Communication Policy
This Policy was originally developed by the staff of C.B.S Primary School, the Board of Management and the Parents Association in the school year 2014.
It was reviewed in 2016.
Its purpose is to provide information and guidelines to all partners at C.B.S. Primary. The family and home are central to the holistic development of each child. All partners should strive to be mutually supportive and respectful of each other so that the child can best benefit from his education.
School Ethos / Characteristic Spirit:
In keeping with the spirit of Edmund Ignatius Rice, we endeavour to create an atmosphere of inclusiveness. Our school places great importance on a strong sense of team-work and co-operation among teachers, pupils, ancillary staff, Parents and Board of Management. We emphasise the need to give children every opportunity to develop patterns of good behaviour. Our aim is to accommodate individuality, while acknowledging the right of each pupil to education, in a disruption-free environment. We actively promote a sense of responsibility towards the wider community.
Parent(s)Legal Guardian(s) are encouraged to:
Structures in place to facilitate open communication & consultation with Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s):
If a Parent/Legal Guardian wishes to consult a teacher, he/she can contact the school secretary to arrange a suitable time.
It is vital that the school is immediately informed if family events / situations occur that cause anxiety to your child and therefore may adversely affect his education. In all matters pertaining to the well being and education of pupil, only the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) named on the enrolment form will be consulted by staff.
Parent / Teacher Meetings:
Formal Parent / Teacher Meetings will be held once a year for all classes (Circular 14/04). Where possible, they will be held in the first term, towards the end of October for all classes. They will be initiated by school staff and details regarding time etc. will be worked out by Class Teacher. Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) will be given the opportunity to select preferred times (night or after school) on a note from the Class Teacher. The school will attempt to co-ordinate times where siblings are concerned. Meetings may take place in classrooms or support rooms. The Teachers use prepared guidelines for the meetings and collaborate in advance about the progress of individual children. A short written record of the meeting is maintained by each teacher.
The purpose of the Parent / Teacher Meeting is:
Circular 56/2011 Re. the implementation of the national literacy and numeracy strategy has been adopted by the Board of Management. References to parent/school communication are:
Reporting to Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s):
Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) have the primary responsibility for their children's learning and development. Schools can strengthen the capacity of Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) to support their children in this way by sharing meaningful information with Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) about the progress that children are achieving in the education system. The information needs to draw on the different sources of evidence that staff use, such as conversations with the learner, data collection and documented progress on objectives and milestones reached in their short and long term planning, examination of students own self assessment data (SAL Folders), documented observations of the learner's engagement with tasks, outcomes of other assessment tasks and tests, and examples of students work. In turn Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) will often be able to enrich staffs knowledge of their student's progress, through providing further information about students learning at home.
Report Card Templates:
Schools should help Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) to understand fully the evidence of learning that the school reports to them, especially information from standardised tests. The NCCA has provided a range of standard report templates to assist schools in reporting information about progress of primary pupils to Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s), including information from standardised tests. The NCCA report card templates were developed through a process of consultation with schools and parents can take account of research commissioned by the NCCA.
The report cards provide for reporting in four key areas:
reporting to Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) on students progress and achievement for end of year reports.
Formal Meetings:
Formal timetabled parent/teacher meetings take place in October. However, if a Parent/Legal Guardian wishes to arrange a meeting at any stage during the year to discuss their child, they may do so by prior appointment.
Formal Meetings - IEPs
Formal timetabled parent / staff meetings on the subject of the Individual Education Plan will also take place in October. IEP's are reviewed each February/March. However, if a Parent/Legal Guardian wishes to arrange a meeting at any stage during the year, to discuss their child, they may do so by prior appointment.
Informal Parent / Staff Meetings:
We encourage communication between Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) and school staff. However, incidental meetings to discuss a child's concern/progress are discouraged on a number of grounds.
Occasions occur where a parent needs to speak to a staff member urgently. Sometimes these meetings need to take place, without prior notice. The Principal will aim to facilitate such meetings making every effort to ensure that the children in class do not lose out on any of the teaching / learning time.
In the interests of safety, if parents wish to drop in lunch boxes, sports gear etc, this can be done through the secretary's office, as it is important to keep class interruptions to a minimum.
Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) are strongly discouraged from taking pupils out of school during term time in order to facilitate family holidays.
Complaints Procedure:
Complaints are infrequent but the school would wish that these would be dealt with informally, fairly and quickly. The agreed complaints procedure to be followed in primary schools, has been adopted in full by our Board of Management and is included in this Policy booklet.
Behaviour of all Partners in the School:
Positive and respectful communication is of high importance to our school. This not only extends to the children but to all the school community, the staff, Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) and visitors to school. Adults in the school community have a responsibility to ensure their own behaviour models the types of behaviour expected of children.
Safety, Health and Welfare at Work:
From C.B.S Primary Ratified Policy on Special Education Needs Assistants - Section 4 Work Practices.
Communication:
Team Work and Collaboration:
The SNA may report a pupil's progress/ behaviour to Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s), only in a pre-arranged structured meeting, accompanied by Class Teacher / Special Class Teacher / Support Teacher.
Evaluation Review and Dissemination:
This policy is available from the school. This policy and its implementation will be reviewed by the B.O.M. once in every school year, mindful of feedback of all in the school community.
Roles and Responsibilities:
All members of our school community have a responsibility to ensure this policy is implemented.
It was reviewed in 2016.
Its purpose is to provide information and guidelines to all partners at C.B.S. Primary. The family and home are central to the holistic development of each child. All partners should strive to be mutually supportive and respectful of each other so that the child can best benefit from his education.
School Ethos / Characteristic Spirit:
In keeping with the spirit of Edmund Ignatius Rice, we endeavour to create an atmosphere of inclusiveness. Our school places great importance on a strong sense of team-work and co-operation among teachers, pupils, ancillary staff, Parents and Board of Management. We emphasise the need to give children every opportunity to develop patterns of good behaviour. Our aim is to accommodate individuality, while acknowledging the right of each pupil to education, in a disruption-free environment. We actively promote a sense of responsibility towards the wider community.
Parent(s)Legal Guardian(s) are encouraged to:
- Develop close links with the school.
- Participate in meetings in a positive and respectful manner.
- Collaborate with the school in developing the full potential of their children.
- Share the responsibility of seeing that the school full-fills its Mission Statement, Aims and Vision.
Structures in place to facilitate open communication & consultation with Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s):
- Meeting for Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) of incoming pupils - June.
- Parent/Teacher meetings, one to one, prior to mid-term October break.
- Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) receive written school reports of each pupil mid-term February.
- Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) receive written school reports of each pupil - mid June.
- Meetings with Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) whose children have Special Needs.
- Principal / Deputy Principal are highly visible and available at assembly and dispersal time.
- Written communication via homework journals and notes home.
- Through the Parents Council, parents are invited to discuss and contribute to the drafting and review of all School Policies. Decisions taken to change current policies and procedures or to introduce new ones will be made known to all parents in written format, via the school newsletter.
- Regular newsletters keep Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) up to date with school events and happenings.
- School website / blog.
- Twitter Account.
- Electronic dashboard at entrance.
- Text A Parent service deployed as required.
- Homework journal 1st - 6th class, used to relay messages which are signed between Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) and Teachers. Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) requested to sign diary each night to certify that homework has been completed.
- Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) are invited to events throughout the year e.g. Sports Day, School Masses, Graduation Night etc. etc.
- Involvement of Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) in the Religious "Alive O Programme" section for Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s).
- Participating in Shared Reading Project every Spring term.
- H.S.C.L. Officer works with all Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) throughout year with issues - invites to visit school.
- Structured programme of activities for Parents/Legal Guardians.
If a Parent/Legal Guardian wishes to consult a teacher, he/she can contact the school secretary to arrange a suitable time.
It is vital that the school is immediately informed if family events / situations occur that cause anxiety to your child and therefore may adversely affect his education. In all matters pertaining to the well being and education of pupil, only the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) named on the enrolment form will be consulted by staff.
Parent / Teacher Meetings:
Formal Parent / Teacher Meetings will be held once a year for all classes (Circular 14/04). Where possible, they will be held in the first term, towards the end of October for all classes. They will be initiated by school staff and details regarding time etc. will be worked out by Class Teacher. Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) will be given the opportunity to select preferred times (night or after school) on a note from the Class Teacher. The school will attempt to co-ordinate times where siblings are concerned. Meetings may take place in classrooms or support rooms. The Teachers use prepared guidelines for the meetings and collaborate in advance about the progress of individual children. A short written record of the meeting is maintained by each teacher.
The purpose of the Parent / Teacher Meeting is:
- To establish and maintain good communication between the school and Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s).
- To let Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) know how their children are progressing in school
- To help Teachers/ Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) get to know the children better as individuals
- To help children realise that home and school are working together
- To share with the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) the problems and difficulties the child may have in school
- To review with the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) the child's experience of schooling
- To learn more about the child form the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) perspective
- To identify areas of concern
- To identify ways in which Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) can help their children
- To negotiate jointly decisions about the child's education
- To inform the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) of standardised test results according to school policy
Circular 56/2011 Re. the implementation of the national literacy and numeracy strategy has been adopted by the Board of Management. References to parent/school communication are:
Reporting to Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s):
Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) have the primary responsibility for their children's learning and development. Schools can strengthen the capacity of Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) to support their children in this way by sharing meaningful information with Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) about the progress that children are achieving in the education system. The information needs to draw on the different sources of evidence that staff use, such as conversations with the learner, data collection and documented progress on objectives and milestones reached in their short and long term planning, examination of students own self assessment data (SAL Folders), documented observations of the learner's engagement with tasks, outcomes of other assessment tasks and tests, and examples of students work. In turn Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) will often be able to enrich staffs knowledge of their student's progress, through providing further information about students learning at home.
Report Card Templates:
Schools should help Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) to understand fully the evidence of learning that the school reports to them, especially information from standardised tests. The NCCA has provided a range of standard report templates to assist schools in reporting information about progress of primary pupils to Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s), including information from standardised tests. The NCCA report card templates were developed through a process of consultation with schools and parents can take account of research commissioned by the NCCA.
The report cards provide for reporting in four key areas:
- The child's learning and achievement across the curriculum
- The child's learning dispositions
- The child's social and personal development
- Ways in which Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) can support their child's learning
reporting to Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) on students progress and achievement for end of year reports.
Formal Meetings:
Formal timetabled parent/teacher meetings take place in October. However, if a Parent/Legal Guardian wishes to arrange a meeting at any stage during the year to discuss their child, they may do so by prior appointment.
- All communication sent from the school will be sent to the child's home address, as given on the enrolment form, unless otherwise requested by Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s).
- In the case of separated parents, requests can be made by both parents to meet their child's teacher(s) individually for parent/teacher meetings.
Formal Meetings - IEPs
Formal timetabled parent / staff meetings on the subject of the Individual Education Plan will also take place in October. IEP's are reviewed each February/March. However, if a Parent/Legal Guardian wishes to arrange a meeting at any stage during the year, to discuss their child, they may do so by prior appointment.
Informal Parent / Staff Meetings:
We encourage communication between Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) and school staff. However, incidental meetings to discuss a child's concern/progress are discouraged on a number of grounds.
- Staff cannot adequately supervise his/her class while at the same time speaking to a Parent/Legal Guardian.
- It is difficult to be discreet when so many children are standing close by
- It can be embarrassing for a child when his/her Parent/Legal Guardian is talking to staff member at a classroom door or other public area in the school.
Occasions occur where a parent needs to speak to a staff member urgently. Sometimes these meetings need to take place, without prior notice. The Principal will aim to facilitate such meetings making every effort to ensure that the children in class do not lose out on any of the teaching / learning time.
In the interests of safety, if parents wish to drop in lunch boxes, sports gear etc, this can be done through the secretary's office, as it is important to keep class interruptions to a minimum.
Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) are strongly discouraged from taking pupils out of school during term time in order to facilitate family holidays.
Complaints Procedure:
Complaints are infrequent but the school would wish that these would be dealt with informally, fairly and quickly. The agreed complaints procedure to be followed in primary schools, has been adopted in full by our Board of Management and is included in this Policy booklet.
Behaviour of all Partners in the School:
Positive and respectful communication is of high importance to our school. This not only extends to the children but to all the school community, the staff, Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) and visitors to school. Adults in the school community have a responsibility to ensure their own behaviour models the types of behaviour expected of children.
- All adults involved on our school community are expected to speak to each other with respect.
- All adults are expected treat our children with respect while on the premises.
- Teachers should not be asked to speak about another parents' child. Teachers will respect your child's right to privacy so it is asked that Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) respect other children's rights to privacy.
- When stakeholders meet, it is important to respect that the time of meetings should be kept to a reasonable amount of time. Times of meetings should be agreed beforehand and these should be respected.
- Teachers are generally available to listen to a quick issue in the morning and after school. However, should a Parent/Legal Guardian need to have a discussion or meeting, an appointment should be made at a convenient time for both parties. This ensures that issues can be resolved. Classes begin at 9.00am and finish at 2.40pm. This time should not be interrupted, in the interests of all children.
Safety, Health and Welfare at Work:
- The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act became operative on 1 November 1989. It is an important piece of legislation for B.O.M.s and for those who work in schools, as schools and colleges were brought under the scope of safety legislation for the first time.
- It is recognised that school staff may be at risk from violence in the form of verbal abuse, threats, assaults or other forms of intimidation. This behaviour may come from pupils, Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s), other staff members or visitors to school.
- In this respect all staff should be aware of DES Circular 40/97 which deals with the procedures to follow if they have been subjected to any of the above behaviours. A copy of this circular along with the Schools Health & Safety Plan, is available from the School.
From C.B.S Primary Ratified Policy on Special Education Needs Assistants - Section 4 Work Practices.
- There is a confidentiality clause in the SNA Contract.
Communication:
- SNAs are expected to commit to the schools culture of open communication with all the educational parties.
- SNAs will implement and co-operate with Department of Education and Skills directives including new arrangements for parent/teacher meetings, staff meetings (where applicable) and the standardised school year. Special Needs Assistants will engage with parents of special needs pupils in both formal and informal structures as required and directed by school management.
- As part of each year, SNA meet if required, with Class Teacher/Special Class Teacher/ Resource Teacher, their assigned pupil and his Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s). If this/these meeting(s) is/are to take place during school hours, arrangements will be made to avoid disruption to class teaching.
Team Work and Collaboration:
The SNA may report a pupil's progress/ behaviour to Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s), only in a pre-arranged structured meeting, accompanied by Class Teacher / Special Class Teacher / Support Teacher.
Evaluation Review and Dissemination:
This policy is available from the school. This policy and its implementation will be reviewed by the B.O.M. once in every school year, mindful of feedback of all in the school community.
Roles and Responsibilities:
All members of our school community have a responsibility to ensure this policy is implemented.
