School Closure
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25th March 2020
Please click here for our most recent letter to parents and carers dated 25th March 2020.
We all have our part to play in helping to stop the spread of Coronavirus. This means we must stay at home to protect the NHS and help save lives.
Community Classrooms for vulnerable students and key workers’ children
Parents should keep children at home wherever possible and thanks to everyone across our community who has followed that advice. The fewer children making the journey to school and the fewer children in our Community Classrooms, the lower the risk of the virus spreading.
The purpose of our Community Classroom is to provide care for the children of key workers and children who are vulnerable. Only children in these categories can attend. Information on the list of key workers is here.
Any parents who meet the criteria and who want their children to attend the Community Classroom must let us know, giving details, otherwise we cannot guarantee places.
We will ask parents on a weekly basis to re-confirm if they want to continue using the Community Classroom in school.
We are working to maintain as much stability for the students’ education as possible. Whilst it is not possible to fully replicate the educational experience at home, we are putting in place plans to make sure students can still access work and teachers are able to support their learning. Learning resources for each year group have been posted on our website https://charteracademy.org.uk/home-learning-1 and you and your children can email our staff for support. Staff email addresses can be found https://charteracademy.org.uk/staff
We will update this page and keep in touch with parents and students via our website, texts and letters.
Please continue to follow health guidance.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
Thank you to everyone for your understanding during these challenging times and a heartfelt thanks to our NHS and key workers who are working so hard to look after us all.
If you need to contact the school, please phone 02392824204 and leave a voicemail. Voicemails are being forwarded to the relevant member of staff. Alternatively you can email info@charteracademy.org.uk.
STAY HOME, PROTECT THE NHS, SAVE LIVES
This is an unsettling and disruptive time for everyone and we will work together as a school and local community to face the challenging times ahead. Thank you for your support and understanding during these exceptional circumstances. If we can do anything more to help your family, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Safeguarding
Guiding policies
Charter Academy aims to:
- Ensure we practice safe recruitment in checking the suitability of staff and volunteers to work with children.
- Raise awareness of child protection issues and equip children with the skills needed to keep them safe.
- Have in place procedures for identifying and reporting cases, or suspected cases, of abuse, working alongside outside agencies to protect our students.
- Support students who have been abused in accordance with his/her agreed child protection plan.
- Establishing a safe environment in which children can learn and develop.
- Be vigilant for signs of abuse.
- Our policy applies to all staff, governors and volunteers working in the school.
Practice and guidance
The Safeguarding Policy at Charter is based on the principle of fully recognising the academy’s responsibilities for child protection.
We recognise that because of the day to day contact with children, academy staff are well placed to observe the outward signs of abuse. The academy will therefore:
- Establish and maintain an environment where children feel secure, are encouraged to talk, and are listened to.
- Ensure children know that there are adults in the academy whom they can approach if they are worried.
- Include opportunities in the PSHE curriculum for children to develop the skills they need to recognise and stay safe from abuse.
We will follow the procedures set out by the Local Safeguarding Children Board and take account of guidance issued by the DCSF to:
- Ensure we have a designated senior person for child protection who has received appropriate training and support for this role.
- Ensure we have a nominated governor responsible for child protection.
- Ensure every member of staff (including temporary and supply staff and volunteers) and governing body knows the name of the designated senior person responsible for child protection and their role.
- Ensure all staff and volunteers understand their responsibilities in being alert to the signs of abuse and responsibility for referring any concerns to the designated senior person responsible for child protection.
- Ensure that parents have an understanding of the responsibility placed on the academy and staff for child protection by setting out its obligations in the academy prospectus.
- Notify social services if there is an unexplained absence of more than two days of a student who is on the child protection register.
- Develop effective links with relevant agencies and co-operate as required with their enquiries regarding child protection matters including attendance at case conferences.
- Keep written records of concerns about children, even where there is no need to refer the matter immediately.
- Ensure all records are kept securely, separate from the main student file, and in locked locations.
- Develop and then follow procedures where an allegation is made against a member of staff or volunteer.
- Ensure safe recruitment practices are always followed.
