Governors Policies

2013-14 Admissions Policy - For consultation

2013-14 6th Form policy - For consultation

DRUGS POLICY - See Files on right

CHILD PROTECTION POLICY - See Files on right

Self Harm Policy

E-SAFETY POLICY - See Files on right

Attendance Policy - click to open

ADMISSIONS POLICY 2012 - click to here download 

PARENTS’ COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

The Governing Body has adopted the following procedure for responding to complaints about the running of the school (but please see Section 4 for matters covered by other complaints procedures).

1. Concerns

If you wish to express a concern about your child, you should do so to the Form Tutor or the relevant Learning Support Manager. Every effort will be made to respond informally without the need to use the formal Complaints Procedure. The formal Complaints Procedure will be commenced if initial attempts to resolve the matter are unsuccessful and the person raising the concern is dissatisfied with the outcome.

2. Formal Complaints – Stage 1

(a) A complaint about a teacher (other than the Headteacher), a member of the support staff or any other matter connected with the running of the school

You, or someone on your behalf, should write, giving full details of your complaint, to the Headteacher, Saint Wilfrid’s Church of England High School and Technology College, Duckworth Street, Blackburn, BB2 2JR. If you prefer, a complaint form is available from the Headteacher’s Personal Assistant (telephone 01254 604000). The Headteacher will investigate your complaint, decide on the action to be taken and respond to you in writing. He will do this within 15 school days of receipt of your complaint unless this is impracticable, in which case he will set a different deadline and notify it to you.

(b) A complaint about the Headteacher or a Governor

You, or someone on your behalf, should write, giving full details of your complaint, to the Chairman of Governors, c/o Saint Wilfrid’s Church of England High School and Technology College, Duckworth Street, Blackburn, BB2 2JR. If you prefer, a complaint form is available from the Clerk to the Governors (telephone 01254 604000). The Chairman of Governors will investigate your complaint, decide on the action to be taken and respond to you in writing. He will do this within 15 school days of receipt of your complaint unless this is impracticable, in which case he will set a different deadline and notify it to you.

3. Formal Complaint – Stage 2

If it is not possible to resolve your complaint at Stage 1, you can appeal to a panel made up of three Governors (other than the Headteacher, Chairman of Governors or, if the complaint is about a Governor, that Governor). Further particulars of the appeal procedure will be provided for you at the end of Stage 1, but the panel will, as far as reasonably practicable, meet within 15 school days of receipt of your appeal. You will be invited to attend the Appeal Panel hearing and make representations. The decision of the panel will complete the school’s consideration of your complaint.

4. Other complaints procedures

Separate procedures exist if you wish to

(a) Appeal against a decision not to offer a place in the school to a child
(b) Make representations about the exclusion of a pupil by the Headteacher
(c) Make a complaint about the school curriculum
(d) Make a complaint about the Saint Wilfrid’s Community Leisure Centre which is operated in part of the school premises out of school hours by the Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.

Details of these procedures can be obtained from the Clerk to the Governors, St Wilfrid’s C of E High School and Technology College, Duckworth Street, Blackburn BB2 2JR.

5. Review

The Governing Body will monitor the level and nature of complaints and review the outcomes on an annual basis to ensure the effectiveness of the Complaints Procedure. Information provided for the Governing Body will not name individuals.


GOVERNORS’ CURRICULUM COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

The Governing Body has adopted the following procedure for responding to complaints about the school curriculum:

1. Parent(s), or someone on their behalf, should first write to the Headteacher outlining their complaint.

2. They should then discuss the complaint with the Learning Area Coordinator at a mutually convenient appointment, and seek to resolve the matter(s), informally.

3. If agreement cannot be reached, they should then discuss the complaint at a mutually convenient appointment, first with the Deputy Headteacher who has responsibility for curriculum matters and then, if still necessary, with the Headteacher, informally.

4. If agreement cannot be reached, parent(s), or someone on their behalf, should then write to the Clerk to the Governors c/o the School (sending a copy of the letter to the Headteacher), outlining the complaint. The Clerk to the Governors will then arrange for a hearing to be conducted by the appropriate Governors’ Committee which will consider the matter and take any appropriate action.

5. In the event of parent(s) not agreeing with the Governors’ action, parent(s) have a right of appeal.

CHARGING POLICY

The Governing Body is required to draw up a statement of general policy on the circumstances under which charges are made to parents. This policy will be reviewed annually in the Spring Term.

1. Admission to the school – no charge is made for a child’s admission to the school.

2. Education in school hours – no charge is made for education provided during school hours. “School hours” are those when the school is actually in session and do not include the lunchtime break. If most of the time spent on a non-residential out of school activity is in school hours, no charge is made for the activity.

3. Residential activities – if the number of school sessions missed by pupils taking part in residential activities amounts to half or more of the number of half-days taken up by the activity, no charge is made for the education element or for the cost of travel. However, charges will be made for the cost of board and lodging, except in the case of pupils whose parents receive certain state benefits, including Income Support, Job Seeker’s Allowance (income based) and, in certain cases, Child Tax Credit. Further details are available from the school on request.

4. Voluntary contributions – although the school does not make a charge for school time activities, the Headteacher, or a member of staff acting on his behalf, may invite voluntary contributions from parents to make school funds go further. Such requests will make it clear that contributions are voluntary and that children of parents who do not contribute will not be treated any differently from others. If a particular activity cannot take place without some help from parents, this will be explained at the planning stage. Where there are not enough voluntary contributions to make the activity possible and there is no other way to make up the shortfall, then it will be cancelled.

5. Ingredients or materials for items to be made in school – the Headteacher or a member of staff acting on his behalf may invite parents to provide or pay for ingredients or materials for items to be made in school and subsequently taken home.

6. Uniform – pupils are required to wear school uniform, particulars of which are given in the school prospectus. The whole cost of uniform is to be met by parents.

7. Public examinations – no charge is made for entering pupils for public examinations that are set out in government regulations and for which pupils have been prepared in school. However, an entry fee is re-charged to parents if, without good reason, a pupil fails to complete the requirements of any public examination. The fee for remarking is recharged to parents where the request is made by them rather than the school. In the case of resits, the fee is recharged to parents plus a charge of £5.00 per module as a contribution towards the school’s administrative costs.

8. Musical instrument tuition – a charge is made for musical instrument tuition provided after school as part of the Saint Wilfrid’s Music School.

9. Loss of, or damage to, school property – the school will expect parents to contribute to the cost of school property lost or damaged as a result of the action of the pupil concerned.

10 Books or equipment which are desirable, but not essential – the Headteacher or a member of staff acting on his behalf may, from time to time, recommend the purchase of books or equipment which may be helpful to pupils. Such purchases are voluntary and items will remain the property of parents.

11. Private tuition or activities outside school hours – where a member of staff agrees with parents to provide private tuition or activities outside school hours, such an arrangement is regarded as being outside the school’s responsibility and costs are a matter for agreement between the parties concerned.

EXTERNAL EXAMINATION ENTRY POLICY

It is the School’s aim to enter all pupils for the final examination. In most subjects, there is more than one level of entry; these levels are called foundations or higher level. Decision on levels of entry are taken by Learning Area Coordinators. If parents wish to have their son/daughter entered for a particular subject at a level other than that recommended by the school, they may be asked to pay for the entry; should the pupil subsequently obtain a grade within the appropriate range for the level of entry, the fee would be returned.

Occasionally, with the agreement of parents, a student may be allowed to drop a subject, if it is felt that this will result in better performance in the remaining subjects and is, therefore, in the student’s best interests. At present, no restrictions are placed on students who wish to retake GCSE examinations, even if it is not possible for them to attend classes in the subject(s) concerned; however, students are expected to approach members of Staff to ask for guidance and/or establish a programme of work.


THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, 2000

The Governors have adopted a scheme on information to be made available under the Freedom of Information Act, 2000. A copy of the scheme is available on request to the Clerk to the Governors at the school.