School Visitor Procedure
Statement
Sherard School and Preschool assure all visitors a warm, friendly, and professional welcome to our site, whatever the purpose of their visit.
The school has a legal duty of care for the health, safety, security, and wellbeing of all pupils and staff. This duty of care incorporates the duty to “safeguard‟ all pupils from subjection to any form of harm, abuse or nuisance. It is the responsibility of the Governing Body and senior staff to ensure that this duty is uncompromised at all times.
In performing this duty, the school recognises that there can be no complacency where child protection and safeguarding procedures are concerned. The school, therefore, requires that ALL VISITORS (without exception) comply with the following policy and procedures. Failure so to do may result in the visitor’s escorted departure from the school site.
Responsibility
The Head Teacher is the member of staff responsible for implementation, coordination and review of this procedure. This person will also be responsible for liaising with the site and reception staff and is the Designated Safeguarding Lead as appropriate.
Aim
To safeguard all children under this school’s responsibility both during school hours curriculum and out of school hours activities which are arranged by the school.
Objectives
To have in place a clear protocol and procedure for the admittance of external visitors to the school which is understood by all staff, Trustees, visitors and parents and conforms to child protection and safeguarding guidelines.
Where And To Whom The Policy Applies
The school is deemed to have control and responsibility for its pupils anywhere on the school site (i.e. within the school boundary), during normal school hours, during after-school activities and on school organised (and supervised) off-site activities. The policy applies to:
Protocol And Procedures
Visitors To The School
All visitors to the school may be asked to bring formal identification with them at the time of their visit (unless they are named on the approved visitors/contractors list as set out below). They must follow the procedure below.
Once on-site, all visitors must report to the reception desk first. No visitor is permitted to enter the school via any other entrance under any circumstances. If visitors park in the basketball car park, then they must walk around the school building following the clearly marked signs to reception.
At the reception, all visitors must state the purpose of their visit and who has invited them. They should be ready to produce formal identification upon request. All visitors will be asked to sign in on the Visitors Management System which is the screen in reception this will make note of their name, organisation, who they are visiting, and car registration. On completion, a visitor sticker badge will be produced which should be worn at all times during the visit.
All visitors will need to read the safeguarding information when signing in and to sign that they have been informed of our procedures.
All visitors will be required to wear the printed identification badge – the badge must remain visible throughout their visit.
Visitors will then be escorted to their point of contact OR their point of contact will be asked to come to reception to receive the visitor. The contact will then be responsible for them while they are on site. The visitor must not be allowed to move about the site unaccompanied unless they are registered on the Approved Visitor List
Approved Visitor List
The school will hold an approved visitor list for visitors who frequently visit the school site to undertake work within the school (including contractors and supply staff).
To qualify for this list the visitor must have demonstrated, prior to the visit that:
a) They have a current clear enhanced DBS check and a copy of this has been registered on the Schools Central Record AND
b) A current clear DBS children’s barred check has been undertaken AND
Visitors on the Approved List MUST follow the same procedures on entry to the premises (i.e. come to reception and sign-in on the visitor management system). A copy of the approved visitor list will be kept behind reception at all times.
Visitors Departure From School
On departing the school, visitors MUST leave via reception and:
Unknown/Uninvited Visitors To The School
Any visitor to the school site who is not wearing an identity badge should be challenged politely to enquire who they are and their business on the school site.
They should then be escorted to reception to sign the visitors’ management system and be issued with an identity badge.
The procedures under “Visitors to the School” above will then apply in the event that the visitor refuses to comply, they should be asked to leave the site immediately and a member of the Leadership Team informed.
The Senior Leadership Team member will consider the situation and decide if it is necessary to inform the police.
If an unknown/uninvited visitor becomes abusive or aggressive, they will be asked to leave the site immediately and warned that if they fail to leave the school grounds, police assistance will be called for.
Trustees And Volunteers
All Trustees and parent helpers must comply with Criminal Records Bureau procedures, completing a DBS disclosure form (if not already held) via the Mowbray Education Trust.
Thereafter, procedures as per above should apply.
New Trustees will be made aware of this policy and familiar with its procedures as part of their induction. This is the responsibility of the Mowbray Education Trust.
New volunteers will be asked to comply with this policy by staff they first report to when coming into school for an activity or class supporting role.
Staff Development
As part of their induction, new staff will be made conversant with this policy for External Visitors and asked to ensure compliance with its procedures at all times.