Mission Statement
The School of Coding is a safe, well ordered and caring environment for learning. It delivers high quality education to all its students and supports them to develop their individual potential for growth, self-worth and self-control.
High quality outstanding teaching, and clear and consistent guidance and support facilitates students in succeeding in education. Our broad and balanced academic and vocational curriculum will provide students with access to a broad range of accredited qualifications as well as educational and social experiences, which will address their learning and emotional needs. Our purpose is to support every student to develop their true potential, make positive contributions to their families and find fulfilment in employment.
Values
Alternative Provision doesn’t mean a dumping ground…it’s main stream with the reasonable adjustments to succeed
- High standards and high expectations are incredibly important and are the corner stones to a successful school
- The School of Coding should become the go-to place for educators from across the country to see best practice
- Good simply isn’t good enough
- Learning is about a journey and there is more than one way to get to the destination
- Qualifications, manners, respect and opportunity should be the foundations for students that need a second chance.
School of Coding Ethos
High standards – students are pushed to achieve beyond their potential, and staff work to ensure everything that we do is better than people expect.
Daring to Dream – students at The School of Coding may have been in an educational setting where they lacked aspiration to be successful, at The School of Coding we challenge students to reach their potential and go on to further education and employment.
Traditional Values – some things often get forgotten in education, at The School of Coding we pride ourselves on mutual respect, good manners, making a positive contribution, supporting one another and an orderly, litter free environment.
Success – can come in many virtues, at The School of Coding we celebrate the small steps every day and tell students when they are doing well. We ensure that students can have a successful future.
Personalised Support – all students at The School of Coding have a Learning Coach who guides them, sets them bespoke targets and supports them in making social and academic progress.
Statement of Purpose
This policy will outline how The School of Coding will manage behaviour throughout the school to ensure we provide a safe, caring and orderly learning environment for staff, students and visitors. The School of Coding prides itself on our ability to deal with students that may have found mainstream education difficult, but in turn we will not settle for second best. We expect all of our staff, students and visitors to adhere to the guidelines set out in this policy, without question.
The School of Coding expects;
- Students, staff and visitors to behave respectfully always;
- There is a focus on positivity throughout the school;
- That the school is safe, calm and orderly;
- Students become self-managers of their own behaviour and in turn support their peers on how to behave correctly;
- Staff to find resolutions and solutions to negative behaviour in school.
Positive Behaviour
It is clear from extensive research into supporting behaviour management in schools, that the best strategies are the ones that focus on positivity. This should not be confused with a ‘soft’ approach when dealing with student behaviour. We aim to offer preventative strategies that reduce the need to challenge poor behaviour as they allow students to conform to a positive school culture. We encourage self-management, self-respect, responsibility and co-operation.
We want our students to feel they are part of The School of Coding family and whilst families sometimes fall out, they have a bond that unites them. We want students, staff and visitors to feel welcome at our school and see that our positivity is embedded into everything that we do. Praise and acknowledgement are a key foundation that will be evident throughout the school.
Students learn best when they are in a safe, secure and positive environment, it is important that they buy into this concept, so they can be effective learners. The School of Coding wants to develop young people into positive members of society.
Statement of Purpose
At The School of Coding our intention is that students come to school feeling happy, safe and able to reach their potential. We intend to do this by developing a school culture where discrimination is viewed as unacceptable, people are able to talk about their differences and we are able to work collaboratively to ensure that bullying doesn’t take place.
The School of Coding Attitude
Anti-social behaviour of any kind is unacceptable at The School of Coding. If bullying does occur it is our intention to deal with it promptly, therefore we are an informing school. We expect anyone who has witnessed or has been the victim of bullying to talk to an adult straight away. Our anti bullying policy has close links with our safeguarding policy and ensuring everyone keeps themselves safe online and behaves in an appropriate way.
Objectives of the Policy
The School of Coding will;
- Agree a definition of bullying that is used by all staff and students, this will enable all parents and our partners to understand our view on bullying
- Raise awareness of different forms of bullying and advise students on how to avoid becoming the victim of bullying
- Develop positive relationships amongst our students
- Reduce and even eradicate instances of bullying in any form
- Ensure that all staff, parents, students and governors fulfil their part in the implementation of this policy
- Support staff and students following an incident of bullying and re-educate those who were the cause of the bullying
- Ensure fair treatment of all regardless of their age, culture, disability, gender, religion or sexuality and encourage understanding and tolerance of different social, religious and cultural backgrounds.
Definition
Bullying is ‘the use of persistent aggression whether verbal, physical or cyber with the intention of hurting or humiliating another person, whether it be student or staff.’
Bullying results in pain and distress to the victim. Bullying can take the following forms;
- Verbal – insults, nasty comments, name calling, sarcasm
- Physical – pushing and shoving, kicking and other physical damage to a person or their belongings
- Indirect – peer pressure, rumour spreading, isolation, gossiping behind the target’s back
- Emotional – cruel behaviour intended to be hurtful, exploiting what was learned in a close friendship for example.
- Cyber – via mobiles or any electronic device, misuse of messaging, comments or images, chatrooms, threats, calls or videos
Bullying can be prejudice driven, associated with views about;
- Race, religion and culture
- Gender
- Disability
- Sexual orientation (homophobia)
- Appearance
Procedure for Parents/Carers
The School of Coding wants to work in partnership with parents and carers. It is important that they trust we will act in their child’s best interest to resolve an issue. If you feel that your child is being bullied, we ask that you contact school and ask to speak to their Learning Coach or the Head of Learning Support.
We also ask parents/carers to do the following;
- Remind their child about the importance of appropriate behaviour
- Never endorse violence towards others
- Remind their child about the issues surrounding social media
- Report any issues to school that are of a concern to you
- Uphold The School of Coding Anti Bullying Policy.
If you suspect that your child is being bullied, please do the following;
- Talk to your child to try and understand the problem
- Contact school and speak to your child’s Learning Coach.
School of Coding will investigate any issues reported in a timely manner and feedback the findings to parents/carers.
Symptoms of Bullying
It is everyone’s role to look out for signs that a child might be being bullied, we ask all parents and staff to be vigilant with this. A student that is suffering from being bullied may exhibit some or all of the following symptoms;
- Becomes concerned about travelling to and from school
- Is unwilling to go to school or begins to truant or feels ill in the morning
- Has changes in attitude, behaviour or manner
- Changes in behaviour for example becomes withdrawn, anxious, aggressive or has a loss of personality
- Withdraws from social groups and isolates themselves
- Attempts or threatens suicide or runs away
- Cries themselves to sleep at night or has nightmares
- Begins to do poorly in school work
- Has possessions, including clothes, which are damaged or “go missing”
- Asks for money or starts stealing money
- Loses money or says money has been lost
- Has unexplained marks or bruises
- Is bullying other children or siblings
- Stops eating
- Starts to lose confidence
- Is frightened to say what’s wrong
- Gives improbable excuses for any of the above or is not forthcoming with responses
- Is afraid to use the internet or mobile phone
- Is nervous and jumpy when a cyber message is received
These symptoms could also indicate other issues, so it is vital that any concerns are raised immediately.
Procedure for Students
- Report the bullying to any member of staff as soon as you can
- Be willing to work with staff at school to stop the bullying from happening, this might include a range of approaches to address the issue
- All serious incidents of bullying will be recorded on your school file to make other staff aware on any situations you have been involved in
- The bullies may ask to apologise, school promotes reconciliation
- Understand that staff won’t discuss other students’ sanctions with you, but they will inform you when they feel the situation is resolved
- Understand that school will discuss the issues you have experienced with your parents/carers
- In cases of serious incidents, the police might be called upon for advice or to deal with the complaint
- School of Coding will work with the bully to address their behaviour and to try to change it.
- Situations will be monitored to ensure that there is not a re-occurrence, if something else happens it is important to tell someone straight away
- When an incident of bullying has taken place, it will be monitored and recorded, and staff will risk assess whether or not anything at school needs to change as a result of the incident.
- In order to assess how effective this policy is, school staff will use bullying data to judge how many incidents have taken place and the school’s effectiveness at dealing with those incidents. School of Coding will also use the information to look for trends that might need to be addressed in Skills Sessions with student
Actions to Prevent Bullying
- The School of Coding has an “Open Door” policy where, students, staff and parents can speak to someone to discuss an issue that concerns them.
- The School of Coding will conduct restorative work between the bully and victim with the aim to try and eradicate instances of bullying re-occurring.
- Skills sessions and assemblies will address issues around bullying to raise awareness that The School of Coding doesn’t tolerate bullying.
- Staff and the Local Governing Body review incidents of bullying to ensure that they have been dealt with appropriately and to look for trends to address certain behaviours within the school community.
- To conduct student voice specifically in relation to bullying and safety.
Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence
The School of Coding takes any report of sexual harassment or sexual violence incredibly seriously. The Designated Safeguarding Lead in school will advise staff on how to proceed if an incident of this nature is witnessed or reported. Staff will work with the victim and take their lead on how they would like the matter dealt with. School will consider some specific factors when making the decision on how to deal with the incident, but there will be ongoing support for any victim. Any incident in relation to sexual harassment or sexual violence will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Who this policy is for?
Students, staff and visitors are covered under the guidance of this policy. The School of Coding treats incidents of staff bullying extremely seriously, and they will be dealt with through the school disciplinary procedures.
Prevention and Celebrating difference
The School of Coding will use different methods to help prevent bullying and raise awareness of bullying within school. At The School of Coding we celebrate a culture of difference and we aim to educate others that diversity is what makes the world a great place.
The school will use national awareness days in our activities, particularly in assembly and our Skills Sessions to celebrate difference and educate against discrimination.
The policy is a live document and is reviewed annually, but if you have any comments on the policy, please e-mail the school office on info@schoolofcoding.co.uk where they will be shared with the Director.
The policy is on our school website and we encourage everyone who belongs to The School of Coding to read this policy. Staff and students alike will contribute to the formulation of this policy in activities throughout the school year.
For further help and support
- Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) 0808 800 5793
- Children’s Legal Centre 0845 345 4345
- Parentline Plus 0808 800 2222
- Youth Access 020 8772 9900
- Bullying Online www.bullying.co.uk
- KIDSCAPE Parents Helpline (Weekdays, 10am-4pm) 0845 1 205 204 www.kidscape.org.uk