We recognise the importance of strong communication with parents and carers and seek to respond to all enquires or concerns as quickly as possible. We do, however, also recognise the need to support staff workload by not placing unrealistic expectations upon members of staff in terms of response time. This protocol has been created to support both members of staff and parents / carers in understanding our target response time to all external communications.
Please note:
- Our preferred method of communication is email. Email ensures that there is a digital record of your contact with school and allows members of staff greater flexibility in when to respond.
- Where you wish to contact the school via telephone, you will be put through to our reception team who will initially attempt to support you in resolving your enquiry.
- Where they are unable to resolve your enquiry, or you wish to speak to a specific member of staff, it is likely that a message will be taken, and you will be called back at a later time when the member of staff is available.
- Please be aware that we receive a large volume of calls between 8am and 9am, and 3pm and 4pm. Wherever possible, we advise calling outside of these hours.
- Where your contact with school is to raise a formal complaint, please follow the steps outlined in our complaints policy.
- Please be politely reminded that members of staff will only discuss negative comments issued to your child where the issuing of the negative comment has led to a higher sanction being required e.g. a full box of negative comments.
Tier 1 Communication
(Target Response Time – within 3 school days)
Form Tutor – each student in school has a form tutor who will be happy to support you in resolving general day to day questions / concerns. Where they feel they are not best placed to resolve your enquiry, they will support you in contacting the most appropriate person in school. This will usually be the Head of Year / Key Stage (see tier 2).
Behaviour Support Worker (KS3 / KS4) – each key stage has a Behaviour Support Worker. These colleagues oversee all behaviour concerns within school. Where they are unable to resolve your enquiry, they will support you in contacting the most appropriate person in school. This will usually be the Pastoral Manager (see tier 2).
Tier 2 Communication
(Target Response Time – within 5 school days)
Class Teacher – on your child’s timetable you will be able to find details of all the teachers that your child has. Class teachers can be contacted in respect of academic concerns / enquires. Please be aware that class teachers will be teaching during the school day and often after school also. This may reduce the speed at which they are able to respond to enquiries. Where your enquiry is not able to be resolved by the class teacher, they will support you in contacting the most appropriate person in school. This will usually be the Faculty Leader (see tier 3).
Pastoral Manager – where your enquiry or concern has not been able to be resolved by the Behaviour Support Worker for your child’s key stage, you may need to speak to the Pastoral Manager in school. The Pastoral Manager line manages all of the Behaviour Support Worker’s in school and leads on the school’s behaviour provision. Where your enquiry is not able to be resolved by the Pastoral Manager, they will support you in contacting the most appropriate person in school. This will usually be the SLT Year Group Leader (see tier 3).
Head of Year / Key Stage – Heads of Year / Key Stage ensure that everything runs smoothly within the year group, including overseeing the work of form tutors. Where form tutors are unable to resolve enquires, the Head of Year / Key Stage would likely be the next point of contact. Where your enquiry is not able to be resolved by the Head of Year / Key Stage, they will support you in contacting the most appropriate person in school. This will usually be the SLT Year Group Leader (see tier 3).
Tier 3 Communication
(Target Response Time – within 7 school days)
Faculty Leader – each faculty in school is overseen by a Faculty Leader. The Faculty Leader is in place to support the development of the curriculum and ensure that the quality of teaching and learning taking place within the faculty is exceptional. Where your enquiry is not able to be resolved by the Faculty Leader, they will support you in contacting the most appropriate person in school. This will usually be the Deputy Headteacher with responsibility for the Quality of Education, Mr Dunne.
SLT Year Group Leader – each year group has a member of the Senior Leadership Team attached to it. This member of staff is not directly involved in the day-to-day activities of the year group, but will, if required, support in the resolution of matters which have not been able to be resolved in tier 1 and 2 of this protocol.
The table below provides the names of members of staff associated to the above roles. Email addresses are formulated as <surname><initial>@bedalehighschool.org.uk. e.g. for John Smith, the email would be smithj@bedalehighschool.org.uk.
| Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 | Year 11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLT Lead | Mr A Childe | Mr A Childe | Ms V Clayden | Ms V Clayden | Mr A Dunne |
| Head of Year / Key Stage | Ms S Bradley | Ms S Bradley | Ms S Bradley | Ms V Clayden | Mr A Dunne |
| Pastoral Manager | Ms A Hall | Ms A Hall | Ms A Hall | Ms A Hall | Ms A Hall |
| Pastoral Support Worker | Ms M Hare | Ms M Hare | Ms M Hare | Ms L Andrew | Ms L Andrew |
| Form Tutors |
7.1 - Mr G Pilkington 7.2 - Ms S Noake 7.3 - Ms N Hawes 7.4 - Mr T Kiernan |
8.1 - Ms F Dixon 8.2 - Ms H Longworth 8.3 - Ms M Drysdale 8.4 - Mr M Laughton 8.5 - Mr R Hayden |
9.1 - Ms J Airey 9.2 - Ms A Bradley 9.3 - Mr J Bielby 9.4 - Ms S Furniss 9.5 - Ms S Valentine |
10.1 - Ms S Childe 10.2 - Ms J Stubbins 10.3 - Ms S Jennison 10.4 - Ms H Thiara |
11.1 - Ms S Hall 11.2 - Mr T Wild 11.3 - Ms K Harrison 11.4 - Ms Temple 11.5 - Ms W Butler |
Alongside the colleagues named above, there are several other members of staff who may be involved in supporting your child:
Ms Hayes – Attendance Officer (Target Response Time: 3 school days)
Mr Rigby – Pastoral Support Worker (Isolations & Detentions) (Target Response Time: 3 school days)
Ms Collings – Advanced Teaching Assistant (Target Response Time: 5 school days)
Ms McFarlane – Business Manager (Target Response Time: 7 school days)
Ms Clayden – SENDCO & Designated Safeguarding Leader (Target Response Time: 7 school days unless an urgent safeguarding matter)
Communications directly to Mr Stokes (Headteacher) or the Chairs of Governors will be responded to within 10 school days. Where appropriate, responses may come through another member of staff in school.