Co-op Academy North Manchester

Communication Policy

Policy details

• Date created - June 2022
• Date approved - June 2022
• Next review date - June 2025
• Policy owner - Rachel Bainbridge [North Manchester]

PRINCIPLES

The Communications Policy is guided by and committed to the following principles:

At Co-op Academy North Manchester we believe that effective communications with all stakeholders is essential. We have a commitment to ensuring that we work in partnership with parents/carers and the wider community.  

Through communicating clearly and effectively with parents/carers we will foster opportunities for parents/carers to become involved in the life of our school.

POLICY

Information for New Parents/Carers (Year 7)

• As part of our Induction process we invite parents/carers to attend the Induction evening meeting in  July before their child is due to start in September. The purpose of the evening is to meet some of the staff who will be involved in the Induction process and to hear about the school routines, policies and procedures.
• The academy will share a google form for Parents/Carers to access key policies and provide up to date information. 
• The academy’s expectations are outlined through our policies and also through our vision, values and those of the Trust.

Parent Digest and Letters

• The Parent Digest is produced on a regular basis and is available on the website and the link is shared with parents/carers via Arbor. . Letters may also be sent home with pupils and also via the Arbor app and email.  In addition, in-app messages may be used to notify parents/carers that communications have been sent out.
• The Parent Digest contains important messages about policies and procedures, events, clubs, and trips and other important information.  It is also an opportunity to celebrate successes in and out of school and to share stories with our community.

Website

• The school website has a ‘Parents’ Area’, with relevant content.  
• The Website also has a calendar of events with all the key dates for the forthcoming academic year, including Progress evenings and other evenings.  Details of the term dates are published on the school website and must be consulted prior to booking holidays as term time holidays are not permitted (see attendance policy)

The Pupil Planner

• Every pupil has a pupil planner and it contains useful information for both the pupils and the parents/carers.
• At the front of the pupils’ planner is information about who to contact, key policies, the pupil timetable etc.
• There is a space in the planner for parents/carers to sign each week.  Pupils are expected to show their planners to their parents/carers.

Pupil/Pupil Absence

• In the case of illness, a telephone call to the absence line is required
• The absence line can be accessed by dialing the school number. This should be done as early in the day as possible on the first day of absence and before 8:30am using the school number - 0161 681 1592 option 1.
• You should give your child’s name, form, reason for absence and expected date of return to school, if known. If the return to school date is not known, you should continue to call the absence line on a daily basis. For safeguarding purposes, first day absence calls will be made in order to ascertain why pupils are not in the Academy and follow up calls may also be made later in the day.
• Home visits will be carried out as necessary. If a child is not seen during these home visits, then after three days, this may be escalated. (see attendance policy)
• On your child’s return to school, you must provide a letter explaining the cause of absence which should be given to his/her form tutor. Medical evidence will also be requested.

Appointments

• If your child has an appointment during the school day, a letter must be sent into school as soon as possible, before the day of the appointment.  This should give details about the appointment time, the time of collection from school and the expected return time.  
• Please note that our safeguarding arrangements mean that parents/carers or a listed contact will have to come into Reception to collect their child and sign that they are leaving the site accompanied. If this is not possible, a request should be made in writing to the Head of Year.
• There may be occasions whereby the academy requests a meeting with parents/carers. The academy reserves the right for this to be a face to face meeting, if deemed necessary by them.
• The academy will make every effort to arrange these meetings at a mutually convenient time and this can be discussed at the time the meeting is arranged.

Communications

• Letters from the school will usually be sent home via email and our parent app.
• Copies of any letters will be available on request.
• Occasionally letters will be posted home by school.
• Detention notices are sent to parents/carers via an email through Arbor the day before the detention. Pupils are also notified by their Pastoral Managers on the day of detention.

Telephone calls

• Parents/Carers may wish to contact a member of staff by telephone.
• In the first instance any messages will be left with the Pastoral Manager for the year group as they may be able to offer a response to the query directly.
• Staff will check their phone messages and endeavour to respond to parents/carers phone messages within 48 hours. (please note that this is working hours)
• It is not always possible to speak to a particular staff member when you telephone the academy as they may have other commitments at this time. A return response (which could be via your child) or a return call will be made within 48 hours.  We do work to respond earlier, but this is not always possible.
• Parents/carers should not text staff members or contact them directly via social media etc.

Making an appointment

• Year teams will be contactable via the Pastoral team email address and they will endeavor to respond to the email within 48 hours (please note that this is working hours)
• If an appointment is necessary this can of course be made and will usually be with your child’s Form Tutor, Pastoral Manager in the first instance.
• A mutually convenient appointment time will be arranged and then parents/carers are asked to report to Reception for the arranged time.  All visitors will be asked to sign in at Reception and will be issued with a Visitor’s badge.
• We regret that it is not possible to see a member of staff without an appointment.  Parents/carers cannot wait indefinitely in reception if a meeting has not been scheduled as this is a potential safeguarding risk.
• Any statutory forms that require staff signatures may be left at the academy for signing; however these will normally take two working days to sign.  Parents/carers cannot expect these to be signed whilst they wait.
• It will be the decision of the academy as to whether forms will be signed by the school..

Contacting a pupil in school

• In an emergency, if a message needs to be relayed to a pupil, please contact the main school reception and we will ensure that the message is given to the pupil in a sensitive and appropriate way.
• To minimise disruption to teaching and learning we would request that this facility should be reserved for emergencies.
• Pupils are not allowed to leave a lesson to come to the telephone to accept an incoming call.
• Any urgent messages will be passed to the pupil concerned through the correct channels.
• Parents/Carers should be aware that the pupils are not allowed their mobile phones on during formal lesson time in the school day and the mobile phone will be confiscated if it is left on and is heard during any formal teaching time, even if parents/carers/other family members are trying to contact them.
• Pupils are not able to make or receive calls on their mobile phone during the academy day, nor can they access social media.

Parent/Carer Views

• The school gathers parents’/carers’ views at Progress evening as well as through short questionnaires.  The results are published in a letter home and are discussed at the Parent/carer forum and at Governors’ Meetings.
• Parent Forums are vehicles for parents/carers to engage fully with the academy in a range of different topics and activities.  The forums will take place every term and parents are invited to attend sessions held either in the morning or after school.

Parent/Carer Evenings and reports

• The school holds a Parent/Carer Progress Evening at least once a year for Years 7-11  This is an opportunity to meet with subject teachers and discuss the progress and achievement of pupils.
• The school encourages all parents/carers to attend this evening as it is an opportunity to meet with all the subject teachers involved in pupils' education. If parents/carers are unable to attend, they should contact the year team.
• The school provides termly progress reports and one full annual report to parents/carers.

Other Information Evenings

• Throughout the year the school invites parents/carers to attend information evenings including New Intake Evening, Year 9 Options Evening.  These are important transition points in your child’s education and we encourage parents/carers to attend these evenings.
• Throughout the year the school invites parents/carers into school to join us for events, celebrations and productions which are advertised in the Parent Digest, through,email or on the website.
• Other parent/carer information sessions which cover aspects of our PSHE/RE and Health Education are also scheduled.

  School Governing Body

• The governing body has two Parent governors who take an active role in the decision making process of the school. More information on their roles and how to contact the Governing Body is found on the academy website.

  Arbor Parent App

• In order to effectively communicate with parents/carers the Academy uses the Arbor Parent Portal.
• We ask that you register on the Arbor Parent Portal (web-based) and then download and sign into the Arbor app to enable push notifications. This will help you stay up-to-date with important school information..
• The Arbor Parent App enables parents and carers to:

• Use a free mobile app on Android and iOS to receive in app messages and push notifications
• Check daily attendance, achievement points and behaviour incidents.
• Enable parents/carers to update key pupil information such as parent/carer contact details and medical conditions.
• Pupils timetables are available on the App
• Receive academic reports
• Messages can be sent directly to parent/carers via in-app messages and email.
• Registering with Arbor is very easy.  We will be using Arbor for all our online payments for uniform, trips and school lunches etc.

• Please be assured that Arbor is registered with the Information Commissioner and guarantees that all information you provide will be kept private and will not be passed on to any other organisation.

If you need any additional information or assistance, please visit the help site Arbor Help Centre  or if email noma-enquiries@coopacademies.co.uk