Code of Conduct

Parent's Code of Conduct

At St Michael's the Governors and staff of St Michael's encourage close links with parents and the community because we believe that children benefit when the relationship between home and school is a positive one. However, the Governors and staff enforce a rule of zero tolerance towards disrespectful, abusive, aggressive or threatening behaviour. 
Behaviour that would be deemed inappropriate and disrespectful includes:

• Shouting at members of the school staff, either in person or over the telephone
• Speaking in an aggressive or threatening tone or one which makes a staff member feel intimidated
• Use of abusive or offensive language
• Displaying abusive, threatening or intimidating body language, including standing very close, kissing teeth and/or spitting
• The use of aggressive hand gestures, including shaking or holding a fist towards the staff member
• Any form of aggressive physical contact towards a staff member, including pushing, hitting or kicking
• Passive aggressiveness, including deliberately ignoring a staff member who greets or speaks to them
• Not addressing a staff member directly, for example speaking about them in the third person whilst in their presence.
• Making personal insults, for example:  "I don't like you, I don't want to speak to you".
• Breaching the school's security procedures

This is not an exhaustive list, but seeks to provide illustrations of such behaviour.

As governors and staff we would like to be very clear about consequences of any of the actions described above:

• If a staff member feels that they are being disrespected, they will end the conversation or meeting and ask the parent to return once they are able to speak in a respectful manner.  The decision to end a conversation or meeting lies with the staff member alone and is final.
• If a staff member asks a parent to end the conversation, yet they continue with the conversation, the parent will be asked to leave the premises and the police will be called if they fail to do as instructed.
• If banned from the premises, the headteacher will inform the parent in writing. The reason, the period of the ban and the expectation of what needs to happen before the ban is lifted will be outlined in the letter. The governors and the local authority will be informed of the ban.
• Disrespectful behaviour, that cannot be addressed and discussed in a calm and respectful manner at another time, could lead to a ban from the school premises for a fixed period of time
• During the ban period, the parent will not be allowed on the premises or permitted to speak to any staff member. Arrangements will be clarified regarding delivering the child and collecting the child at the end of the school day. Any failure to adhere to the stipulation of the banning, will be reported to the police and may result in prosecution under section 547 of the Education Act 1996.