Safety and Security of Site
| Safety and Security of Site |
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Table of contents Return to Index AIMS RATIONALE AGREED PRINCIPLES & GUIDELINES THE 'DO'S AND DON'TS' OF CONFRONTATION |
| Kinson School Governors and Management Team recognise that they have a responsibility to the whole school community to make our school and site as safe and secure as possible for all of us. |
| AIMS |
| We aim to assess and manage risks in order to provide as effective security as possible at Kinson. We will give guidance for better security measures and techniques to children, staff, parents and visitors. It is important that we are all more vigilant to improve safety and security on the school site and within the school buildings. This Policy is intended to ensure that where there is a foreseeable risk to personal security, or the security of premises, adequate precautionary measures are considered and action taken. We will respond positively to all safety or security-related incidents and supporting assessment of risks to the security of staff and children who may be confronted by violent situations in the course of time at school. We make a commitment to: - contribute positively to personal security and the security of the premises - take action against the perpetrators of crime and violence - report to the police any criminal acts and behaviour from which pupils, staff and visitors have suffered material loss and emotional distress - deal with the consequences of vandalism as promptly as possible - identify and deal with hazardous situations - ensure that the nature of the work undertaken by staff does not expose them to the potential risk of verbal and/or physical violence There are limitations in the scope of this policy caused by the access to our site and premises and the difficulty of monitoring access to them. There are also lettings out of school hours which are difficult to manage as effectively, since on many occasions, no-one from the school is present. Within the confines of severe budget constraints and the difficulties of the large boundary of the site, including a stream which runs through it, we are attempting to delineate the site by a well maintained 1.8 metre fence, with the number of vehicular and pedestrian access points controlled and gated to the same height. By using this fencing, in conjunction with: good quality doors & windows, locks, badge systems, keypad and electronic entry supervision procedures and signs, we intend to prevent and deter unauthorised visitors from coming on to the site or into the buildings. Access points are reviewed regularly and are permanently closed off if they become redundant. Improved prohibition signs, which are to be placed in appropriate positions, will reinforce the policy that unauthorised admission is not permitted. Due to problems which occurred last year, we agreed that, we must now become even more vigilant about the safety and security of our school site. |
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| RATIONALE |
| Certain measures, such as the badge system for visitors, are working very well but in other ways we are leaving ourselves wide open to unscrupulous or aggressive individuals and dishonesty. We must try to prevent occurrences such as: a stolen handbag; a person/persons accessing school computers outside school hours; thefts of equipment; individuals attending lettings sessions wandering into classrooms; parents, unknown adults or older children entering school premises before and especially after school. All of these are of great concern to the Governing Body who have a duty of care to both staff and pupils. We do not want to make it more difficult to move around the school easily, but unfortunately we must take all necessary precautions. |
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| AGREED PRINCIPLES & GUIDELINES |
| - All staff have a role in educating pupils in the importance of safety and security - Teachers are also responsible for ensuring that their support staff, volunteers and visitors are aware of our procedures - Staff are involved in the risk assessment process and their views are sought on safeguards considered necessary for their protection - Staff who may be particularly at risk should be identified; these may include newly appointed staff, or young and inexperienced workers - Sufficient staff should be on duty to make sure that no employee feels vulnerable - All staff need to lock their own valuables away securely; lockers are provided - Written protocols are provided for staff who have to work with members of the public, parents and pupils - Training needs in the area of safety and security will be considered a priority - No emergency exits from classrooms are to be left on the latch - All classes will have windows & lights monitors [or staff in the Early Years] to ensure that windows and doors are closed and lights are off when rooms are empty - All classroom doors will be locked at 5.45pm when unoccupied after school and unlocked again by the caretaker in the mornings - Staff will all be given a key to their classroom door if it is lockable - The ICT suite will be locked before 6pm each night - Other doors, e.g. in corridors etc will also be locked for security wherever possible - The wooden doors at the front of the school are not to be left open when children are on playtimes, in the studio, at games lessons or on the field; these should not be hooked back unless a member of staff is monitoring pupils using them - Instead of leaving these doors open, someone must gain access via the main door and then open them - Staff must make sure that the wooden doors are closed securely again - Lettings will be subject to the same rules above; these doors will be kept locked - The automatic closer device on the main inner door has been renewed to ensure that this closes securely every time - The key code for the main doors will change annually and all who are given the code must sign an agreement to keep it secret - The new buzzer entry system outside the main school doors is for when the office is unattended; it will sound in the hall and staffroom - This new buzzer will not have a self-opener but it will be necessary to go and open the door manually; lettings have all been informed of this - The on/off switch is near the fax machine; Mrs Lockyer is responsible for putting it on when she leaves and the caretaker will turn it off - First Aid duty will be either from the First Aid Room or from the Green classroom - KS2 duty teachers will have a responsibility to go out on duty for 10 minutes at the end of each day as well as their current 15 minutes morning duty time - KS1 teachers must open their doors by 8.50am at the very latest and ensure that all their pupils are handed over to a parent or identified adult after school finishes - Unit 2 duty teachers are personally responsible for ensuring that the back playground entry fire door is closed securely after use - The studio doors must not be left wide open as access to these by strangers is too easy - The new fencing will hopefully improve security and more will be purchased until our perimeter is secured with 1.8 metre boundary fencing all around the site - The vehicular gates will be locked from 8.45am until 3.25pm - The pedestrian gates will be unlocked throughout the school day for access but should be kept closed; notices will be attached to remind visitors to shut the gates; if necessary, we will investigate the merits of installing self-closing gates or electronically operated ones - The minibus compound will be kept locked outside school hours and shut during school hours; the playgroup field gate will be kept bolted to prevent pupils? access to the road - The Crime Reduction Officer will visit the school site annually to advise us on extra precautions which may be appropriate - Installing closed circuit cameras (CCTV) will be considered if the need arises - The Fire Safety Officer will revisit the school to give us his advice |
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| THE 'DO'S AND DON'TS' OF CONFRONTATION |
| DO Prepare carefully for the meeting: consider removing anything you may be wearing which could be potentially dangerous (e.g. ties, earrings, long scarves) and think about tying back long hair. DO Change the configuration of the room as necessary to ensure that you are near the means of escape should you need to leave or summon assistance. DO Try if possible to have someone with you or nearby (who can help and / or be a witness). DO Encourage the person to talk. DO Give the person time to vent their feelings. DO Give praise where possible. DO Check your reaction, remain calm. This has a knock-on affect. DO Listen to their point of view. DO Ask for clarification and check your understanding of what is being said (e.g. 'So have I got it right?' 'What you're saying is'). This shows that you are listening and wish to understand the other person's point of view. DO Assert your own views in a calm and reasoned way. Discuss the issue under concern and avoid personal and emotive comments. DO Find a way, if aggression continues, to cut off the interaction (e.g. arranging to discuss further at another time). Avoid the temptation to 'have the last word'. DON'T Stand too close to the other person. DON'T Stand face to face, but rather to one side and sideways on (to present a smaller target). DON'T Let it develop into a 'stare out' confrontation. DON'T Have an audience of bystanders. DON'T Express boredom, disgust or disbelief. DON'T Interrupt. DON'T React adversely to the other person's behaviour, e.g. shouting or ridicule. DON'T Say anything you believe to be untrue. DON'T Concede to demands. DON'T Be in too much of a hurry to bring the conversation to a close. Discussed by whole staff & governors in September 2004 because of particular incidents and general concerns. The staff are thanked for their support and co-operation in the principles and guidelines of this policy. POLICY AGREED BY THE STAFF Autumn 2004 DATE AGREED BY THE GOVERNING BODY March 2nd 2005 SIGNED BY THE VICE CHAIR OF GOVERNORS: R.J. Keniston |
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