Communication Policy
Communications Policy
1 Introduction
1.1 Good communication between the school and the home is essential. Children achieve more when schools and parents work together in an aligned way. Parents can help more if they know what the school is trying to achieve, and how they can help.
1.2 In our school we aim to have clear and effective communications with parents and the wider community. Effective communications enable us to share our aims and values through keeping parents well informed about school life. This reinforces the importance of the role that parents play in supporting the school in educating their children.
1.3 We communicate with parents through a range of different strategies. Some of our communications are the result of a statutory requirement, others reflect what we believe is important to our school.
1.4 Communication is a two way process and we value contact from parents. Parents are encouraged to contact school with any concerns that they may have about their child’s education, their welfare or any matters concerning the life of the school that they are unsure about.
2 Home-School Agreement
2.1 Our Home-School Agreement has been in place since September 1999. It is a requirement of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. It explains the school’s aims and values, the school’s responsibilities towards the children, the responsibilities of parents, and what the school expects of the children. We ask parents to sign this agreement when their child starts in our school.
2.2 The Agreement covers the standard of education in our school, the ethos of the school, our expectations on attendance, manners and good behaviour, and our expectations about homework.
3 Annual written report to parents: children’s achievements
3.1 Each year we provide a written report to parents on each child’s progress in the various areas of learning of National Curriculum subjects. This report also identifies areas of strength and areas for future development. We also give children in Year 2 and Year 6 the details of their performance in the national tests, and details of national comparative performance in the national tests. We also report on the 6 areas of learning as a statutory requirement to parents of Foundation Stage children.
3.2 As well as receiving the annual written report, parents meet their child’s teacher twice a year for a private consultation. This gives parents the opportunity to celebrate their child’s successes and support the child with any areas of development. Parents are able to look at their child’s work during these meetings. At these meetings Individual Education Plans will be reviewed for children on the Special Needs register. We encourage parents to contact the school if any issues arise regarding their child’s progress or well-being at any time.
4 School prospectus
4.1 The school prospectus contains a range of specified information that gives parents a full picture of provision at our school. We update this for each school year.
5 Public access documents
5.1 The school makes available a range of documentation for parents. We keep a master set in the school office, and we make this available on request. It contains copies of all school curriculum policies, minutes of governing body meetings and copies of policies that the governing body are required to have in relation to charging and remissions, sex education, health and safety, curriculum, performance management, admissions and action planning following inspection. It also contains a range of national and LA documentation.
6 Home–school communications
6.1 We send regular newsletters to parents. They contain general details of school events and activities. We send other letters of a general nature when necessary.
6.2 At the beginning of each term all teachers write to the parents of the children in their classes with details of the work to be covered during the forthcoming term. We invite parents to support their child’s work through a range of suggested activities to be shared with the child at home.
6.3 The school encourages parents to share any issues about their child at the earliest opportunity. If at all possible teachers see parents immediately. Where this is not possible, the parent makes an appointment. Many parents take the opportunity to have a word with the teacher when they bring/collect their child from school.
6.4 We arrange regular curriculum meetings for parents. We hold a meeting for new parents each June. The residential visit that Year 6 children make involves a number of meetings for parents. These are related to the planning and content of the visit.
6.5 If a child is absent from school, and we have had no indication of the reason, we contact a parent by telephone, if possible, to find out the reason for the absence.
Signed: Governor Personnel Committee
Date: March 2008