Success for everyone

Success for everyone

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OUR POLICIES 

Rossett School has recently joined Red Kite Learning Trust and our website content and policies are currently being reviewed in line with our Trust.

Please see below statements regarding the following policies: Collective Worship, Religious Education, Safeguarding, Sex & Relationships Education and Stonewall School Award.

Collective Worship

Rossett School believes that collective worship both supports and strengthens what we aim to do in every aspect of school life. Our caring ethos, and the value which we place on the development of the whole child; spiritually, morally, socially, culturally and intellectually is reflected in our assemblies. We value this special time in the school week for the space it gives children to develop a reflective approach to life and the ability to express their reflections in an appropriate manner.

Through our assemblies (year group and whole school) we aim to provide a caring and supportive environment for children to:

  • Become increasingly aware of themselves as individuals and groups within the school and wider community;
  • Grow in understanding of the feelings of the other people in every day situations and beliefs;
  • Explore the language which people use to express their feelings;
  • Deepen their sense of wonder about the world around them;
  • Grow in confidence when making a presentation to the group or whole school;
  • Respond freely to religious and/or spiritual stimulus;
  • Acknowledge diversity and affirm each person’s life stance, whether it be religious or not.

Parents of a student have a right to withdraw their children from collective worship. A parent may request that  their child  be wholly or partly excused from attending collective worship by contacting their child’s Director of Learning.

The Education and Inspection Act 2006 makes provision for studentsin post-16 education to exercise the right to withdraw themselves from the daily act of collective worship, but not from assembly.

The full policy is available on request.


Religious Education

Religious Education (RE) is not a National Curriculum subject, but is taught as part of the Basic Curriculum. At Rossett School we follow the NYCC Agreed Syllabus of Religious Education.

Parents have a right to withdraw their children from RE.  A parent may request that  their child be wholly or partly excused from attending  RE by contacting their child’s Director of Learning.

The full policy is available on request.


Safeguarding

Rossett School fully recognises its responsibilities for safeguarding children. Our policy applies to all staff, governors and volunteers working in the school.

There are five main elements to our policy:

  • Establishing a safe environment in which students can learn and develop.
  • Ensuring we practice safer recruitment in checking the suitability of staff and volunteers to work with children;
  • Raising awareness of child protection issues and equipping children with the skills needed to keep them safe;
  • Developing and  implementing procedures for identifying and reporting cases, or suspected cases, of abuse;
  • Supporting pupils who have been abused in accordance with his/her agreed child protection plan;

The full safeguarding (child protection) policy is available here.


Relationships and Sex Education 

Our ethos is ‘success for everyone’.  This includes students being able to form and maintain healthy relationships and good sexual health. The aims of relationships and sex education (RSE) at our school are to:

  • Provide a framework in which sensitive discussions can take place
  • Prepare pupils for puberty, and give them an understanding of sexual development and the importance of health, hygiene, personal safety, and the law
  • Help pupils develop feelings of self-respect, confidence, and empathy
  • Create a positive culture around issues of sexuality, gender identity and relationships
  • Teach pupils the correct vocabulary to describe themselves and their bodies

This policy was created following consultations with staff, parents, students, and governors.  It will be reviewed annually to ensure it is fit for purpose.  Please contact psaunders@rossettschool.co.uk if you have any questions regarding this policy and its contents.

Our full RSE Policy can be found here.

 


Positive Handling Policy Statement

In dealing with incidents we try to ensure care and protection for everyone within our school community. From past experience we know that restraint will be needed on very rare occasions and we endeavour to handle such situations with care and responsibility.

Staff are authorised to use reasonable physical restraint when a student is:

  • committing an offence;
  • causing personal injury to, or damage to the property of, any person (including the student him/herself); or
  • Engaging in any behaviour prejudicial to the maintenance of good order and discipline at the school or amongst its students, whether during a teaching session or otherwise.

All incidents will be recorded giving the strategies employed and the outcome. Parents/carers will be contacted as soon as possible and the incident explained.


Stonewall School Award

The ‘Champion’ Stonewall schools provide support to tackle Homophobia and Homophobic bullying thereby promoting a safe and inclusive learning environment for all young people. Their aim is to promote equality among young people and to recognise good practice in schools.

Rossett School was chosen as the first ‘Champion’ school in North Yorkshire because we have an excellent reputation in the county for inclusive practice and are recognised as a school with an ethos that reflects equality in its broadest sense.

We have:

  • Undertaken whole school staff training on Homophobic Bullying and Transgender Re-alignment;
  • Completed the Stonewall audit to show good practise;
  • Held year group assemblies on homophobia in general and at Rossett School in particular;
  • Received a visit from Sir Ian McKellen (15 Dec 2010) – who met with the Student Council, a range of other students and staff, was a ‘guest’ in a Philosophy GCSE lesson and addressed the whole school in an assembly that will stay in the memory of all those present for many years;
  • Established a group of Stonewall ‘leaders’ at Rossett;
  • We have shared good practice with other schools in the following key areas identified by Stonewall – eliminating discrimination, advancing equality of opportunity and fostering good relations in school and the wider community;
  • We have actively challenged homophobic bullying and in doing so have protected those that may have otherwise been subjected to it;
  • We have actively displayed materials in school to promote the diverse society in which we live.