From Tiny Acorns Great Oaks Grow 1 | P a g e Staff Handbook

From Tiny Acorns Great Oaks Grow 2 | P a g e Contents: Introduction Headteacher’s Welcome pg5 Charlesworth Vision and Values pg6 Term Dates pg7 School Context pg8 Insight into the school 9 Strategic Planning 10-13 School Improvement Priorities 10-11 Staffing Structure 12 The Governing Body 13 Church School Statement Staff Expectations 14 Planning, Preparation and Assessment 14 Punctuality and Attendance 15 Communication 16-18 Internal Communication 16 External Communication 17 Class Dojo 18 Administrative Matters 19-24 The School Day 19 Daily Timetable 19 Assemblies 19 Assembly Guidance 20 Lunchtime Information 20 Registers 20-21 Extended Schools Provision 22 Acorns Wraparound Care 22

From Tiny Acorns Great Oaks Grow 3 | P a g e External After School Clubs 23 Uniform Expectations 24 Safeguarding 25 Child Protection Policy/ Guidance 25 Raising a concern and CPOMS 26-27 Staff Safety 26 Code of Conduct 28 Whistleblowing 28 Code of Conduct 29 Acceptable Use, Social Media and Social 29 GDPR/ >[email protected] email address • Contact the teacher that you work alongside. • Any staff member directly impacted by your absence You must contact school if you will be unable to return to work the following day, Staff are able to self-certify for a period of 5 days, but then must provide a ‘sick note’ from a doctor. Staff are entitled to up to 5 days absence for issues related to dependents (illness, appointments). Leave of absence other than for sickness may be granted in exceptional circumstances, but staff must full out a ‘Request for Absence Form’ which can be found in the photocopying room at the Infant site and in the back office at the Junior site. A paid request for leave may only be granted for the following circumstances: compassionate leave, personal events or emergencies, moving house, interviews for jobs, presentation of degrees or hospital appointments. Any other reasons are at the discretion of the headteacher and governors and will be unpaid. Routine medical or dental appointments should be made outside of the school teaching day or during school holidays. If you attend a school residential trip, you are entitled to 1 day in lieu which can be taken at any time (except the first day or last day of a term), as long as a minimum of 10 working days notice is given. Communication

From Tiny Acorns Great Oaks Grow 17 | P a g e Internal Communication Staff Meetings Staff meetings will take place on a Thursday at 4:00 – 5:00pm in the Class Two classroom, unless specified by the headteacher. All teachers are expected to attend. HLTA/ TA’s and other support staff are welcome to attend if they choose but will be invited to Staff meetings that are of particular relevance to them. The outline for Staff Meetings will be given to staff at the start of each term but are subject to change depending on the training needs and events taking place within school. School Email All staff are allocated a school email address, which will be the main source of administration emails being sent. All staff must be able to access their school email to ensure any Office emails are received, so that Parentmail can be used effectively and so that staff can log incidents on CPOMS. Shared Calendar A Whole School Calendar is created by the SLT/ Office staff and all updates are shared with the staff at the beginning of each half term. A copy of the calendar will be on display in each site. WhatsApp group All staff are invited to a social ‘WhatsApp’ group. This group is a social, conversational forum which is used to support the well-being of staff. No sensitive information is shared on this group and there is no expectation for staff to respond to the messages in this group. External Communication School Website

From Tiny Acorns Great Oaks Grow 18 | P a g e Our school website is actively used and is where lots of information can be found. We upload current policies, school information as well as a wealth of other documents there. There is no expectation for staff to add to the website, but key information can be found there. Our school website can be found here. Facebook Our Facebook page allows us to develop our social media presence. Links to key events are added to the Facebook page. There is no expectation for staff to add to the Facebook page. Our school Facebook page can be found here. Newsletter At Charlesworth school we create a weekly newsletter that is sent out via Parentmail on a Friday. The Newsletter is produced by Microsoft Sway and is a way of celebrating the events and achievements in school. All staff are encouraged to contribute to the newsletter and class teachers are asked to send a commentary and photographs about what they have been doing in class. The newsletter also includes diary dates; celebrations, details of important events. Parentmail Parentmail is an online system that supports the communication from the office to all members of the school community. Parentmail enables group emails to be sent out, forms for trips to be created, payments to be set up and registers to be taken. Staff can ask for information to be sent out via Parentmail, but the majority of correspondence will come from the SLT or Office staff. Class Dojo Class Dojo is the main method of communication used by teachers to parents. Staff are able to:

From Tiny Acorns Great Oaks Grow 19 | P a g e • Add posts onto the class wall promoting events, homework, activities • Add photographs and observations onto a child’s individual portfolio. • Message parents directly. • Add ‘Dojo’ points (positive behaviour points) for each child. • Add upcoming events to a calendar Class Dojo is led and managed by individual Class teachers and allows almost instant contact with parents. To protect the well-being of our staff, ‘quiet hours’ are set for them between 4:30pm and 8am, which provides an Out-of-Office response to parents. The SLT as Designated Safeguarding Leads do not follow this and can be contacted at any time. It is made clear to parents that they may not always receive an immediate response but that the SLT are monitoring the messages. Parents from any class have direct access to both Mr Whiston and Miss Barton. Parents are encouraged to use Class Dojo as the main form of communication with the Class teachers. Administrative Matters The School Day Juniors – Children arrive at 8:55am and leave at 3:30pm

From Tiny Acorns Great Oaks Grow 20 | P a g e Infants – Children arrive at 9:10am and leave at 3:15pm The 15-minute difference enables parents to move between the sites in the case of siblings. Daily Timetable The school day at Charlesworth School operates from 7:30am, when Acorns Wraparound Care opens. Our after-school provision runs until 6pm. All children have a playtime in the morning and Infant children receive free fruit and milk. Our Infant children then have a second playtime in the afternoon. The Junior children have Golden Time, which is a designated extended play one afternoon per week. The timetable differs on a Friday, when we hold ‘Whole School Open Worships’ at the Junior site. Infants Juniors 9:10am Infant children enter school 9:15am Morning Challenge and Register 9:40am Phonics 10:00am Short teaching session 10:30am Playtime 10:45am Teaching Session 12:00 Lunchtime 1:00pm Teaching Session 2:30pm Playtime 2:45pm Assembly 3:15pm Hometime Assemblies We hold an act of Collective worship on both sites every day. These worships include: • Values assembly • Hymn Practise • Celebration Assembly • Story assembly • Open Worship Assembly Guidance • An assembly rota is established at the beginning of each academic year and is shared with all staff. 8:55am Infant children enter school 9:00am Morning Challenge and Register 9:15am Teaching Session One 10:30am Playtime 10:45am Teaching Session Two 12:00 Lunchtime 1:00pm Assembly 1:30pm Teaching Session Three 2:30pm Teaching Session Four 3:30pm Hometime

From Tiny Acorns Great Oaks Grow 21 | P a g e • All teachers are expected to lead one class assembly per term, sharing the class’s learning and will lead one production (Infants Christmas Nativity, Juniors a Summer Production). • Open Worship will be led by members of the local churches and/ or community. These worships will be booked a term in advance and parents will be invited to attend. Lunchtime Information On both sites, lunchtime is between 12:00 and 1:00pm. Our teaching assistants provide lunchtime support on both sites. Infant Staff: Katherine Mooney (Server) Kelly Collier, Katy Millward, Jenni Rayson (Lunchtime staff) Junior Staff: Caroline Williams (Server) Chrissie Brennan, Hannah James (Lunchtime Staff) If staff are absent, cover will be sought from staff internally. Lunches are ordered from St Margaret’s School and numbers of lunches provided to the kitchen by the SBA on a termly basis. Derbyshire Catering Services will provide ongoing information regarding menus and cost which will then be distributed to staff and parents. Registers We currently use paper-based registers that need to be printed and taken to each class by Monday morning. Registers are then collected the following Monday and all >[email protected] And training provided by [email protected] Ordering and Purchasing Class teachers are allocated a Class budget by the end of the academic year and are responsible for sourcing the resources they need and filling in an order form which includes all details including product name, reference code, quantity and cost. They are responsible for ensuring that they do not go over budget, without agreement from the headteacher. For other purchases: Cleaning/ hygiene supplies: Graham Burford is to speak to you directly regarding supplies of toilet roll, hand towels, bin bags etc. and these can be ordered when required. A log of all purchases will be kept. Photocopy paper/ toner: SBA to monitor when paper on both sites is running low and staff to make aware if needed sooner. Paper will be ordered as required. Photocopier toners are to be ordered as needed, preferably with a second set ordered in advance so that the photocopiers continue to run smoothly. First aid supplies: Kathryn Barton will monitor the first aid supplies and reserves. Staff may request additional supplies through the office, who will then liaise with Kathryn regarding stock and purchasing. Food for Acorns Wraparound Care: This is currently purchased and delivered through a Tesco online order each week. Kathryn will manage this and complete the order. We are looking for alternative ideas for purchasing of food, including Fairshare. For additional resources or orders requested, staff must speak to the headteacher for agreement before asking the SBA to purchase. The SBA must pass these purchases by the headteacher first.

From Tiny Acorns Great Oaks Grow 45 | P a g e A record of all orders and payments will be kept. Crowden Residential The Crowden residential for Year 5/ 6 is booked a year in advance and a Parentmail booking form sent out to parents with a minimum of 6 months before the trip. A payment plan will be set up for parents which enables them to pay over a 6-month period. Declaration of Business Interest All teachers, other members of staff involved in the ordering and payment process will be asked to sign a ‘Declaration of Business Interest’ at the beginning of each year. VAT Receipts The school can reclaim VAT on most terms of expenditure but only if you obtain a proper VAT receipt when purchasing goods. Obviously, some items such as books are zero rated but in all cases it is important to get a proper itemized receipt for the money spent. By being able to reclaim VAT, we all benefit as our budget goes further. A till receipt should contain the following information: • Supplier’s name and VAT registration number • Description of goods/ services. • Amount payable (including VAT) • Date of supply. • Rate of VAT in force at the time of supply. Security and Visitors to School ID Badges All staff members are to wear an ID Lanyard to school daily – this will show the staff members photograph, name, position, DBS Reference number and Date of DBS check. New Staff members will work with the office staff to apply for a new ID badge, a temporary badge will be provided until a new ID badge has been delivered. Keys and Fobs

From Tiny Acorns Great Oaks Grow 46 | P a g e All staff members are allocated a key for the building they work in. Staff members who work across both sites are allocated a master key. Staff members are able to ask not to have a key. All staff members must sign to say they have received their key and are responsible for reporting the loss/ damage of a key. Both the headteacher, Senior Leader, and both caretakers have a fob to open and access the buildings. Other staff members, who may be required to set/ unset the alarm, are provided with the code. Staff members are expected to keep this confidential and not share with any other person. Visitors invited to the school Visitors to the Infant Site will go to the office where they will be greeted by the Senior Business Assistant. They will be asked to sign in and take an appropriate lanyard. Lanyards include: • Staff – for supply staff and students • Governors • Visitors Health and Safety

From Tiny Acorns Great Oaks Grow 47 | P a g e Risk Assessment Charlesworth follows the Derbyshire County Council (DCC) guidance on Risk Assessments. These are used to update the Health and Safety Policy and all of our Health and Safety Risk Assessments. All staff have access to all the policies and risk assessments and must follow all of them. Emergency Plans and Procedures We have a detailed Critical Incident Plan for all staff to follow in the event of an emergency or other critical incident. The Critical Incident folders are held within the office at the Infant site and the back office at the Junior site. Fire Drill or other Emergency Evacuation There will be a fire drill on each site, at least every half term. When the alarm sounds it will be a continuous alarm and all children must leave the school by their identified route or nearest fire exit. All doors must be closed as the building is exited, with the teacher at the front of the line and a support staff member, where possible, the last person out of the school. All classes must line up in silence at their designated safety spot. SEND TA’s are responsible for the children in their care and additional support will be given to vulnerable children. Please see fire safety plans contained within the designated ‘Fire Safety’ folder at the Long Lane site. First Aid and Medical Needs All staff are first aid trained throughout school and renewals are planned to ensure that all staff receive appropriate training updates. Kathryn Barton is our names medical needs coordinator. Her role includes the management of first aid, medical needs and medicines. In the event that Kathryn Barton is not available, Philip Whiston will deal with any medical issues or administration. Additionally, we have two staff members trained in paediatric first aid: Kathryn Barton and Kelly Collier First Aid Procedures

From Tiny Acorns Great Oaks Grow 48 | P a g e Most small accidents in school with by dealt with by Teaching Assistants but all staff have a responsibility to provide basic care, such as applying plasters or ice packs. In the event of an accident resulting in injury: • The closest member of staff present will assess the seriousness of the injury and decide on the course of action to be taken. • Staff will seek the support of additional staff if they feel the injury is more serious or if they need to contact the emergency services. Both staff members will stay at the scene until help arrives and will seek further assistance from the SLT. • The responding staff member is also responsible for deciding whether the injured person should be moved or placed in the recovery position. • If the staff member judges that a pupil is too unwell to remain in school, parents will be contacted (either by phone or by Class Dojo) and asked to collect their child. • If the emergency services are called, the SLT will contact parents immediately. • Following the incident, the staff member who completed the first aid will complete an accident form as soon as possible afterwards, but definitely by the end of the school day. • For all accidents leading to injury, parents will be informed either by phone call or Class Dojo. • First Aid forms will be sent to the headteacher to be collated and stored. • Any significant injuries including head injuries, broken bones, hospital visits will be logged onto CPOMS by the staff member managing the situation. • SLT will record serious accidents and will report to HSE or complete an AIR form as necessary. First Aid Equipment and Medical Boxes First aid equipment is stored in: Infants: White First Aid box outside the staff toilet, green first aid box in the hall, and first aid bum bags around the building. Juniors: White First Aid box in the cloakroom of Class Four, green first aid box in the back office and first aid bum bags around the building. First Aid for Trips First aid provision must be adequate and appropriate. The provision of first aid during offsite visits and activities should therefore be considered as part of the risk-benefit assessment and planning process. When planning first aid provision, trip leaders must assess: • The nature of the activity

From Tiny Acorns Great Oaks Grow 49 | P a g e • The nature of the group • The likely injuries associated with the activity • The extend to which the group will be isolated from the support of the emergency services (both in terms of distance and response time). Since the Covid-19 pandemic, our first aid kits also include hand gel, antiseptic wipes, tissues, bags for waste, gloves and face masks. They could also include disposable aprons and eye protection. As all staff members are trained in first aid, there will always be a first aider on the trip. However, it is important to allocate a staff member to be responsible for first aid throughout the trip. For children in the EYFS, there is a statutory requirement that at least one person who has a current paediatric first aid certificate, must accompany children on outings. Medical Needs Charlesworth is committed to including children with medical needs and health conditions. At the beginning of the school year, all new medical information will be added to our RM Integris system and will be shared with all relevant staff members. Children with an identified medical need will be added to our Inclusion register under the category of ‘Medical Needs’. Where the medical need is deemed to be serious an Individual Care Plan will be put in place and shared with all relevant staff members. ICP will be kept in the child’s classroom alongside their medication. Staff should refer to the ICP each time they administer medicines. The SLT will ensure that all staff receive appropriate training to support the child in their care in administering medicines. If a child takes ill, advice may be sought from parents and on every occasion parents will be informed regarding a child with significant medical needs. Medications in School All medications in school must be given directly to the Class Teacher alongside an administration form stating the child’s name, details of illness, time and dose of medication. A record of when the medication was given will be shared with parents either by phone call or Class Dojo. Allergies

From Tiny Acorns Great Oaks Grow 50 | P a g e As with medical needs, all staff will be made aware of any children with allergies. Children who require treatment for their allergies will be recorded on a first aid form and parents will be contacted via phone or Class Dojo. If a child suffers from physical signs of anaphylactic symptoms than the incident will be recorded on CPOMS as well. This also includes staff members. All staff and members of the school community should be made aware of any staff allergies in an attempt to ensure there is no exposure to the allergen. Health and Safety Training Each year all staff will be updated on the Health and Safety policy and procedures, and all staff must complete online basic Health and Safety training. Playground Safety All staff have responsibility for all children when they are in the playground. All staff have playground/ lunchtime duties and the safety of the children in paramount at these times. We have a detailed Playground Risk Assessment that explains in detail all the risk measures we have in place to ensure the safety of children at playtime. Care of Premises It is the responsibility of everyone that the premises are kept clean and tidy at all times. Our Caretaking team, include Express Cleaners as the employer and Graham Burford and Caroline Williams as the employees working directly in school. Graham Burford – Graham works at the Infant site from 6:30am until 8am. His duties include opening up at the Junior site as well as the Infant site. He is responsible for cleaning at the Infant site. He also has responsibility for some low-level grounds work and maintenance such as small DIY tasks, gritting the playgrounds on an icy day, putting the bins out and ensuring paths are clear. There is an additional cleaner supplied by Express cleaning who does an hour per day at the Infant site and focuses on cleaning the toilets and the offices. This person does change regularly. Caroline Williams – Caroline works at the Junior site from 2pm until 5pm. Her responsibility is to keep the Junior site clean as well as some low-level grounds work such as sweeping leaves.