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excellence for all staff handbook

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welcome from the headteacher dear colleague it is a great pleasure and privilege to write to you to introduce myself as the headteacher of manor green school and share with you the ideals behind our work here i feel honoured to work here and want to reassure you that as part of my role and together with an outstanding team of staff i will work tirelessly to support you in your career with us your role will be to join us in promoting the best interests of the pupils parents and the wider community in fact we see school as a community where students views parents opinions and staff ideas are valued and i would like to encourage you to play an active part in its life by attending work every day communicating with the students and parents in a manner which promotes the principles of the school and by working with me and the teaching support and administrative teams to make our school the best that it can be the reality of working in our school is that of the wonderful combination of tradition and innovation which aims to deliver the best special education in the country and beyond we believe that every lesson needs to combine focus on the academic progress the pastoral care and therapeutic learning support as well as promotion of the life skills activities that enrich childrens lives and prepare them for adulthood we teach in small groups to promote personalisation of learning and intensive therapeutic attention is given to each child this can be through direct therapy being timetabled into the day embedded therapy alongside other learning or simply time being created to listen to a child in need of emotional support it is part of our professional mission to support all our students on their journey towards becoming confident happy and successful young people with well-planned and meaningful future destinations the model we promote at our school can often be described as ace academic progress care and therapeutic learning support enrichment and life skills every september we open our doors to new students new families and new staff for staff new to the school this handbook is intended to help make the first days and weeks at manor green school more informed and therefore just that little bit more enjoyable that said not all questions can be answered in such a short publication i have always practised an open door policy and i really encourage you to take advantage of this ­ please contact me or my pa whenever issues arise ­ or just come in to say hello our vision is to create a centre of excellence where every child can be the best that they can be ­ we hope you share our passion and find the journey enjoyable and inspiring with very best wishes ania hildrey headteacher page 2 of 20

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vision and mission statement to be a centre of excellence for pupils with special educational needs school aims independence to develop social communication and emotional skills that empower our students to lead happy healthy safe and fulfilling lives beyond school curriculum to create a multi-sensory stimulating learning environment which provides a broad balanced curriculum focusing on promoting academic progress pastoral care and life enrichment pastoral to celebrate all pupils progress and achievements valuing each individual and encouraging each pupil and member of staff to show respect for themselves and others community to support parents throughout their childs school career work closely with colleagues and multidisciplinary services and have good links and relationships with local schools and our community environment to create a safe happy healthy supportive environment for pupils and staff in which all can thrive study and learn training to provide comprehensive relevant ongoing training in order for all staff to be able to address the wide range of individual needs throughout the school general information address manor green school elizabeth hawkes way maidenhead berkshire sl6 3eq 01628 513800 01628 513808 manorgreen@rbwm.org www.manorgreenschool.rbwm.org la maintained co-educational community school 2-19 years 190 places mrs ania hildrey mr nick clark telephone fax e-mail website type of school age range school size headteacher chair of governors page 3 of 20

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senior leadership team the school is organised into primary secondary and therapeutic learning support each led and managed by an assistant headteacher primary department comprises early years 2-5 yr olds key stage 1 5-7 yr olds and key stage 2 7-11 yr olds it is led and managed by mrs annette meier assistant headteacherprimary secondary department caters for key stage 3 11-14 yr olds key stage 4 14-16 yr olds and key stage 5 or post-16 16-19 yr olds this department is led and managed by mrs val barlow assistant headteacher-secondary therapeutic learning support department is led and managed by mrs pat pringle assistant headteacher ­ tls and offers a range of learning support including but not limited to speech and language therapy salt physiotherapy occupational therapists conductive education rebound therapy visual impairment hearing impairment multi-sensory impairment play therapy camhs learning difficulties and disabilities emotional literacy support assistants elsa music therapy pet therapy hydrotherapy school day 08.55 09.30 10.00 10.30 11.00 11.30 12.00 13:00 13:30 14:30 15:00 09.30 10.00 10.30 11:00 11.30 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:30 15:00 15:15 registration and lesson 1 lesson 2 lesson 3 lesson 4 lesson 5 lesson 6 lunch/play lesson 7 lesson 8 lesson 9 registration and lesson 10 please note that the timing of lessons is notional and that the day is often seamless with the cross-curricular themed delivery planned in a flexible way by the teaching support and therapeutic team page 4 of 20

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information can be found in the following areas first class email calendar and information sharing policies and guidance website www.manorgreenschool@rbwm.org office accident forms binding machine conference facilities bookings fax machine laminator leave of absence forms offsite activity forms photocopier pupil emergency contact numbers pupil files supply /claim forms training forms reception minibus keys and booking details pupil signing in/out book staff signing in/out book visitors book and badges staff badge/keys please contact the office for queries relating to the following business manager ­ dawn price facilities manager ­ frances mcdermott finance ­ tricia knight hr ­ julie brownlie health and safety fundraising room layout requirements premises ordering of goods and equipment petty cash hr queries salaries/wages student information concerns regarding colleagues conduct at work complaints conference room bookings register issues student absence transport office manager ­ linda peterson pa to headteacher ­ sharon glover reception pat morgan jodie compton page 5 of 20

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miscellaneous attendance at work and absence reporting your presence at work is fundamental to the delivery of education and care to the students at our school it is therefore essential that you attend work every day in line with your contractual agreement for staff working directly with children any holidays medical appointments attendance at your child/dependants school personal celebrations including weddings anniversaries birthdays or any other occasions must be planned for outside of your working hours term time absence will not be routinely authorised there are however circumstances outside of your control which may need to be attended to during term time in such circumstances the headteacher will consider your request for special leave any such leave would be unpaid if unauthorised you will be required to report for work on the days in question in the unlikely event that you choose to ignore this instruction a disciplinary hearing will be held to determine your commitment to the school and your future role within it for senior leadership team presence of the senior leadership at school is essential for its smooth operation it is however recognised that the senior leadership team members are expected to work flexible hours throughout the calendar year to ensure smooth running of the school it is routinely expected that they will work beyond the 195 days a year and the 1265 hours of directed time frequently attending breakfast and evening meetings and providing out-of-hours on-call response and working during the holiday periods in recognition of that it is appropriate for a degree of flexibility to be allowed for the slt to attend to matters associated with the above-mentioned special leave during term time any request for special leave will be considered by the headteacher who will decide whether the leave should be treated as time-in-lieu of worked hours flexible working with an expectation of working the time back or unpaid school business support team for staff employed to work 52 weeks a year the above mentioned rules apply with an exception of special leave which could in some situations be paid and deducted from the total allowance of annual leave as above the headteacher will consider individual circumstances and communicate her decision to you absence reporting and return to work if you are absent due to sickness or other unforeseen circumstances you must report your absence to the hr manager as soon as possible and by 8am at the latest messages should be left on the answering machine clearly specifying the reason for your absence with an indication of your expected return to work if your absence is more than one day you will be asked to telephone on every subsequent day of absence to report your readiness for return to work page 6 of 20

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you must remain contactable during your absence so that the hr manager or your immediate line manager can contact you please note it is not acceptable to ask a third party to phone on your behalf except in exceptional circumstances if you are an absent teacher there is an expectation that work will be set for your classes and that you will communicate directly with your hlta to pass on all instructions regarding the lessons on your return to work you must complete a self-certificate form of absence and arrange a return to work meeting with your line manager assistant headteachers in case of teachers hltas and s/ssas this must take place on the first day of your return absconding if a pupil absconds from the lesson please ensure they are brought back in by a member of that class team if a student absconds from the school site please advise reception who will contact the aht for the relevant department if you see a pupil out of lessons or attempting to leave site try to talk to them but do not chase them if unsuccessful please contact the childs class teacher annual reviews staff and pupils are expected to contribute to individual education plans iep and annual reviews annual reviews normally take place in the anniversary month that the original statement of special needs was generated this can change depending on the school year of the pupil specifically year 9 and year 10 have their annual reviews in the summer term whilst year 11 have their reviews in the spring term for all year 9 10 11 and post 16 students an annual review includes transition planning which is the responsibility of the class teacher behaviour management behaviour at our school is outstanding at times students display challenging behaviour and need significant support to be able to return to the point where they can learn it is the class teachers and support teams responsibility to help that student and to record any incidents resulting in restrictive physical intervention rpi restraint the school uses the web-based behaviour watch programme to record all incidents and monitor patterns of behaviour please note that as a new staff member you will only be permitted to use rpi if you have completed team teach training if you require any support please speak to your line manager or katie axford senior specialist assistant ­ behaviour support page 7 of 20

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break times and lunchtime rota you will be informed by your line manager or a member of the senior leadership team about your break and lunchtime duties please make sure you ask for guidance as to the expectations of your conduct and duties during these important sessions children s cash in school the following procedures are for the safe and accurate collection and processing of all money coming into the school with or for the pupils these guidelines are for the protection of staff and cover legally required proceedings any money brought into school by pupils must be sent to the school office for recording and storage in the school safe receipts will be issued for all income and these receipts must be sent home with the pupils at the earliest opportunity these procedures apply to all pupil monies including lunch money contributions for trips and specific projects and any charity donations the monies can be sent to the office via the green zip wallets stored in each register lunch money should be put into the green wallet and recorded on the sheet inside the wallet detailing the amount against the childs name additional monies can also be sent to the school office in the wallet with a written note to say what it is for and who the money came from if there is a considerable sum or a particular query about a payment then staff can bring the money directly to the finance staff for legal reasons no monies should have any deductions taken from them to cover any class or trip costs all trip costs must be paid via the finance staff either by way of the petty cash system or by booking and paying in advance any income towards the cost of the trip must be collected and banked to be offset against any costs monies spent by staff when out of school for which reimbursement is required must be claimed via the petty cash system providing the required receipts pupils spending money must be collected and stored securely to be taken out on the day of the trip this is likely to be a small sum and it need not be receipted but any change must be sent home safeguarding children/child protection and children in care/looked after children all children should feel safe and protected it is the responsibility of all staff to safeguard and protect the welfare of the children in our care pupils have the right to personal safety and the staff have a duty to protect that right any member of staff who has a concern about the welfare of a child has a duty to pass that concern on to the designated person for child protection if a child is disclosing information about possible abuse the staff member needs to listen and provide reassurance but avoid putting words into the childs mouth concerns may be about a number of issues verbal disclosures/accusations physical injury neglect or failure to thrive page 8 of 20

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inappropriate behaviour with sexual or suggestive overtones unusually withdrawn behaviour sudden changes in behaviour it is the duty of the designated person for child protection to collate all information and make a judgement about any necessary action confidentiality should be respected at all times reliable and effective communication is essential at all levels to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to safeguard the well being of staff and pupils you will be offered a session during your induction to the school which will follow this crucial topic in more detail please see the safeguarding children policy for full detailed guidance designated teacher for child protection primary department annette meier assistant headteacher secondary department val barlow assistant headteacher deputy designated teacher for child protection ania hildrey headteacher additional designated teacher trish wellings teacher additional designated officers sharon carrigan home-school liaison officer katie axford senior specialist support assistant ­ behaviour support kathleen brown senior specialist support assistant ­ communication designated teacher for children in care ania hildrey headteacher designated governor for child protection and children in care lynne penn vice chair of governors parent governor it is our policy to safeguard the welfare of all learners by protecting them from physical sexual and emotional harm you must refer you must not investigate page 9 of 20

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manor green school code of conduct aim to keep pupils and staff safe at all times be aware all staff have a duty to keep pupils safe and protect them from physical or emotional harm if child abuse is suspected pass information without delay to cp designated person staff have a duty of care to themselves health safety at work act 1974 all staff should read and be aware of safeguarding and health and safety policies child protection/safeguarding in the event of a child disclosing information of concern the following procedure should be followed find a quiet and private place to listen whilst following the guidance for keeping yourself safe listen carefully taking care not to lead with questions refer the matter to your line manager or designated child protection coordinator as soon as possible make a written record of what was said and your concern as soon as possible but at least within 24 hours date and sign the account and pass to the cp designated person contact and physical contact do not give your personal details to pupils or parents always use school e-mail address any unwelcome communications from pupils or parents should be reported immediately physical contact is healthy and beneficial but should never be secretive or for personal gratification of a type which may be considered for some pupils staff will need to initiate physical contact for care emotional support or safety needs be self aware and always follow guidelines in intimate care and physical intervention policies confidentiality do not share confidential information about a pupil with any person other than on a professional need to know basis never promise complete confidentiality to a pupil prior to during or after a disclosure never pass on confidential information to outsiders without first seeking guidance from smt all data covered by the data protection act should be treated in accordance with the act i.e with real care please read the privacy and confidentiality policy page 10 of 20

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behaviour management do not use physical intimidation or invade a pupils space do not use force as a form of punishment do not use sarcasm demeaning or insensitive comments always try to remain calm and diffuse situations before they escalate never try to bar a pupils way or to physically prevent them from leaving a room unless it is done clearly for their safety or the safety of others propriety do not behave in such a manner that would lead any reasonable person to question your suitability to work with children or act as a role model do not make sexual remarks to a pupil or behave in a way which could be interpreted as sexually suggestive or provocative do not discuss your own sexual preferences or sexual relationships with or in the presence of pupils transporting pupils you should not transport pupils in your own vehicle especially 1:1 without consent you must have valid insurance never transport a pupil to hospital in your own vehicle following an accident an ambulance should be summoned via reception when making a home visit always refer to the protocol power and trust do not use your power to intimidate threaten coerce or undermine pupils do not engage in any sexual activity with any pupil including key stage 5 pupils be aware of how your action may be viewed by others do not pay special attention to a particular pupil one to one situation avoid meeting in remote secluded areas of the school ensure there is visual access and or an open door try to ensure other staff are around or are at least aware of meetings do not use engaged or equivalent signs if you have reason to be concerned prior to a meeting arrange for a colleague to be present showers and changing pupils are entitled to privacy therefore announce your intention of entering avoid visually intrusive behaviour only touch pupils where due to their needs it is necessary always follow the guidelines in the intimate care policy control and physical intervention always try to diffuse situations without physical intervention follow the guidance in the physical intervention policy attend team teach training and refreshers you may intervene to prevent pupils from injuring themselves or others dress code dress safely and appropriately avoid ties or jewellery if working with certain pupils necklaces and hoop earrings can cause a particular hazard jeans and beach wear are not allowed photographic and video images only record images where there is a justifiable purpose refer to the pupils not to be photographed list when videoing ensure colleagues are aware you are recording with the exception of public events no photographs/videos of school activities should be taken by parents/carers/visitors without permission do not use your mobile phone to take photos of pupils page 11 of 20

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communication communication is vital to us all it is fundamental to learning and developing social relationships it is the vehicle for giving information and explaining what we want effective communication motivates learning and total communication gives access to the collaborative process of learning it is the policy of the school that every individuals entitlement to communicate is recognised and facilitated we believe that all methods of communication should be accepted and used within the educational and social context of the school aac augmentative and alternative communication is both a means of accessing an educational curriculum and language in its own right it is appropriate for individuals who have difficulty with receptive and expressive language due to physical sensory or learning disability it provides an opportunity to attain emotional social educational and vocational goals it allows users to control their lives it allows non-speakers to become active communicators instead of passive listeners there is no non-speaking person so disabled that he or she cannot use some form of augmentative communication aac refers to any means by which an individual can supplement or replace spoken language communication may range from any movement or behaviour that is observed and interpreted by another person as meaningful to the use of a code agreed upon between people where items have specific meaning i.e language the schools policy of equality of opportunity should be evidenced when staff recognise that they are aac users when in school this means that staff should be encouraged to sign staff should be encouraged to use symbols symbols are visible in all areas of school symbols are incorporated into all aspects of the curriculum and not just aac sessions aac has a high status in terms of staff training and sharing of expertise induction and ongoing inset includes training in all areas of communication communication with parents/carers daily communication with parents takes place via the communication books telephone email or personal contact at the start or end of the school day no formal letters on headed paper are allowed to be sent out without the headteachers authorisation all letters to parents including items about school trips and events as well as about individual pupils should be sent out via the admin office page 12 of 20

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staff may prepare a draft that can be emailed to linda peterson office manager who will ensure that it is formatted and printed correctly confidentiality all staff are expected to treat any pupil or school data in the strictest confidence no staff member should discuss a pupil with unauthorised personnel or any person outside the school unless they are involved in providing support for that pupil any documentation or other relevant information must be filed as soon as possible any confidential information that is no longer required must be shredded to ensure it has been destroyed the shredder is located in the main admin corridor any breach of school or pupil confidentiality will be treated as a disciplinary offence and may lead to legal prosecution under data protection laws curriculum we seek to address the individual learning needs of all our pupils and to provide a broad and balanced curriculum the breadth across the curriculum is an entitlement for all of the pupils we teach in order to ensure the relevance for the individual pupils at different stages of their school careers we attempt to provide flexibility in terms of balance not all of the pupils will necessarily experience all aspects of the curriculum all of the time the curriculum balance should reflect the needs of pupils at various age related stages of their school careers pupils in the early years will benefit from periods of exploratory play whereas students in their teens will require a curriculum that emphasises community-based activity and includes sex education and careers guidance the diverse nature of need as represented within this school population naturally dictates a variable balance in the whole curriculum some pupils wil,l for example benefit from sensory activities and attention to different therapies others from greater attention on their social interaction skills the subjects of the national curriculum together with religious education form the basis of the whole curriculum on offer at manor green school these subjects are taught in ways appropriate to the pupils in the school other priorities in the curriculum are addressed beyond the national curriculum and religious education this includes a range of therapies provided by and in consultation with colleagues in the health trust and cross curricular elements dignity pupil dignity can be compromised in many ways and staff must be aware of the need to maintain pupil dignity at all times page 13 of 20

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staff are expected to act in a professional manner at all times when discussing confidential information about pupils please do not have a casual discussion about a pupil with another member of staff where other pupils or other members of staff can overhear you please check your location and have your conversation in a discreet place when practical the pupil under discussion should be present please do not discuss a pupil in front of other pupils even if the pupil is present action will be taken if the emotional or physical dignity of a pupil is compromised as all members of staff are significant others to pupils please do not discuss other members of staff in front of pupils if staff have a concern about a situation a decision that has been taken or a comment made by another member of staff it is expected that they talk to the member of staff concerned in the first instance if the situation is not resolved then the issue should be discussed with your line manager it is not acceptable to discuss the issue with other members of staff dress code and general appearance we strive to be a centre of excellence for students with special educational needs staff working in our school are our business card in an environment where work with children of different ages abilities and support needs is at stake it is important that staff dress safely and appropriately the dress code for the school is smart casual with no jeans or other informal equivalents permitted shorts are permitted but must be smart and knee-length hot pants are not allowed inappropriately low cut vests and t-shirts or halter neck tops are not appropriate in this environment body jewellery and/or body tattoos must be either discreet or covered nails must be short and smooth to ensure that students and other colleagues do not get hurt if a need for physical support arises this applies equally to personal hygiene support and behavioural support it is not permitted to eat or chew gum during lessons the headteacher reserves the right to be the ultimate judge in any matters relating to the above and may request that a staff member leaves the premises to change their appearance before returning any such request will result in unpaid leave of absence being recorded for part of the day page 14 of 20

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first aid should a pupil become ill during a lesson and require first aid please contact a first aider there is a first aider in each key stage in the event of a child being taken ill the decision to call an ambulance is taken by the most senior member of staff present as a rule of thumb we would rather risk calling the paramedics unnecessarily than risk the health of a pupil details of medical conditions are held in the pupils blue medical file with original forms being held in the medical room copies of the medical forms may be taken to hospital but the office staff must be notified if a staff member falls ill and requires medical treatment the same rules apply if taken to the hospital the next of kin and personal safety record should be requested from the admin office in a sealed envelope health and safety risks all staff have a responsibility to manage and reduce health and safety risks most often these are general common sense decisions e.g ensuring the area in which they work is suitable for the purpose for which it will be used ensuring they have been trained on equipment before using it and following basic safety management principles e.g not storing large quantities of materials particularly combustible materials in corridors ensuring cables on equipment are undamaged supervising childrens behaviour etc to enable staff to feel confident they are dealing appropriately with such matters they must ensure they read and obey the health and safety policy and discuss any issues of concern with their colleagues and relevant head of department if you see an item or situation that is or might be dangerous you must report it immediately to reception so that it can be resolved home/school diaries all pupils have home/school diaries the diary is for the use of parents/carers and staff to share useful information on a weekly or daily basis dependent on the individual needs of each pupil the use of the diary does not replace personal contact or talking on the phone with the parents/carers or staff please write a brief note to let parents know what their child has been doing that day and any homework it is important that the communication is not only professional but also grammatically correct and spelt without errors if you feel you are not the best person to achieve this please arrange for a colleague to write the message hygiene rooms in order to keep the environment safe it is important that the support areas and support rooms are well maintained please ensure that page 15 of 20

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