Policies
Attendance
Good school attendance gives your child the opportunity of success and helps develop skills for life. Your child should attend school every day unless there is an unavoidable cause such as illness. We seek to ensure that all our pupils receive a full-time education which maximises the opportunity for each pupil to realise their true potential. We strive to provide a welcoming, caring environment, whereby each member of the school community feels valued, safe and secure.
Parents and carers must ensure that their child attends school regularly, punctually, properly equipped and ready to learn. If your child is unable to attend school for any reason, or is likely to be late, parents and carers should notify the school by 9.30am on the first day – by telephone (0117 9030302) or by email [email protected].
We will contact parents and carers if a child is not present at morning or afternoon registration to ensure that the child is safe. Parents and carers are responsible for responding to calls and for ensuring school has up to date contact details. A pupil’s absence from school will be considered unauthorised until a satisfactory explanation is received.
It is hoped that through working in partnership, all attendance issues can be resolved. Parents and carers will be informed if there are any concerns regarding attendance or if attendance falls below 90%.
Further information is available in our Frequently asked Questions section or by reading the full policy.
Behaviour
We are concerned with the education of the whole child by encouraging our children to develop the personal and social skills required for life.
We aim to promote:
Respect in children for themselves, for others and for their environment, and to ensure equality of opportunity for all.
Quality and excellence in all things by providing a consistent and caring atmosphere between children, staff and parents/carers, where everyone is valued.
We maintain high standards of behaviour to enable all children to do their best. In the classroom, we make sure that lesson time is used effectively to promote good learning behaviours. This allows the children to focus on their learning, free from disruptions and distractions. In the playground, children will be able to play happily and safely. We have developed a sequence of actions for all school staff to follow in any case of inappropriate behaviour. We hope this will ensure consistency of approach.
Further information is available by reading the full policy
Exclusions
The school aim is to ensure the exclusions process is applied fairly and consistently and that the process is understood by governors, staff, parents and pupils. The overarching aim of the policy is to ensure pupils in school are safe and happy and that pupils do not become NEET (not in education, employment or training).
Concerns and Complaints
Our policy aim is to ensure that a concern or complaint is managed sympathetically, efficiently and at the appropriate level, and resolved as soon as possible. We will try to resolve every concern or complaint in a positive way with the aim of putting right a matter which may have gone wrong and, where necessary, reviewing our systems and procedures in light of the circumstances.
Concerns or Complaints can be raised informally by raising of a concern or difficulty by speaking or writing to a member of staff or as a formal complaint in writing to the Head of School.
Who can complain?
Anybody who wants to complain about something to do with the school (not including suspensions or admissions).
How to make a complaint:
Complaints can be made in person or in writing.
You can ask the school office or Citizens Advice to help you fill out a complaint form.
You must make the complaint within three months of the incident.
Informal Complaints
Informal complaints can be raised with the teacher or headteacher.
They will investigate and provide an informal written response within 10 days.
Formal Complaints
If the issue is not sorted out, a formal complaint can be made to the headteacher. (If it involves the headteacher, it should go to the CEO of Trust in Learning Academies). The headteacher or CEO will confirm they have got the complaint within three school days.
The headteacher or CEO will investigate and provide a written response within 15 school days. If they are unable to, they will provide an update as to why.
The response will include how they investigated, a full explanation of the decision made and the reason for it, and any actions the school will take to resolve the complaint.
Panel Hearing
If you are still dissatisfied, you can escalate the complaint to a panel hearing. The panel will be three people who were not directly involved. One of these will be independent of the school. You will be offered three dates for this. You can bring a relative or friend along for support. The meeting will be held in private and recordings will not generally be permitted.
The panel will decide on appropriate action to resolve the complaint.
This is an easy-read version. Please see the Complaints Policy for further information and detail.
Safeguarding
We take our responsibility to keeping children safe very seriously and have a range of controls in place to ensure this is achieved. Our work with support agencies is lead by the Senior Leadership team, who over see all aspects of child protection. Our robust recruitment and selection process is reviewed regularly and all employees are subject to Enhanced Disclosure and Barring checks which are reviewed on a regular basis.
TiLA Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
TiLA Child on Child Abuse Policy
Education provided during school hours is free, however from time-to-time we may invite parents and carers to make a contribution to allow us to offer activities or experiences which otherwise might not be possible. Some help is available for Parents/Carers facing difficulties with charges for optional activities, please speak to us at any time if your require assistance.
Charging and Remissions Policy
Accessibility
Our aim is to raise the achievement and life chances of all our pupils/students, irrespective of any disability, and to serve the community each school/academy by providing access to a range of activities and opportunities. We will use our resources and expertise to encourage all students to develop confidence, understanding and skills in these areas.
Emergency School Closure
There are times when the weather is so severe, e.g. very heavy snowfall, that it is considered that the health and safety of pupils and staff are best served by closing the school.
A decision will be made before 8.45 a.m. when the doors open, a notice will be placed on the school website and parents/carers who are signed up to School comms will receive a text / email. Alternatively you can access news by downloading the school app.
Equality statement
At Filton Avenue Primary School we are committed to ensuring equality of education and opportunity for all pupils, staff, parents and carers receiving services from the school, irrespective of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, faith or religion, socio-economic background or being pregnant or undertaking maternity leave. We aim to develop a culture of inclusion and diversity in which all those connected to the school feel proud of their identity and able to participate fully in school life.
The achievement of pupils will be monitored by race, gender and disability and we will use this data to support pupils, raise standards and ensure inclusive teaching. We will tackle discrimination by the positive promotion of equality, challenging bullying and stereotypes and creating an environment which champions respect for all. We believe that diversity is a strength, which should be respected and celebrated by all those who learn, teach and visit here.
This is underpinned by the Equality Act 2010.
It is our duty and we shall endeavour to:
- eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act
- Advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it;
- Foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.
RSHE Policy
Code of Conduct
FAPS Parent/Carer Code of Conduct
At Filton Avenue Primary School, we are proud to be a community that values Collaboration, Aspiration, Respect, and Endeavour. By working together with generosity of spirit and understanding, we can ensure that every child feels happy, safe, and supported to achieve their best.
This code of conduct sets out the expectations for all parents and carers to help us create a positive and respectful environment for our children to thrive.
Our Shared Values
- Collaboration
We work together as partners in your child’s education and believe that we can better address challenges together.
- Aspiration
We work with the understanding that we all want to help every child achieve their potential and be the best version of themselves.
- Respect
We treat all members of our school community – staff, pupils, and families – with kindness and respect, using calm, polite language in all interactions, whether in person, by phone, or online.
- Endeavour
We expect all staff, parents/carers and children to be committed to working hard to ensure excellent outcomes.
Expectations of Parents and Carers
When you join Filton Avenue Primary School you sign up to the school’s ‘Home / School Agreement’. This asks that you support the school’s values, and that you behave respectfully towards all members of our school community.
Building on this and to foster a positive school community, we ask parents and carers to:
- Be Supportive:
Support the school’s values, rules, policies, and practices, including behaviour policies, attendance expectations, and learning goals openly with your child. - Communicate Constructively:
Raise concerns respectfully, constructively and privately with the appropriate member of staff, without sharing them with your child until we have had an opportunity to resolve them. - Model Positive Behaviour:
Demonstrate respect, patience, and understanding in all interactions, setting an example for your children. - Be Generous in Spirit:
Assume positive intentions from staff. All staff here work very hard, and we are all working towards the best outcomes for all the children. - Engage in Your Child’s Education:
Attend parent/carer-teacher meetings, school events, and support home learning activities to show your child that their education matters.
Unacceptable Behaviours
To maintain a respectful environment, the following behaviours are not acceptable:
- Disregarding or undermining the authority of school staff members, including questioning their professional judgement in front of children, staff, or other parents/carers.
- Encouraging children to engage in behaviours that are contrary to the school’s values, ethos or expectations.
- Approaching or speaking to children (other than your own) without the permission of the school or their parent/carer.
- Physical aggression, threats of violence, or intimidating actions towards school staff, students, or other parents/carers.
- Inappropriate or defamatory comments about the school, its staff, students or other parents/carers, whether in person, online or over the telephone.
- Disrupting school activities or the school’s day-to-day operations.
- Verbal abuse, including shouting, swearing, or making threats of harm.
- Any form of bullying, harassment, or intimidation, whether in person, in writing, or online, towards staff, pupils, or other parents/carers.
- Using offensive, racist, sexist, homophobic, or discriminatory language or behaviour that relate to any of the 9 Protected Characteristics, as defined in the Equality Act 2010.
- Damaging or vandalising school property, or the personal belongings of staff, students, or other parents/carers.
- Refusing to comply with school rules or policies, including those related to health and safety, safeguarding, and security.
Breaching the Code of Conduct
In cases where a parent/carer breaches the Code of Conduct, the following steps may be taken to address the situation:
- Informal resolution through a conversation with a member of the School Leadership Team to address the concern informally and ensure the parent/carer understands the nature of the breach and how it can be resolved
- A formal warning provided in writing, outlining the nature of the breach, the steps needed to remedy the situation, and a clear warning that further incidents may lead to more serious action.
- Suspension of the parent/carer’s access to the school site temporarily. This may mean the parent/carer will be restricted from attending school events, meetings, or entering the school building for a period of time, to be determined by the School Leadership Team. A written notice will be given, explaining the reason for the suspension and the expected behaviours/actions for reinstatement.
- Involvement of external agencies in cases of serious misconduct, where the behaviour of a parent/carer or visitor could be considered threatening or abusive, such as the local authority or law enforcement. This may include reporting the matter to the police if the behaviour escalates to harassment or threatens the safety of others.
Our ‘Policy on managing inappropriate behaviour from parents/carers and visitors within our school’ covers this in more detail.
We thank you for your commitment to working together for the benefit of all our children.
