Vice Principal's Letter RE Safeguarding

There is a copy of this letter available to download at the bottom of this page.

FROM THE VICE PRINCIPAL

CARE, GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT

February 2010

Dear Parents/Carers,

The safeguarding of our students is at the heart of everything we do at Northampton Academy. To this end we have become concerned recently by the amount of students who are at school very early in the morning and late after school finishes. There are no staff on duty at these times and students are therefore at significant risk. Our canteen is open from 8am to serve breakfast. Please do not drop, or allow your child to arrive, at school before this time.

We also respectfully ask you to ensure your son or daughter leaves school promptly at the end of the day. We have an extensive range of clubs available for students to attend and would welcome all who wish to join. However, we will not allow students to be in the academy building unsupervised and require all students to have left the building by 3.30 should they not be attending a club or in detention.

Enclosed is a list of clubs available. Please be aware that years 7, 8 and 9 will require parental permission to attend a club and we will inform you if they fail to attend. Clubs for years 10 and 11 will operate on a drop in basis. Staff running these clubs will keep a register for evacuation purposes only, you will NOT be informed if your child does not attend.

Regrettably, we have had an issue with vandalism in toilets recently. We have now redecorated and cleaned all facilities and students have full access to several toilets at break and lunchtimes. It should be noted that students are generally not allowed to leave lessons to use the toilets. However, if your child has a medical condition that requires them to have access to the toilets at all times, please send in a letter. We will ensure that constant access is available.

We are now in our second term of using a new pastoral Learning Management system. Heads of Year focus on academic progress, and our new team of Learning Managers focus on behaviour and welfare issues. Each year group has a dedicated Learning Manager. The team are entirely focused on the pastoral needs of students. Northampton Academy has always taken pride in the high level of care it offers to support students’ welfare. There are many services available including mentoring, counselling, health advice and family support work. We can also offer bespoke courses to support vulnerable pupils further, for example conflict resolution, anger management or protective behaviour work. Please speak with the relevant learning manager; they can advise on how best we can help both you and your child.

Year 7 – Mrs. Coleman

Year 8 - Ms. Hixon

Year 9 – Mrs. Bland

Year 10 – Mrs. Anderton

Year 11 – Mrs. Carroll

Team Leader – Miss. Headland

If your child ever has a concern he/she must talk immediately to a member of staff. Concerns and comments will always be taken seriously and students will always be offered a safe place should they feel nervous or threatened. Our trained staff offer a confidential drop in service and lunch and break times and most rooms have information about how to access this valuable resource. Younger students will also be given a small plastic card with relevant information on to remind them of support available to them. If our students feel unsafe or anxious we know that they will not reach their full potential academically. It is our intention to work collaboratively with you to help ensure all students are happy and safe in our Academy.

Our Parent Support Officer, Mrs. Millard, is your first point of contact should you have any concerns. She can put you in contact with a Learning Manager, or direct you to most appropriate member of staff able to deal with your question or concern. Her direct telephone number is 01604 774425, or alternatively you can email her on k.millard@northampton-academy.org

We have, of course, a formal complaints policy but it is our wish to resolve issues by talking and taking action before they escalate.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there are any issues or questions arising from this letter.

With best regards,

Allison Beesley

Vice Principal,

Care, Guidance & Support