Policies
Our Approach
The DfE provides guidance on what policies and procedures multi academy trusts must have in place. In order to fulfill this obligation, the Good Shepherd Trust adopts the following approach:-
Trust Policies: these are policies that all settings must adhere to. There is no formal adoption by the school as the policy has been set by the Trust Board or the Executive, in consultation with third parties, where appropriate. We refer to these policies as "trust wide" or "blanket" policies.
Trust Policies requiring adaptation: these are policies where the Trust sets the direction but the policy requires a degree of adaptation to reflect local practice and procedures within individual schools. We refer to these policies as "template" policies.
School Policies: these are policies written by local school leadership based on individual school practice.
Many of these policies are statutory, some can only be approved by the Board and some must be published either on the Trust or school website.
Policies
Some key policies are published below, others are on our school websites which you can find here.
CCTV
Complaints
The Department for Education, in partnership with Ofsted and Parentkind, has published guidance for parents on how to raise concerns or make complaints to resolve any issues quickly, easily and positively.
Parent Guide to School Complaints
The Good Shepherd Trust has a Trust wide Complaints Policy and Procedure which must be followed for any complaints. The policy sets out the procedure to be followed for all complaints, irrespective of which team member the complaint relates to. Please find both the policy and the forms to complete below. Alternatively they can be requested from school offices.
Complaints form (to download and complete)
Data Protection and Privacy Notices
This information can be found on our dedicated Data Protection page which can be found here.
Managing Allegations and Low Level Concerns
If you wish to raise any concerns about an adult who is working or volunteering in one of our settings, please refer to this policy which outlines our approach to such matters.
Managing Allegations and Low Level Concerns policy
Modern Slavery Act Statement
Public Sector Equality Duty and Objectives
For details on how our academies comply with the public sector equality duty, please see individual school websites.
Public Sector Equality Duty: Objective Statement
Recruitment of Ex-Offenders
Safeguarding and Child Protection
All staff (including supply staff) and volunteers must ensure that they are aware of and understand the safeguarding policies and procedures applicable to their location. Please visit individual school websites for localised safeguarding and child protection information.
Supervision
Whistleblowing (Protected Disclosures)
A culture of openess and accountability is essential in order to prevent situations occurring or to address them if they do occur. If you would like to raise any concern, please refer to our Whistleblowing policy.
For all other queries regarding policies within the Good Shepherd Trust, please contact the Head of Governance here.