophobic/biphobic, Transphobic, Disability-based: Taunts, gestures, graffiti or physical abuse focused on a particular characteristic (e.g. gender, race, sexuality)
• Sexual: Explicit sexual remarks, display of sexual material, sexual gestures, unwanted physical attention, comments about sexual reputation or performance, or inappropriate touching
• Direct or indirect verbal: Name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing
• Cyber-bullying: Bullying that takes place online, such as through social networking sites, messaging apps, gaming sites, devices or via images, audio, video, or written content generated by artificial intelligence (AI)

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:

• Reviewing and approving the written statement of behaviour principles (appendix 1)
• Reviewing this behaviour policy in conjunction with the headteacher
• Monitoring the policy’s effectiveness
• Holding the headteacher to account for its implementation

The headteacher

The headteacher is responsible for:

• Reviewing this policy in conjunction with the governing board
• Giving due consideration to the school’s statement of behaviour principles (appendix 1)
• Approving this policy
• Ensuring that the school environment encourages positive behaviour 
• Ensuring that staff deal effectively with poor behaviour
• Monitoring that the policy is implemented by staff consistently with all groups of pupils
• Ensuring that all staff understand the behavioural expectations and the importance of maintaining them
• Providing new staff with a clear induction into the school’s behavioural culture to ensure they understand its rules and routines, and how best to support all pupils to participate fully
• Offering appropriate training in behaviour management, and the impact of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and mental health needs on behaviour, to any staff who require it, so they can fulfil their duties set out in this policy
• Ensuring this policy works alongside the safeguarding policy to offer pupils both sanctions and support when necessary
• Ensuring that the data from the behaviour log is reviewed regularly, to make sure that no groups of pupils are being disproportionately impacted by this policy

Teachers and staff

Staff are responsible for:

• Creating a calm and safe environment for pupils
• Establishing and maintaining clear boundaries of acceptable pupil behaviour 
• Implementing the behaviour policy consistently
• Communicating the school’s expectations, routines, values and standards through teaching behaviour and in every interaction with pupils
• Modelling expected behaviour and positive relationships
• Providing a personalised approach to the specific behavioural needs of particular pupils
• Considering the impact of their own behaviour on the school culture and how they can uphold school rules and expectations 
• Recording behaviour incidents promptly (see appendix 3 for a behaviour log)
• Challenging pupils to meet the school’s expectations

The senior leadership team (SLT) will support staff in responding to behaviour incidents. 

Parents and carers

Parents and carers, where possible, should:

• Get to know the school’s behaviour policy and reinforce it at home where appropriate 
• Support their child in adhering to the school’s behaviour policy
• Inform the school of any changes in circumstances that may affect their child’s behaviour
• Discuss any behavioural concerns with the class teacher promptly
• Take part in any pastoral work following misbehaviour (for example, attending reviews of specific behaviour interventions)
• Raise any concerns about the management of behaviour with the school directly, while continuing to work in partnership with the school
• Take part in the life of the school and its culture

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:

• The expected standard of behaviour they should be displaying at school
• That they have a duty to follow the behaviour policy
• The school’s key rules and routines
• The rewards they can earn for meeting the behaviour standards, and the consequences they will face if they don’t meet the standards
• The pastoral support that is available to them to help them meet the behaviour standards

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:

• Be kind
• Be respectful
• Be ambitious
• Be Safe 
• Behave in an orderly and self-controlled way
• Show respect to members of staff and each other
• In class, make it possible for all pupils to learn
• Move quietly around the school
• Treat the school buildings and school property with respect
• Wear appropriate clothing at all times
• Accept support when given
• Refrain from behaving in a way that brings the school into disrepute, including when outside school or online

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

• Pupils are not allowed to have mobile phones with them on-site
• If a pupil needs to bring a phone into school parents and carers must pre-arrange this with their child’s class teacher, All pupil phones must be given to the class teacher on arrival (to be placed in secure storage) - phones will be returned prior to departure.
• Pupils cannot turn their phones on whilst on-site
• Pupils cannot use phones during the school day
• The school does not accept liability in the case of loss or damage

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:

• Create and maintain a stimulating environment that encourages pupils to be engaged
• Display the behaviour curriculum or their own classroom rules
• Develop a positive relationship with pupils, which may include: Greeting pupils in the morning/at the start of lessons, establishing clear routines, communicating expectations of behaviour in ways other than verbally, highlighting and promoting good behaviour, concluding the day positively and starting the next day afresh, having a plan for dealing with low-level behaviours, using positive reinforcement

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:

• Verbal praise
• Communicating praise to parents/carers
• Value certificates
• Positions of responsibility, such as being entrusted with a particular decision or project
• Whole-class or year group rewards, such as a popular activity

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: 

• Strengthen relationships – check in
• Use individual class systems to minimise low/medium level behaviours
• Use primary and secondary interventions to minimise low level behaviour: Ensure Just Right Profiles are in place, read the behaviour and body language, intervene early to remove sources of frustration,offer reassurance — including positive physical prompts, explain clearly what is happening and what will happen next, communicate 'Talk and I’ll listen', use appropriate humour, display CALM body language, talk low and slow and quietly, assess the situation, divert and distract by introducing another activity or topic
• Use primary and secondary interventions to minimise medium level behaviour: continue to use de-escalation responses, state desired behaviours clearly, use distraction to refocus attention on something positive, set clear enforceable limits, offer alternatives and options, offer clear choices, give a get out with dignity, assess the situation, consider making the environment safer and getting help, remove audience, guide the elbows towards safety
• Use regulation activities/time in class
• Use regulation activities/time in another space 

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).

• If a pattern emerges over time have a conversation with the pupil, using the Just Right Conversation proforma and agree a plan to support their behaviour in future. Share the plan with relevant staff and parents. Record on CPOMS.
• If the pattern of behaviour continues or escalates, in consultation with the SENDCO create a Just Right Plan. Engage and share with all relevant stakeholders 

Supporting high level behaviour: 

• Use primary and secondary interventions, above, to minimise low and medium level behaviours
• Use tertiary interventions to minimise high level behaviour: make the environment safer, move furniture and remove weapon objects, guide assertively - hold or restrain if absolutely necessary, ensure face, voice and posture are supportive not aggressive, use Help Protocol to save face by changing face
• Call SLT for support, if required
• Use Team Teach approaches to manage situation

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
• Complete a risk assessment and risk reduction plan, in consultation with stakeholders
• Continue to monitor and support behviour in line with policy
• A Just Right Conversation Plan A Just Right Support Plan
• A Just Right Support Profile
• An Individual Behaviour Plan

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:

• no improivemnt in attitude or behaviour
• intentional threats or physical assult of another child or adult
• persistently rude or disruptive behaviour
• aggressive, unsafe or unmaneagable behaviour
• behaviour that puts self or others at risk. 

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:

• Causing disorder
• Hurting themselves or others
• Damaging property
• Committing an offence

Incidents of reasonable force must:

• Always be used as a last resort
• Be applied using the minimum amount of force and for the minimum amount of time possible
• Be used in a way that maintains the safety and dignity of all concerned
• Never be used as a form of punishment
• Be recorded and reported to parents/carers

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:

• The authorised member of staff carrying out the search reasonably believes there is risk that serious harm will be caused to a person if the search is not carried out as a matter of urgency; and 
• In the time available, it is not reasonably practicable for the search to be carried out by a member of staff who is the same sex as the pupil; or 
• It is not reasonably practicable for the search to be carried out in the presence of another member of staff

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:

• Assess whether there is an urgent need for a search
• Assess whether not doing the search would put other pupils or staff at risk
• Consider whether the search would pose a safeguarding risk to the pupil
• Explain to the pupil why they are being searched
• Explain to the pupil what a search entails – e.g. “I will ask you to turn out your pockets and remove your scarf”
• Explain how and where the search will be carried out
• Give the pupil the opportunity to ask questions
• Seek the pupil’s co-operation 

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:

• Any item of clothing that isn't worn wholly next to the skin or immediately over underwear (e.g. a jumper or jacket being worn over a t-shirt)
• Hats, scarves, gloves, shoes or boots

Searching pupils’ possessions

Possessions means any items that the pupil has or appears to have control of, including:

• Desks
• Lockers
• Bags

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:

• Of any incidents where the member of staff had reasonable grounds to suspect a pupil was in possession of a prohibited item as listed in section 3
• If they believe that a search has revealed a safeguarding risk

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:

• What happened
• What was found, if anything
• What has been confiscated, if anything
• What action the school has taken, including any sanctions that have been applied to their child 

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: 

• The pupil explicitly states in the presence of an appropriate adult that they do not want an appropriate adult to be present during the search, and 
• The appropriate adult agrees

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: 

• Act to safeguard the rights, entitlements and welfare of the pupil
• Not be a police officer or otherwise associated with the police
• Not be the headteacher
• Be of the same sex as the pupil, unless the pupil specifically requests an adult who is not of the same sex 

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:

•  Taking part in any school-organised or school-related activity (e.g. school      trips)
•  Travelling to or from school
•  Wearing school identifiable clothing
•  In any other way identifiable as a pupil of our school

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:

•  Could have repercussions for the orderly running of the school
•  Poses a threat to another pupil 
•  Could adversely affect the reputation of the school

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:

• It poses a threat or causes harm to another pupil
• It could have repercussions for the orderly running of the school
• It adversely affects the reputation of the school
• The pupil is identifiable as a member of the school

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:

•  Proportionate
•  Considered
•  Supportive
•  Decided on a case-by-case basis

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:

• Responding to a report
• Carrying out risk assessments, where appropriate, to help determine whether to: Manage the incident internally, refer to early help, refer to children’s social care or report to the police

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:

• Restore order if the pupil is being unreasonably disruptive
• Maintain the safety of all pupils
• Allow the disruptive pupil to continue their learning in a managed environment
• Allow the disruptive pupil to regain calm in a safe space

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:

• Meetings with learning mentors/SENDCO
• Use of teaching assistants
• Just Right conversation Pro-forma
• Just Right Plan
• Individual Behaviour Plan
• Multi-agency assessment

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:

• Taking reasonable steps to avoid any substantial disadvantage to a disabled pupil being caused by the school’s policies or practices (Equality Act 2010)
• Using our best endeavours to meet the needs of pupils with SEND (Children      and Families Act 2014)
• If a pupil has an education, health and care (EHC) plan, the provisions set out in that plan must be secured and the school must co-operate with the local authority  and other bodies

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.

• Short, planned movement breaks for a pupil with SEND who finds it difficult to sit still for long
• Adjusting seating plans to allow a pupil with visual or hearing impairment to sit in sight      of the teacher
• Adjusting uniform requirements for a pupil with sensory issues or who has severe eczema
• Training for staff in understanding conditions such as autism
• Use of separation spaces (sensory zones or nurture rooms) where pupils can regulate their emotions during a moment of sensory overload

Adapting support for pupils with SEND

When considering behavioural support for a pupil with SEND, the school will take into account:

• Was the pupil unable to understand the rule or instruction? 
• Was the pupil unable to act differently at the time as a result of their SEND? 
• Is the pupil likely to behave aggressively due to their particular SEND? 

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:

• Reintegration meetings
• Daily contact with the pastoral lead
• A report card with personalised behaviour goals]

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:

• Just Right
• Team Teacher
• The proper use of restraint
• The needs of the pupils at the school
• How SEND and mental health needs can impact behaviour

Behaviour support will also form part of continuing professional development.

Monitoring arrangements

Monitoring and evaluating behaviour

The school will collect data on the following:

• Behavioural incidents, including removal from the classroom
• Attendance, permanent exclusions and suspensions 
• Use of pupil support units, off-site directions and managed moves
• Incidents of searching, screening and confiscation
• Perceptions and experiences of the school behaviour culture for staff, pupils, governors and other stakeholders (via anonymous surveys)

The data will be analysed from a variety of perspectives including:

• At school level
• By age group
• At the level of individual members of staff
• By time of day/week/term
• By protected characteristic

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 

• Exclusions policy
• Child protection and safeguarding policy
• Physical restraint policy
• Mobile phone policy

Appendix 1

WRITTEN STATEMENT OF BEHAVIOUR PRIINCIPLES

This written statement of behaviour principles is reviewed and approved by the full governing board every year.

• Every pupil understands they have the right to feel safe, valued and respected, and      learn free from the disruption of others
• All pupils, staff and visitors are free from any form of discrimination
• Staff and volunteers set an excellent example to pupils at all times
• Rewards, sanctions and reasonable force are used consistently by staff, in line with the behaviour policy
• The behaviour policy is understood by pupils and staff
• The ‘School suspension and permanent exclusion’  policy explains that our staff will      use all available interventions and strategies so that exclusions are only used as an absolute last resort, once everything else has been tried. The policy outlines the processes involved in fixed-term and permanent exclusions  
• Pupils are helped to take responsibility for their actions
• Families are involved in behaviour incidents to foster good relationships between the school and pupils’ home life

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:

• Deliberately hurtful
• Repeated, often over a period of time
• Difficult to defend against

Bullying can include:

• Emotional: Being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting
• Physical: Hitting, kicking, pushing, taking another’s belongings, any use of violence
• Prejudice-based and discriminatory, including, Racial, Faith-based, Gendered (sexist), Homophobic/biphobic, Transphobic, Disability-based: Taunts, gestures, graffiti or physical abuse focused on a particular characteristic (e.g. gender, race, sexuality)
• Sexual: Explicit sexual remarks, display of sexual material, sexual gestures, unwanted physical attention, comments about sexual reputation or performance, or inappropriate touching
• Direct or indirect verbal: Name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing
• Cyber-bullying: Bullying that takes place online, such as through social networking sites, messaging apps, gaming sites, devices or via images, audio, video, or written content generated by artificial intelligence (AI)

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:

• Through the PSHE curriculum children are provided with opportunities to explore and develop empathy, self-reflection, vocabulary to label feelings and emotions, strategies for dealing with difficult situations, friendships, communicating etc.
• All staff are made aware of children with particular issues or worrying behaviours either at home or in school during Staff Development meetings. Actions are agreed on how to further support the child. This early intervention strategy has prevented many situations from escalating as all staff take responsibility for the child’s safety and happiness.
• Vulnerable children are identified early and referrals can be made to Learning Mentors, Nurture group or School Counsellor. 
• Children with SEND are identified early and intervention strategies put in place to support the child. There is regular liaison between staff and SENDCo
• Playtimes and lunchtimes are staggered to avoid overcrowding on the playground. There are a high number or adults supporting and supervising on the playground during playtimes and lunchtimes.
• Staff supervising on the playground, also work in class with the children. So know the children well and are well known and familiar to the children.
• Learning Mentors support on the playground.
• One member of staff has a responsibility for building up resources and developing activities for use during playtimes. All staff on the playground are expected to interact positively with the children and initiate games etc.
• Toilets and other ‘blind spots’ are monitored during playtimes. During lesson time visits to the toilet are monitored and no more than 2 children are allowed to go at any one time.
• There is a playtime club at playtimes and lunchtimes for those children who for whatever reason may feel vulnerable at any time on the playground.
• All staff members follow the school behaviour policy for dealing with unacceptable behaviour.
• Staff taking part in appropriate training as part of their continuing professional development.
• Pupil voice plays an active role in developing strategies for the prevention of bullying and upholding the positive and inclusive ethos of the school.
• Parent/carer voice informs our practice
• We have a positive working relationship with the local community police officers.
• The school has a safeguarding children statement and information, which is on display throughout the school. It also includes suggested adults the child can speak to if they have any worries or concerns.

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.

• Discussions at length with the victim. This will require patience and understanding. Remember – Listen, believe, act. The child may choose who they wish to discuss the events with. Advise the Headteacher and Safeguarding Lead.

Safeguarding Lead / Learning mentors / Teachers and TA, where appropriate, will undertake the following:

• Identify the child or children presenting with the bullying behaviour. Obtain witnesses if possible and investigate the incident thoroughly. 
• Discussions with those involved in the bullying. Discuss the details and ask them to explain about the situation/incident. Make it clear that bullying is not acceptable at Middle Street Primary School
• Agree actions to support the victim and keep the child safe.
• Agree support to take place immediately and actions, which will more often than not require longer term intervention depending on the needs of the child to prevent further bullying behaviour in the future. 
• Discuss issues with parents/carers of both children involved. As far as possible parent/carers should be involved throughout the process.
• Support for the perpetrator will be in line with the behaviour policy.
• Use of some form of reparation.
• Continue monitoring the situation by observing at playtimes/lunchtimes and having discussions with victim to ensure no repetition
• Bullying incidents are recorded and formally reported to the Local Authority

In Brief the Support Available for the Victim and Perpetrator:

• Referral to Safeguarding Lead / Learning Mentor
• Peer group support
• Peer Mentoring
• Use of Playtime/Lunchtime Clubs
• If appropriate, referral to outside agencies
• Both children involved raised at Staff Development meetings so that all members of staff are aware.
• If appropriate, (presented in a subtle way to avoid naming and shaming perpetrator or causing discomfort to victim) a class conversation.
• Identification of possible SEND or other issues that have resulted in bullying behaviour or vulnerability of either child.

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:

• All staff watch for early signs of distress in pupils 
• All staff to watch out for early signs of bullying behaviours
• To raise those children considered to be vulnerable at Staff Development Meetings
• Teachers/TAs to be vigilant during Circle Time/PSHE sessions and activities.
• All staff listen, believe, act

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:

• calling you names 
• threatening you 
• pressuring you to give someone money or possessions 
• hitting you 
• damaging your possessions 
• spreading rumours about you or your family 
• using social media, text, email or web space to write or say hurtful things (cyberbullying).

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:

• make sure that the person being bullied is safe 
• work to stop the bullying happening again 
• provide support to the person being bullied.

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:

• try to stay calm and look as confident as you can 
• be firm and clear — look them in the eye and tell them to stop 
• get away from the situation as quickly as possible 
• tell an adult what has happened straight away or, if you do not feel comfortable      telling an adult, tell another pupil.

If you have been bullied:

• tell a teacher or another adult in school (your teacher, a teaching assistant or      learning mentor will all be able to help) 
• tell your family 
• if you are scared to tell a teacher or an adult on your own, ask a friend to go with you 
• keep on speaking until someone listens and does something to stop the bullying 
• don't blame yourself for what has happened.

When you are talking to an adult about bullying be clear about:

• what has happened to you 
• how often it has happened 
• who was involved 
• who saw what was happening 
• where it happened 
• what you have done about it already.

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:

• calling your child names 
• threatening him/her 
• pressuring your child to give someone money or possessions 
• hitting your child 
• damaging your child's possessions 
• spreading rumours about your child or your family 
• using social media, text, email or web space to write or say hurtful things about your child (cyberbullying).

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.

• It will help to sort out what action to take if you can bear in mind that the teacher may have no idea that your child is being bullied or may have heard conflicting accounts of an incident. 
• Be as specific as possible about what your child says has happened, give dates,      places and names of other pupils involved. 
• Make a note of what action the school intends to take. 
• Ask if there is anything you can do to help your child. 
• Stay in touch with the school - let them know if things improve as well as if      problems continue.

What will Middle Street Primary school do?
Middle Street does not tolerate bullying. This is what we do about bullying:

• work to make sure that the person being bullied is safe 
• work to stop the bullying happening again 
• provide support to the person being bullied 
• take actions to ensure that the person doing the bullying learns not to harm others.

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.

You can access the Pupil Premium Report by clicking HERE.

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:

• Eliminate discrimination and other conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act 2010
• Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
• Foster good relations across all characteristics – between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.

Legislation and guidance

This document meets the requirements under the following legislation:

• The Equality Act 2010, which introduced the Public Sector Equality Duty and protects people from discrimination
• The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011, which require schools to publish information to demonstrate how they are complying with the Public Sector Equality Duty and to publish equality objectives

This document is also based on Department for Education (DfE) guidance: The Equality Act 2010 and schools.

Roles and responsibilities

The governing board will:

• Ensure that the equality information and objectives as set out in this statement are published and communicated throughout the school, including to staff, pupils and parents
• Ensure that the published equality information is updated at least every year, and that the objectives are reviewed and updated at least every 4 years
• Delegate responsibility for monitoring the achievement of the objectives on a daily basis to the headteacher
• The board of governors has an equality link governor. They will:
• Meet with the designated member of staff for equality every [frequency], and other relevant staff members, to discuss any issues and how these are being addressed
• Ensure they’re familiar with all relevant legislation and the contents of this document
• Attend appropriate equality and diversity training
• Report back to the full governing board regarding any issues The headteacher will:
• Promote knowledge and understanding of the equality objectives among staff and pupils
• Monitor success in achieving the objectives and report back to governors The designated member of staff for equality will:
• Support the headteacher in promoting knowledge and understanding of the equality objectives among staff and pupils
• Meet with the equality link governor every year to raise and discuss any issues
• Support the headteacher in identifying any staff training needs, and deliver training as necessary
• All school staff are expected to have regard to this document and to work to achieve the objectives as set out in the section below.

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:

• Removing or minimising disadvantages suffered by people that are connected to a particular characteristic they have (e.g. pupils with disabilities, or gay pupils who are being subjected to homophobic bullying)
• Taking steps to meet the particular needs of people who have a particular characteristic (e.g. enabling Muslim pupils to pray at prescribed times)
• Encouraging people who have a particular characteristic to participate fully in any activities (e.g. encouraging all pupils to be involved in the full range of school societies)
• In fulfilling this aspect of the duty, the school will:
• Publish attainment data each academic year showing how pupils with different characteristics are performing
• Analyse the above data to determine strengths and areas for improvement, implement actions in response and publish this information
• Make evidence available identifying improvements for specific groups (e.g. declines in incidents of homophobic or transphobic bullying)
• Publish further data about any issues associated with particular protected characteristics, identifying any issues which could affect our own pupils

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:

• Promoting tolerance, friendship and understanding of a range of religions and cultures through different aspects of our curriculum. This includes teaching in RE, citizenship and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, but also activities in other curriculum areas. For example, as part of teaching and learning in English/reading, pupils will be introduced to literature from a range of cultures
• Holding assemblies dealing with relevant issues. Pupils will be encouraged to take a lead in such assemblies and we will also invite external speakers to contribute
• Working with our local community. This includes inviting leaders of local faith groups to speak at assemblies, and organising school trips and activities based around the local community
• Encouraging and implementing initiatives to deal with tensions between different groups of pupils within the school. For example, our school council has representatives from different year groups and is formed of pupils from a range of backgrounds. All pupils are encouraged to participate in the school’s activities, such as sports clubs. We also work with parents to promote knowledge and understanding of different cultures
• We have developed links with people and groups who have specialist knowledge about particular characteristics, which helps inform and develop our approach

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:

• Cuts across any religious holidays
• Is accessible to pupils with disabilities
• Has equivalent facilities for boys and girls

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

1. Promotion of cultural understanding and awareness of different religious beliefs between different ethnic groups within our school community
2. Monitoring and promotion of the involvement of all groups of students in the extra-curricular life of the school, including leadership opportunities, especially students with special educational needs and disabilities
3. Actively close gaps in attainment and achievement between students and all groups of students; especially students eligible for free-school meals, students with special educational needs and disabilities, looked after children and students from minority ethnic groups
4. Continue to improve accessibility across the school for students, staff and visitors with disabilities, including access to specialist teaching areas
5. Endeavour to ensure diversity in the staff body and in leadership roles
6. Reduce the incidence of the use of racist, homophobic, biphobic, transphobic and sexist language by students in the school
7. Review relevant school policies to ensure they clearly reflect the aim of inclusivity

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:

• Accessibility plan
• Risk assessment

You can access the SEND information report HERE and SEND Policy by clicking HERE.

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.

Before continuing with this procedure, please refer to ‘Complaints that do not fall under this complaints procedure’, which outlines the complaints that are dealt with under different statutory procedures.

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

sen.team@brighton-hove.gov.uk

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:

• meet with you if there is any clarification needed about your complaint or the outcome required
• interview those involved in the matter and/or those complained of (allowing them to be accompanied if they wish).

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:

• Date, time and venue of the hearing
• Aims and objectives of the hearing and how it will be conducted
• The agenda for the hearing
• A request for any documentation either party wishes the panel to consider – the clerk will identify a deadline date that will give them enough time to send all documents to all parties at least five school working days before the hearing
• Clarification about who can accompany both parties – if the attendance of any pupils under the age of 18 is required, parental permission must be sought
• A request for the details of any witnesses or representatives and their role in the hearing, so that all parties can prepare appropriately, access requirements can be checked and the length of the hearing can be estimated
• How and when the panel will reach their decision

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.

1. The chair of the panel will introduce everyone and explain that they are there to review the complaint with the aim of reaching a resolution for the complainant and the school. (Any witnesses or representatives are only required to attend to give their supporting information and may leave once they have done so.)
2. The chair of the panel will give the complainant the opportunity to put their case forward without undue interruption. The complainant may bring in any witnesses or representatives to give supporting information.
3. The panel and the headteacher (or SLT member) have the opportunity to ask any questions to establish facts and further their understanding. This is not an opportunity for cross examination.
4. The chair of the panel will then give the headteacher (or SLT member) the opportunity to put their case forward without undue interruption. The headteacher (or SLT member) may bring in any witnesses or representatives to give supporting information.
5. The panel and the complainant have the opportunity to ask any questions and clarify any points.
6. The complainant will then be invited to sum up their complaint.
7. The headteacher (or SLT member) will then be invited to sum up the school’s actions and response to the complaint.
8. The chair lets both parties know how they will be notified of the panel’s findings, within agreed timescales. The chair draws the meeting to a close.
9. Both parties leave at the same time.

Once the complainant and the headteacher (or SLT member) have withdrawn, the panel will deliberate and come to a decision whether:

• any fault was found (ie complaint upheld in whole or in part)
• no faults were found (ie complaint not upheld)

If the complaint is upheld in whole or in part, the panel will:

• decide on the appropriate action to be taken to resolve the complaint
• where appropriate, recommend changes to the school’s systems or procedures to prevent similar issues in the future

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:

• explain the complaint in full as early as possible
• co-operate with the school in seeking a solution to the complaint
• respond promptly to requests for information/meetings or in agreeing the details of the complaint
• ask for assistance as needed
• treat all those involved in the complaint with respect
• refrain from publicising the details of their complaint on social media and respect confidentiality

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:

• sensitive and thorough interviewing of the complainant to establish what has happened, who has been involved and what they feel would put things right
• interviewing staff and children/young people and other people relevant to the complain
• consideration of records and other relevant information
• analysing information

The investigator should:

• conduct interviews with an open mind and be prepared to persist in the questioning
• keep notes of interviews or arrange for an independent notetaker
• ensure that any papers produced during the investigation are kept securely pending any appeal
• be mindful of the timescales to respond
• prepare a comprehensive report for the headteacher or complaints panel that sets out the facts, identifies solutions and recommends courses of action to resolve problems

The clerk to governors is the contact point for the complainant and the panel and should:

• organise the hearing as set out in the Stage 2 procedure
• collate any written material relevant to the complaint and send it to all parties at the same time, at least five school working days before the hearing
• record the proceedings as a full account of what was said, especially responses to questions (draft version may need to be referred to during deliberations)
• send the typed version to the full panel forchecking
• circulate agreed minutes to all present (these are to be kept confidential) – should their accuracy be disputed, the query will be attached to the agreed minutes
• notify all parties of the panel’s decision within five school working days of the date of the hearing
• file papers appropriately, disposing of additional copies securely

The chair of the panel (one of the panel members must agree to act in this role) should ensure that:

• no member of the panel has an external interest in the outcome of the proceedings or any involvement in an earlier stage of the procedure
• the meeting is conducted in an informal manner, is not adversarial, and that everyone is treated with respect and courtesy
• complainants who may not be used to speaking at such a meeting are put at ease – this is particularly important if a child or young person is in attendance
• the remit of the panel is explained to the complainant
• written material is seen by everyone in attendance, provided it does not breach confidentiality or any individual’s rights to privacy under the Data Protection Act 2018 or General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – if a new issue arises, the panel will consider whether or not to accept the new information and if so, a short adjournment of the meeting may be required to review this
• the agenda and the processes for the hearing are followed
• the panel is open-minded and acts independently
• the governing board is informed of the outcome of the complaint (not the details, which remain confidential), and should ensure that recommendations are being actioned, eg policy updates, staff training etc

Panel members should be aware that:

• the meeting must be independent and impartial, and should be seen to be so
• no governor may sit on the panel if they have had a prior involvement in the complaint or in the circumstances surrounding it
• the aim of the meeting should be to resolve the complaint and achieve reconciliation between the school and the complainant
• the complainant might not be satisfied with the outcome if the meeting does not find in their favour – it may only be possible to establish the facts and make recommendations
• many complainants will feel nervous and inhibited in a formal setting – parents/carers often feel emotional when discussing an issue that affects their child
• the welfare of children and young people is paramount so extra care needs to be taken when a child/young person is present during all or part of the meeting – careful consideration of the atmosphere and proceedings should ensure the child/young person does not feel intimidated
• the views of the child/young person should be respected and given equal consideration to those of adults
• if a child/young person is attending, there should be a mutual agreement between the panel and the parent as to which part of the meeting it is most appropriate for them to attend

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:

• refuses to articulate their complaint or specify the grounds of a complaint or the outcomes sought by raising the complaint, despite offers of assistance
• refuses to co-operate with the complaints investigation process
• refuses to accept that certain issues are not within the scope of the complaints procedure
• insists on the complaint being dealt with in ways which are incompatible with the complaints procedure or with good practice
• introduces trivial or irrelevant information which they expect to be taken into account and commented on
• raises large numbers of detailed but unimportant questions, and insists they are fully answered, often immediately and to their own timescales
• makes unjustified complaints about staff who are trying to deal with the issues, and seeks to have them replaced
• changes the basis of the complaint as the investigation proceeds
• repeatedly makes the same complaint (despite previous investigations or responses concluding that the complaint is groundless or has been addressed)
• refuses to accept the findings of the investigation into that complaint where the school’s complaint procedure has been fully and properly implemented and completed, including referral to the Department for Education
• seeks an unrealistic outcome
• makes excessive demands on school time by frequent, lengthy and complicated contact with staff regarding the complaint in person, in writing, by email and by telephone while the complaint is being dealt with
• uses threats to intimidate
• uses abusive, offensive or discriminatory language or violence
• knowingly provides falsified information
• publishes unacceptable information on social media or other public forums

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: 

• Have robust, clear processes in place for charging and remissions 
• Clearly set out the types of activity that can be charged for and when charges will be made

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

• Charge: a fee payable for specifically defined activities
• Remission: the cancellation of a charge which would normally be payable

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

• Admission applications
• Education provided during school hours (including the supply of any materials, books, instruments or other equipment) 
• Education provided outside school hours if it is part of:

- The national curriculum

- A syllabus for a prescribed public examination that the pupil is being prepared for at the school

- Religious education 

• Instrumental or vocal tuition, for pupils learning individually or in groups, unless the tuition is provided at the request of the pupil’s parent
• Entry for a prescribed public examination if the pupil has been prepared for it at the school
• Examination re-sit(s) if the pupil is being prepared for the re-sit(s) at the school

5.2   Transport

• Transporting registered pupils to or from the school premises, where the local authority has a
• statutory obligation to provide transport
• Transporting registered pupils to other premises where the governing board or local authority has arranged for pupils to be educated
• Transport that enables a pupil to meet an examination requirement when he or she has been prepared for that examination at the school
• Transport provided in connection with an educational visit 

5.3   Residential visits

• Education provided on any visit that takes place during school hours
• Education provided on any visit that takes place outside school hours if it is part of:

- 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

• Any materials, books, instruments or equipment, where the child’s parent wishes him or her to own them
• Optional extras (see below)
• Music and vocal tuition, in limited circumstances
• Certain early years provision
• Community facilities 

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:

• Education provided outside of school time that is not part of:

- The national curriculum

- A syllabus for a prescribed public examination that the pupil is being prepared for at the school

- Religious education 

• Examination entry fee(s) if the registered pupil has not been prepared for the examination(s) at the school
• Transport (other than transport that is required to take the pupil to school or to other premises where the local authority or governing board has arranged for the pupil to be provided with education)
• Board and lodging for a pupil on a residential visit
• Extended day services offered to pupils (such as breakfast clubs, after-school clubs, tea and supervised homework sessions) 
• When calculating the cost of optional extras, an amount may be included in relation to: 
• Any materials, books, instruments or equipment provided in connection with the optional extra
• The cost of buildings and accommodation
• Non-teaching staff
• Teaching staff engaged under contracts for services purely to provide an optional extra (including supply teachers engaged specifically to provide the optional extra)
• The cost, or an appropriate proportion of the costs, for teaching staff employed to provide tuition in playing a musical instrument, or vocal tuition, where the tuition is an optional extra

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:

• If the teaching is an essential part of the national curriculum 
• If the teaching is provided under the first access to the Key Stage 2 instrumental and vocal tuition programme
• For a pupil who is looked after by a local authority 

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:

• School trips
• Sports activities
• Theatre/performance visits
• Visitors In-school (that may be in place of a school trip as it is better value)

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: 

• Wrap around care (before and after school club)
• Clubs (For example sports, art, drama, science)
• Music Tuition
• Lettings

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:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided that Working Tax Credit is not also received and the family’s annual gross income does not exceed £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on (this is paid for 4 weeks after an individual stops qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
• Universal Credit (if the application was made on or after 1 April 2018, the family’s income must be less than £7,400 per year – after tax and not including any benefits)

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:

• Irresistible Learning

Our Values:

• Kindness
• Respect
• Ambition

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.