Parents and carers can be involved with the whole school community in a variety of ways:

• Parent Teacher Association
• Helping with visits & in class*
• Supporting with fund raising events
• Attending curriculum evenings

*Any adult working in our school will need to complete the appropriate police checks.

The school communicates in a variety of ways including:

• Weekly newsletters
• Online information
• Texting service – you must have registered your Parent Pay Account in order to receive text messages as the school now uses Parent Pay’s Messaging platform

Please read our Home School Agreement to see how you can help your child at home.

Complaints

If you have a concern regarding your child(ren) you should speak first to the teacher or a member of the senior leadership team/Headteacher. If you are unhappy with the response please contact Admin@primaryadvantage.hackney.sch.uk who will forward your response to the Executive Principal. If these discussions do not resolve the concern, please visit the making a complaint section of the Hackney Learning Trust website.

Alternatively you can download the Model Schools Complaints Policy.

Snow/Bad Weather and School Closure

All efforts will be made to open the school on all normal school days even when we have snow and other adverse weather conditions. If the school is not going to open due to either weather or an unforeseen event, a decision will be made by 7.30am and information posted on the school and Local Authority websites.

Communication

In the event of the school not opening parents will be kept informed via:

1. The school website.
2. Text messages will be sent (Please ensure your mobile contact details are up to date).
3. The Hackney Learning Trust website.

In the event of weather deteriorating during the day leading to closure of the school:

1. Permission for pupils to go home will be sought from parents (Please ensure your contact details are up to date).
2. Texts will be sent out to parents. (Please ensure your mobile contact details are up to date.)
3. Information will be published on the school website.

If there is an enforced closure of the school and children are unable to gain permission to go home, provision will be made to supervise those pupils until they can be collected at the end of the day.

In the event of bad weather the telephones are likely to be very busy and it is strongly recommended that you access the school website which will be regularly updated.

Lock Down Policy & Procedures

Rationale

As part of our Health and Safety policies and procedures the school has a Lock Down Policy.

On very rare occasions it may be necessary to seal off the school so that it cannot be entered from the outside. This will ensure that pupils, staff and visitors are safe in situations where there is a hazard in the school grounds or outside the school in the near vicinity.

A lockdown is implemented when there are serious security risks for the premises due to, for example, nearby chemical spillage, proximity of dangerous dogs, serious weather conditions or attempted access by unauthorised person’s intent in causing harm/damage.

Communication with parents

If necessary parents will be notified as soon as it is practical to do so via the school’s established communication network – text

Parents will be told:

‘..the school is in a full lockdown situation. During this period the switchboard and entrances will be un-manned, external doors locked and nobody allowed in or out…’

Depending on the type and severity of the incident, parents may be asked NOT to collect their children from school as it may put them and their child at risk.

Pupils will not be released to parents during a lock down.

Parents will be asked not to call school as this may tie up emergency lines.

If the end of the day is extended due to the lock down, parents will be notified and will receive information about the time and place pupils can be picked up from office staff or emergency services.

A letter to parents will be sent home on the nearest possible day following any serious incident to inform parents of context of lockdown and to encourage parents to reinforce with their children the importance of following procedures in these very rare circumstances.

Paper Copies of the School Website 

Should you need a paper copy of the school website please email your request through to office@johnjames.hackney.sch.uk.