Communication – Parental Guidance

The purpose of this structure is to aid parents / carers to communicate with the appropriate person at Rickmansworth School in the appropriate time frame.

Where there are more general opinions or ideas you wish to share we have regular Parent Panel meetings and Headteacher’s surgeries half termly, both are scheduled on the School calendar.

You can raise specific issues about your child through two avenues. If it is regarding a specific subject please use the Academic route via the class teacher, Subject Leader and if appropriate the Head of the relevant Faculty.

If it is a more general or Pastoral issue about your child please direct it to Form Tutor in the first instance or if appropriate the Director of Learning (Key Stage 3) or Head of Key Stage (Key Stages 4 and 5). 

Immediate responses to emails and meeting requests should not be expected. This is not being discourteous, it is because staff are teaching / involved in other aspects of their work during set periods of the day.  In order for your enquiry to be addressed effectively we have implemented the procedures below;

• Receipt of an email will be acknowledged within 48 hours during term time, but not over a weekend.
• When more time it required and the parent has been initially informed, staff will respond within five working days.
• If a member of staff is not able to deal with the email directly then they will pass it on to the most appropriate person.
• Staff are not to be expected to monitor or respond to emails outside of their normal working hours, including weekends and published school holidays.  
• Staff will not send emails to parents outside normal working hours.
• Parental meeting requests with staff must be made in advance and unannounced requests for staff meetings will not be agreed.  Instead a meeting will be scheduled within 48hrs.  This protocol will not apply to a safeguarding concern.
• Parental appointments with staff will not exceed 30minutes unless previously agreed.

Further details regarding our communication policy is available via the Governing Body page of the website.

RESPONDING TO PARENT COMMUNICATION – STAFF PROCEDURE

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