Introduction

We are very fortunate to have supportive and friendly parents/guardians. We want our parents/guardians to recognise that educating children is a process that involves partnership between parents/guardians, classroom teachers and the whole school community. 

 

As a partnership, our parents/guardians should understand the importance of a good working relationship to equip children with the necessary skills for adulthood. For these reasons we continue to welcome and encourage parents/guardians to participate fully in the life of our school. 

 

Parental engagement with their children's learning is important in supporting attainment and progress and parents have a legitimate right to understand what their child is learning at school.

 

However, contact between parents/guardians and the school must be appropriate, proportionate and respectful, of both the professional knowledge, experience and skill of teaching and senior staff at the school and of the entitlement of staff at the school to some work/life balance.

Purpose 

The purpose of this charter is to provide a reminder to all parents, guardians and visitors to our school about their expected conduct. This is so we can continue to flourish progress and achieve in an atmosphere of mutual understanding. 

The charter sets out:

• The general principles underpinning the conduct of members of the school community.
• How it is expected that communication between parents/guardians and the school will take place.
• What behaviour towards the school and members of the school community are deemed unacceptable and open to challenge by the school.
• The additional steps the school can take in respect of unacceptable behaviour by a parent or carer.

General Principles

• Remember that the school is governed by the school rules as decided upon by the Governing Body of the school and the Senior Leadership Team.
• Respect the caring ethos and values of our school; 
• Understand that both teachers and parents need to work together for the benefit of the students; 
• Demonstrate that all members of the school community should be treated with respect and therefore set a good example in their own speech and behaviour

Communication

There are many reasons you might want to communicate with the school or a member of staff at the school.  This could be simply phoning in to report a child's absence or just informing the member of staff that your child has forgotten their PE kit or is complaining of feeling a little unwell.  These short conversations to impart information are entirely necessary.

However please remember:

• How busy members of staff are during the school day, particularly first thing in the morning and where you need to speak with a member of staff make an appointment to do so at a time when they can give you their full attention. We will endeavour to respond to emails within 2 school days of receipt.           
• Approach the school to help resolve any issues of concern by making an appointment to meet with the class teacher in the first instance or with the Head of year, Head of Subject or Head of Faculty.
• If the matter is still not resolved follow the procedure in the school's Complaints Policy which is available under the heading "Policies" on our website.
• If you wish to correspond by email this should be done through the school's central email address at mailto@kggs.org, making it clear in your message who it is for. This address is monitored regularly during the school day and emails forwarded to the appropriate member of staff or Governor.
• Ensure that all such communications are polite and that you are always mindful of the right of the recipient to be treated with respect.
• When meeting face to face with members of staff to discuss any matters concerning your child's education or wellbeing in school approach the matter calmly and politely as this will also ensure progress can be made to address any issues or concerns.  Remember that if you wish to speak with a member of staff it will normally fall to you to make a mutually convenient appointment.
• Refrain from sending any form of correspondence to members of staff or Governors at the school demanding an immediate response or a response within your own time frame as the matter will be addressed, where appropriate, in a time frame deemed appropriate by the recipient.
• Refrain from sending lengthy, frequent, demanding, or disrespectful emails to staff members, or those that make unsubstantiated accusations, as this will seriously undermine their ability to carry out their core role of educating the children in their care.
• When corresponding or speaking with staff in person do not use language that calls in to question their professional abilities or represents any form of personal attack or seek to direct how they carry out their professional roles or run the school.  The running of the school is a matter for the Senior Leadership Team and the Governing Body of the school.
• It is unacceptable to record telephone conversations with staff members or to record meetings with staff and/or Governors at the school without making them aware you are doing it and seeking their express permission to capture what could be their personal information and breach their human right to privacy which extends to their workplace.
• Resort to any other form of criticism of the school, its staff or Governing Body or any other matters that relate directly to the school via a medium other than the schools complaints policy.
• When speaking with a staff member or any other member of the school community whether in person, on the telephone or by any other means of communication it is entirely inappropriate to raise your voice, use language that is disrespectful, rude, offensive, aggressive or threatening.
• Do not approach any other student in order to discuss a school incident, disagreement or disclosure.

Additional Steps by the school:

• The member of staff or Governor concerned may challenge the behaviour by asking the person concerned to stop using inappropriate behaviour or may end an unacceptable phone call or ask you to leave the school.
• The school may correspond in writing with a parent or guardian to challenge behaviour that the school is finding unacceptable such as, for example, being rude to a member of staff, refusing to listen or sending too many emails making demands of the school.

We trust that parents and guardians will assist our school with the implementation of this charter and we thank you for your continuing support of the school.