There is no place for violence, threatening behaviour or abuse in our school.
Where such behaviour does occur, the Local Authority will take a proactive role in protecting the school and specific legal action may follow.

RATIONALE
As a general rule schools are orderly, safe places where relationships between staff and visitors, especially parents, demonstrates mutual respect and a recognition of shared responsibility for pupils’ welfare and educational progress.

Parental involvement is an important factor in educational success and in dealing with emerging problems at an early stage.

In a few cases, the behaviour of a few parents can cause severe disruption or worse, resulting in abusive or aggressive behaviour towards staff and/or other children.

This policy will detail how our school will deal with violence, threatening behaviour or abuse by parents of a child.

AIMS
This policy will detail how our school will deal with violence, threatening behaviour or abuse by parents of a child:

• To keep the school a happy and safe place for both staff, visitors and children to work and learn
• To set out the procedure for what to do if an incident arises
• To establish who the school needs to contact and how to report the incident
• To establish what follow up action is needed

PROCEDURES

LEGAL REMEDIES

1. Trespassing:
Section 547 of the Education Act 1996 makes it an offence for a trespasser on school premises to cause or permit a nuisance or disturbance. It allows for the removal and prosecution of any person believed to have committed the offence. The penalty for anyone convicted of this offence is a fine of up to £500.

A parent of a child attending the school normally has implied permission to be on the school’s premises at certain times and for certain purposes. However, if the the parent’s behaviour is unreasonable, this permission may be withdrawn and they will become a trespasser.

The Local Authority would take the lead in authorising proceedings, having obtained the consent of the school’s Governing Body first.

2. The Local Authority may also decide to use the following legal measures on behalf of the school:

• Section 222 Local Governoment Act 1972
• Anti Social Behaviour Orders
• Protection from Harassment Act 1997
• Criminal Damage Act 1971
• Section 39 of Criminal Justice Act 1988

Non-statutory Measures

Aside from legal remedies detailed above, the Head teacher will ensure the following strategies are used:

• Parents are invited to make an appointment to speak to their child’s class teacher should an issue arise that they wish to discuss
• A class teacher should record the issue/matter discussed and leave the record in the school office for the learning mentors and senior staff to read and decide on further action if needed
• A class teacher may refuse to speak to a parent if the level of aggression is deemed to be unacceptable. In this case, a senior member of staff should be sent for, or the parent encouraged to come to the main office and ask for a senior member of staff
• When a matter is referred to a senior member of staff, that member of staff will reassure the parent that the matter will be fully investigated, written down and reported back to the parent
• Any member of staff has the right to call 999 and seek assistance should they be confronted by verbal abuse or the threat of physical assault against them

Recording incidents

The form attached in the appendix should be used to record any incident involving:

• Trespass
• Verbal abuse
• Sexual or racial abuse
• Threats
• Aggression
• Physical violence
• Intentional damage to personal property

The form should be completed as soon as possible. For an incident involving or witnessed by a child, a member of staff should complete the form on their behalf. However, any discussion between one witness and another should not procede completion of this form, as this might lead to allegations of collusion.

NB In addition:

• Any racist comments will be recorded in the racial incidents book
• Any injuries to staff or children must be recorded on an Accident Form