Policies

The computer system is owned by the school and may be used by students to further their education and by staff to enhance their professional activities including teaching, research, administration and management.  The school’s internet policy has been drawn up to protect all parties, - the students, staff and the school.  The school reserves the right to examine or delete any files that may be held on its computer system or to monitor any internet sites visited.

This policy is subject to frequent changes

Our anti-bullying policy encourages students to speak to an adult in school if they are being bullied and promises that the disclosure will be taken seriously and acted on. All adults have the responsibility to listen and pass on details to the relevant member of staff if they are approached by a student.

Parents/Carers If your child is being bullied or bullying in school:

•  We can help
• Contact the school and ask to speak to the tutor.
• Talk the problem over with a teacher. Be sure of your facts. In particular, children who are being bullied can become upset and anxious and confused about what has actually happened.
• DON’T let your child talk you out of contacting the school.

Teachers can be uniquely placed, as responsible adults outside students' family homes, to be able to detect signs of child abuse. Because of their day-to-day contact with children, teachers, have a duty to inform the child protection officer who in turn has a duty to work with the Child Protection Team in each borough and other relevant agencies. Where possible teachers should be able to observe outward signs of abuse, changes in behaviour or failure to develop and progress. 

The school’s Safeguarding Policy contains more detailed information about safeguarding children and can be viewed in the Human Resources office. All staff and volunteers should protect themselves by following the school’s code of conduct for staff. Safe professional practice is vital for ensuring that they do not place themselves at risk. A copy the Schools Safeguarding Procedures can be viewed at the school by appointment or on our website.

Designed Child Protection /officers:

• Sara Craggs – Head Teacher
• Pat Shaw – SMT, SEN Co.

• Jason Dornelly – SMT, Student Welfare

• Cheryl Stepton – SMT, Managing Director
• 
Debbie Sycamore – SMT,Human Resources Manager

We strive to be a school where you are more than satisfied with what we do to support your child, especially in difficult situations. When you think we do this particularly well, please let us know. Staff work hard for the pupils and we all want to recognise that.

But sometimes things may not go well. For example, you may feel that your child is being bullied and are not happy that the right things have been done to address this.

We hope that good communication would solve such a problem. Our aim is that by careful listening, constructive discussion and sensible actions we can work together to solve problems, and so improve our school systems further. But if the problem persists, you may wish to make a complaint.

When should I complain?

If you believe that something is seriously wrong, then make a complaint. We will investigate it and base what we do on the schools agreed policy.

Whom do I contact?

That depends on the particular situation. Often your child’s class teacher or form tutor will be able to deal with the matter. More serious problems might require the intervention of a senior member of staff or the head teacher. Most problems can be solved in this way. A complaint about the conduct of the head teacher should go to the Proprietor (Managing Director), to the school address. Certain specific complaints (e.g. about school admissions) are dealt with by the Local Authority. Staff at the school can advise you about where to direct you’re compliant or you can contact your local authority complaints department.

What if the matter is still unresolved?

You should write to the head teacher, in the first instance, if you are dissatisfied with the handling of a complaint. The head teacher will investigate the matter and may invite you to a meeting to talk about it. The school may arrange for a suitable mediator to be present. After trying all other avenues, you may decide to make a formal complaint to the Proprietor by sending a letter to the Proprietor (Managing Director) at the school address. The Proprietor (Managing Director) will investigate and may invite you to meet them to discuss your concerns.

If you are still dissatisfied, after an investigation by the Proprietor, you may appeal to the local authority. In cases where you believe that the school has acted unlawfully or unreasonably or failed to fulfil a statutory duty, you can take your complaint to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills. If you want further information or support I recommend Parentline Plus to you as a source of information and advise (0808 800 2222).

All this looks very formal, but very few problems have to go through such steps because we work hard to understand and resolve problems as quickly as possible. In this way pupils of the school get the best possible chance to succeed in their learning. A copy the School’s Complaints Policy and Procedures can be viewed at the school by appointment or on our website by clicking on the link below:

Please contact us if you require further information regarding making a complaint.  

In 2017 we had one formal complaint.

To view Cavendish School First Aid Policy PDF please click on the title below.

Cavendish School Senior Management Team note the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work, etc Act 1974 (s.3l)),which stated that it is the duty of every employer to conduct his or her business in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons who are not in his or her employment but who may be affected by it are not exposed to risks to their health and safety, and accept that it has a responsibility to take all reasonably practicable steps to secure the health and safety of pupils, staff and others using the School’s premises or participating in School sponsored activities. It believes that the prevention of accidents, injury or loss is essential to the efficient operation of the School and is part of the good education of its pupils.

In recent times the health of children has become a major concern. At Cavendish School we are committed as a Healthy School to promoting good health to support successful learning.We implement a Healthy Schools programme in line with the following Government guidelines:

Maintaining a Healthy School Investing for Health Fit Futures:

• Focus on Food 
• Activity and Young People
• The Education (School Development Plan and Curriculum Plans)
• Developing a Good School, (School Development Plan)
• Together Towards Improvement, (PHSE programmes to include, sex education, alcohol and drugs awareness)

At Cavendish School, we set all our pupils homework.  We do this because we believe that it can help pupils to achieve their positive potential more fully than if we simply relied on study done during timetabled curriculum time under a teacher’s immediate supervision.

Reasons for setting homework

More specifically, there are several reasons why we believe that we should set all pupils homework:

• It encourages and helps to develop independent study skills.
• It can strengthen and consolidate school learning.
• It permits appropriate extension of work done by pupils in lessons.
• It may be a requirement of particular courses (e.g. aspects of GCSE courseworks).
• It formalises for pupils the fact that learning can, should and does occur outside school as well as inside school.
• It permits some parental involvement in pupils’ school-related work.

Nationally, Looked After Children significantly underachieve and are at greater risk of exclusion compared with their peers. Schools have a major part to play in ensuring that Looked After Children are enabled to be healthy, stay safe, enjoy, achieve, make a positive contribution to society and achieve economic well being, in line with Every Child Matters.

Helping Looked After Children succeed and providing a better future for them is a key priority for all schools but especially Cavendish School as we have a high proportion of LAC in the school population.

Our Purpose

Cavendish School works hard to provide a rich and balanced educational environment which caters for the whole person-academically, vocationally, socially, morally, spiritually, physically, emotionally and environmentally. We aim to meet the needs of all our students as well as developing their ability to be independent responsible learners. In this way we will raise aspirations, unlock potential and work to achieve excellence through encouraging a “can do” culture which nurtures confident and competent people.

Our Ethos

Our ethos is based on “Every day is a fresh start”. This allows for mistakes to be made and risks taken with learning in an environment that is safe and caring.  We believe that we are all different but all equal and it is our commitment to inclusion, compassion and understanding throughout all aspects of the life and culture of the school.

“The important thing is never to stop asking questions and wondering -Why?”, Albert Einstein

Our Values

Our learning ethos is firmly rooted in our code of conduct and the values which arise from our purpose statement and our ethos. Our goal is that these will permeate every aspect of school life.  We will continually measure and evaluate our performance using the code of conduct and the values as our guide.

This policy needs to be read in conjunction with the policies detailed at the end of this document.This policy recognises that there may be occasions where staff are required to use force either to defend themselves or to protect others from injury.    However the use of force to restrain or physically direct another person should be regarded as a last resort.  Whilst there are situations in which there is no safer alternative, individual members of staff should try to minimise the chance of these arising by:

• Creating a calm, orderly and supportive school climate that minimises the risk of violence of any kind.
• An active approach to teaching learners how to manage strong emotions.
• Having regard to avoiding actions that may be seen as inciting violence.
• Effective management of individual incidents – remain calm, non threatening language.
• Avoid any physical contact with any other person unless essential to teaching and learning process or normal working arrangements.

Cavendish School is committed to a positive policy of encouraging pupils to attend school regularly. The school will work with parents and pupils to secure this aim.

The other purpose of this attendance policy is to ensure that there is an efficient system, known to all, for ensuring that pupils who should be attending the school have registered twice daily, or a reason for non-attendance is known to the school. 

Everyone at Cavendish School works together to ensure that our students are kept safe by contributing to:

• Providing a safe environment for our students to learn; and
• Identifying students who are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm, and taking appropriate action with the aim of making sure they are kept safe both at home and at school.

Children have special educational needs if they have learning, emotional or behavioural difficulty outlined in their statement, which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.

Children have a learning difficulty if they:

Have significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age: or

• have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in schools within the same area of the local education authority;
• are under compulsory school age and fall within the definitions at a) or b) or would do so if social educational provision was not made for them.

The highest standards of work and behaviour are expected from all students at all times.  You are expected to show self-discipline, courtesy and consideration and to be responsible for the consequences of your actions, both for yourself and others.

In particular you should:

• Always work to the best of your ability
• Wear your school uniform with pride
• Show consideration for others
• Respect School property and that of others
• Attend regularly
• Move promptly and quietly about the School
• Be properly equipped for lessons with pens, pencils and other necessary items
• Obey the instruction of staff at all times
• Never bring valuable or dangerous items into the School

Rewards and Sanctions are in place to support your learning and wellbeing.

Cavendish School, in recognizing the educational uses of animals in the classroom, requires that permission be obtained from the SMT before animals are brought in to the school or classrooms. It is the SMT’s responsibility to ensure that there is appropriate educational purpose if any animal is housed in a classroom. Animals are not to be transported on school buses.

Any school which cares for or uses animals for study shall ensure that each animal in such school be afforded the following: Appropriate quarters; sufficient space for the normal behaviour and postural requirements of the species; proper ventilation, lighting and temperature control; adequate food and clean drinking water and quarters which shall be cleaned on a regular basis and located I an area where undue stress and disturbance are minimized.

Animals in school must be properly housed, handled, and cared for and only the teacher or those students designated by the teacher are to handle animals.

It shall be the responsibility of the SMT to develop a plan of care of those animals housed in school in the event of emergency such as fires or school evacuation. 

School staff are protected, like all other employees, from being victimised by employers if they reveal any wrong doing or malpractice in the school. (Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998).

All school staff are covered, including part-time and temporary staff, supply teachers, peripatetic workers and visitors to the school, such as student teachers and social workers.