Policies
Key Policies of The Blue Tangerine Federation (including statutory policies)
Under the Equality Act 2010 we have a duty not to discriminate against people on the basis of their age, disability, gender, gender identity, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation, nor is it our intention to do so.
These policies have been equality impact assessed and we believe that they are in line with the Equality Act 2010 as they are fair, do not prioritise or disadvantage any pupil or adult and help to promote equality at this school.
These policies have been equality impact assessed and we believe that they are in line with the Equality Act 2010 as they are fair, do not prioritise or disadvantage any pupil or adult and help to promote equality at this school.
Some statutory policies relevant to staff only are on the Staff Area of this website.
Attendance Policy
Behaviour, Exclusions and Rewards Policies and Guidance
Behaviour Principles
BTF Behaviour for Learning Policy & Governor Behaviour Principles. Statutory Review Annually Sep 2024
BTF Behaviours for Learning Handbook. Review Aug 2025
Physical Handling and Restrictive Physical Intervention
Physical Intervention Policy Including Intimate Care and Restrictive Physical Intervention. Currently being reviewed (September 2023).
Supporting Children In Nappies Guidance (guidance, no updates due)
Exclusions
BTF Exclusions Policy. Statutory. Review Sep 2026
Rewards
BTF Guidance for Using ClassDojo Points As Part of Our School Rewards System. Review Sep 2026
Communication Policies
Home-School Communication
The Collett School Communication Policy. Review Sep 2026
St Luke's School Communication Policy. Review Sep 2026
School Complaints Procedures
BTF School Complaints Policy. Statutory. Rev Sep 2026
BTF School complaints: Word Document Form
St Luke's School Exams Complaints and Appeals Form
Data Policies
Equality Statements
The general equality duty (2010) says that schools must consciously consider (have due regard for) their need to:
1. Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act 2010.
2. Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
3. Foster good relations across all protected characteristics – between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
There are 9 protected characteristics:
• Age (adults only)
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage and Civil Partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
Our Measurable Equality Objectives 2024-2028
Objective 1
In seeking to support children with FSM achieve higher levels of attendance, we will have tracked all individuals and put in place measures that support the family improve the child’s attendance.
Why we have chosen this objective:
- Our children with FSM’s attendance is lower than those that are not. (All pupils: 88.5%, FSM: 87.3%)
To achieve this objective we plan to:
- Work with parents and carers to support with targeted information about improving attendance, supporting families with:
- Additional guidance
- Clarity about ongoing improvements/ deterioration
- Identify successful interventions and widen these
- Create individual incentives
- Provide visual, waking curriculum support
Objective 2
By the end of July 2028, every area of each school will be wheelchair accessible.
Why we have chosen this objective:
- Ensure our growing number of wheelchair users can access all areas of the schools for learning. Until now, we have been able to use classrooms with wheelchair access and adapt the timetable accordingly. Now, we have an increased number of wheelchair users and as such have less flexibility in placing pupils/classes.
To achieve this objective we plan to:
- Use existing accessibility information reports and our audits to prioritise and undertake a programme
Objective 3
By the end of July 2028, behaviour tracking will evidence a reducation in the use of racist and discriminatory language and prejudice-based bullying by pupils in the schools to less than 10% of 2022-2023 totals (St Luke’s Target: 5 incidents or fewer, Collett Target 2 or fewer). See Appendix 8
Why we have chosen this objective:
- We are an anti-racist school; believing all pupils, staff, governors and visitors have the right to be treated favourably for their difference.
- We have a school population of staff and pupils who identify as LGBTQI and our stakeholders need to see everyone’s right to education and work in a welcoming environment
- We need to continue to educate children’s families through our pupils to avoid further hostility and prejudice
The Collett School Accessibility Plan. Review Sep 2028
St Luke's School Accessibility Plan. Review Sep 2028
Finance Policies and Guidance
Finance - Parent/Carer Interest
BTF Charging and Remissions Policy. Statutory Review September 2025
BTF Debt Recovery Policy Review Bi-Annually Aug 2025
Finance - School Staff Interest
BTF Anti-bribery Policy. Review Aug 2024
BTF Commercial Card Policy. Review Annually Aug 2024
BTF Anti-Fraud Policy. Review Annually. Sep 2024
Governance of the Federation of Schools
Health & Safety Policies and Guidance
Health & Safety
Collett Health and Safety Policy. Statutory. Annually. Review Aug 2024
Collett Nut Free and Sesame Awareness Policy. Review 3 yearly. Sep 2026
St Luke's Health and Safety Policy. Statutory. Annually. Review 2024
St Luke's Nut and Sesame Awareness Policy. Review 3 yearly. Sep 2026
Premises
BTF Premises Management Documents. Statutory. Annually Review Aug 2024
Collett Accessibility Plan. Statutory. Review 3 yearly. Review Jan 2025
St Luke's Accessibility Plan. Statutory. Review 3 yearly. Review Jan 2025
Premises Hire
BTF Collet Lettings Policy. Review Aug 2024
BTF St Luke's Lettings Policy. Review Aug 2023
Evacuation
BTF St Luke's Emergency Evacuation Procedures. Review November 2024
BTF Collett Emergency Evacuation Procedures. Review Feb 2025
Recruitment Policies
Remote Learning Policies
Safeguarding, Child Protection, Medical Policies and Guidance
Safeguarding Children
Gov Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023 updated Sept 2023
BTF Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy. Review Annually Sep 2024
BTF Designated Teacher for Child Looked After and Post CLA. Statutory. Review Sep 2024
BTF First Aid Policy. Statutory. Review August 2025
BTF Online Safety Policy Review Sept 2025
BTF Safer Recruitment Review Sep 2024
BTF Single Central Record of Recruitment and Vetting Checks. Live Document.
Safeguarding Adults
BTF Managing Abusive Encounters. Statutory. Review Aug 2025
BTF Procedures for Dealing with Allegations of Abuse Against Staff
Medical Support
BTF Supporting Medical Needs Outside of SEND. Review Sept 2024
BTF Children with Health Needs who Cannot Access School. Review Sept 2024
BTF St Luke's Pupil Wellbeing Policy Review Sep 2025
School Operational Policies
Admissions
BTF Collett Admission Policy Statutory. Rev Sep 2025
BTF St Luke's Admissions Policy. Statutory. Rev Sept 2025
BTF Register of Pupils' Admission to School and Attendance. Statutory Live Document.
Governor Body Instrument of Government
BTF Governing Body Instrument of Government
BTF School Information Published on a Website. Statutory Live Document.
Severe Weather
BTF Severe Weather Policy. Review Annually Nov 2024
Teaching & Learning Policies and Guidance
British Values and SMSC
Maintained schools have obligations under section 78 of the Education Act (2002) which requires schools, as part of a broad and balanced curriculum, to promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society.
This guidance relates specifically to the requirements to actively promote fundamental British values in schools and explains how this can be met through the general requirement in the 2002 Act.
• that maintained schools should promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development;
• what is expected of schools in promoting fundamental British values; and
• how this aligns with schools’ duty to promote SMSC.
All maintained schools must meet the requirements set out in section 78 of the Education Act 2002 and promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development of their pupils.
Through ensuring pupils’ SMSC development, our schools can also demonstrate they are actively promoting fundamental British values. We establish a strong school ethos supported by effective relationships throughout the school, and providing relevant activities beyond the classroom are all ways of ensuring pupils’ SMSC development.
Pupils are encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance.
It is expected that pupils should understand that while different people may hold different views about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, all people living in England are subject to its law.
Our schools' ethos and teaching, which schools should make parents aware of, should support the rule of English civil and criminal law and schools should not teach anything that undermines it.
Pupils are made aware of the difference between the law of the land and religious law.
Fundamental British values
Our schools promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
We actively challenge opinions or behaviours in school that are contrary to fundamental British values. Attempts to promote systems that undermine fundamental British values would be completely at odds with schools’ duty to provide SMSC. The Teachers’ Standards expect teachers to uphold public trust in the profession and maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school. This includes not undermining fundamental British values.
Through our provision of SMSC, schools, we
• enable students to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence;
• enable students to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England;
• encourage students to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely;
• enable students to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England;
• further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling students to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures;
• encourage respect for other people; and
• encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England. The list below describes the understanding and knowledge expected of pupils as a result of schools promoting fundamental British values.
• an understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process; • an appreciation that living under the rule of law protects individual citizens and is essential for their wellbeing and safety; 1 The Prevent strategy 2011: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-strategy-2011 5
• an understanding that there is a separation of power between the executive and the judiciary, and that while some public bodies such as the police and the army can be held to account through Parliament, others such as the courts maintain independence;
• an understanding that the freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law;
• an acceptance that other people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour; and
• an understanding of the importance of identifying and combatting discrimination. It is not necessary for schools or individuals to ‘promote’ teachings, beliefs or opinions that conflict with their own, but nor is it acceptable for schools to promote discrimination against people or groups on the basis of their belief, opinion or background.
Examples of actions we undertake:
• include in suitable parts of the curriculum, as appropriate for the age of pupils, material on the strengths, advantages and disadvantages of democracy, and how democracy and the law works in Britain, in contrast to other forms of government in other countries;
• ensure that all pupils within the school have a voice that is listened to, and demonstrate how democracy works by actively promoting democratic processes such as a school council whose members are voted for by the pupils;
• use opportunities such as general or local elections to hold mock elections to promote fundamental British values and provide pupils with the opportunity to learn how to argue and defend points of view;
• use teaching resources from a wide variety of sources to help pupils understand a range of faiths, and • consider the role of extra-curricular activity, including any run directly by pupils, in promoting fundamental British values.
Careers
Collett Post-16 and Careers Page
St Luke's Post-16 and Careers Page
Exams
St Luke's BTEC Examinations Policy. Review Annually Oct 2024
St Luke's Access Arrangements: Review Annually Oct 2024
St Luke's Access to Scripts, Reviews of Results & Appeals: Review Annually Oct 2024
St Luke's Complaints & Appeals Procedure: Review Annually Oct 2024
St Luke's Exam Contingency Plan: Review Annually Oct 2024
St Luke's Malpractice Policy: Review Annually Oct 2023
St Luke's Word Processor Policy: Review Annually Oct 2023
St Luke's Special Consideration Policy: Review Annually Oct 2024
St Luke's Separate Invigilation Policy : Review Annually Oct 2024
St Luke's Non-examination Assessment Policy: Review Annually Oct 2024
St Luke's Escalation Policy: Review Annually Oct 2023
St Luke's Emergency Evacuation Policy: Review Annually Oct 2024
BTF Collett Examination Policy. Review Annually Nov 2022
BTF Collett Exam Contingency Plan 2022-2023
Relationship, Sex and Health Education policies
The Collett School's RHSE policy. Review Aug 2025
St Luke's School's RHSE policy. Review Aug 2025
SEND Policy and Information Reports
Our Schools' SEN Information Reports (link to SEN page)
Sensory Needs
BTF Sensory Needs Policy. Review Sep 2025
BTF Autism Handbook. Review Sep 2026
Teaching & Learning
BTF Early Careers Teacher (ECT) Review Sep 2025
Teaching and Learning Policy (St Luke's). Review Sep2025
Teaching and Learning Policy (The Collett School). Review Jul 2025
BTF Educational Visits & Learning Outside the Classroom Policy. Federation. Review Sep 2025
DfE Political Impartiality Teaching Guidance
BTF St Luke's Staff Wellbeing Policy. Review Sep 2025
Other Advice & Guidance
Dealing with low attendance
All teachers are aware that if children have poor attendance at school, the likelihood is very strong they will underachieve significantly. We are also only too aware that children who are frequently absent from school are much more vulnerable to sexual exploitation and criminal activity, including gangs and county lines. Overall, there is a distinct link between low school attendance and poor life outcomes. So how do we keep attendance at the highest level possible?
Here are some examples of approaches we use in combination:
1) Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is in charge of improving attendance across the federation, having the time and resources to manage the required teams
2) Our attendance policy is written in a way that’s understandable for all who might have cause to read it
3) Our home-school agreement is clear that it is the parent’s responsibility to ensure their child’s attendance is as high as it can possibly be
4) We take every opportunity to push the message to parents regarding the importance of good attendance, including new parents’ events, newsletters, our school website and prospectus.
5) We conduct regular attendance data analyses and discuss the findings with staff, governors and, where appropriate, parents. We have a series of letter templates to send home whenever a child’s attendance falls below the agreed threshold figures.
We look for patterns of absence: are there certain days which are missed more than others; do they tie in with certain subjects or activities? Does the child have any special needs or weaknesses in certain curriculum areas? Are there reasons outside of school which might explain the patterns? We look for targeted interventions that could be put in place and then analyse the success of the interventions and adapt and amend them if necessary.
6) Use anonymised data to show the link between good attendance and academic success – it rarely turns out the correlation is not there. There is evidence that parents are more likely to listen to arguments about attendance if they’re presented with data that represents your own school’s experience.
7) Class teachers act as a mentor and supporter of a child whose attendance is a concern. They arrange regular meetings to check in with the pupil and search for potential bars to them getting into school and search for solutions with the DSL
8) We ensure our first day calling system for absence is effective and maintained. Contacting parents about the absence, straight away, appears to be the most effective way of reducing the frequency and length of absences.
9) We use ‘pupil voice’ to help look for ways of improving attendance. Children can have ideas as to why their peers are out of school and how they might be enticed to be in school more regularly - some of those ideas might well have an impact.
10) We celebrate excellent attendance and link it to successes when possible.
11) We run attendance campaign. These include posters highlighting the need to be at school as much as possible, the presentation of certificates or awards and letters home for excellent or very much improved attendance.
12) If parents continue to allow their children to be absent from school, then we work with the local authority to consider and impose legal measures.
Mixed Age Classes
In our settings, we combine single year group classes into classes of pupils with a mixed-age range, which is typical and often deployed in small schools and special schools.
Advantages and disadvantages of mixed-age classes
Although some may perceive mixed-age arrangements as challenging, particularly in relation to planning effectively across a broader range of ability groups, it’s important to recognise the benefits which mixed-age classroom arrangements bring. Potential benefits include having the opportunity to separate pupils, especially those whose personalities may have a negative impact upon each other’s learning within the same classroom. A class with a mixed-age range also allows for the separation of siblings which may enable them to develop more independence.
Funding limitations of our schools and comparatively low pupil numbers in small schools may result in classes comprising pupils from three or even four-year groups. Decisions must be made about what will be the best criteria against which to separate pupils to optimise teaching and learning opportunities for all pupils across the school. These may include a consideration of friendship and ability groups as well as whether to use age as the defining criteria upon which to separate pupils. Allowing staff time to discuss the idea on a regular basis supports parental engagement. Accommodating any parental request for a child to be moved to a different class should be considered carefully before being agreed.
Finance - School Budgeting
Those who carry the accountability and responsibility for good financial management and stewardship of their school are under more scrutiny than ever before to maximise and legitimately squeeze the pips out of their overall resources.
What good practice looks like
The governing body is responsible for the maintenance of a school’s finances. This responsibility is delegated to the Headteacher to be maintained as part of their leadership and management responsibilities. Although responsibility for maintaining the budget may be delegated to a school business leader or bursar, the governing body will hold the head accountable for managing their school’s finances effectively.
Regular reports ensure the governing body is fully aware of the financial status and health of the school, and they also provide an opportunity for the head teacher to identify any particular issues that are likely to arise in the future. Local authority schemes of delegation may also require governing bodies to draw up three year budget forecasts. This is a particularly challenging task given the many factors that will need to be considered, such as accurately forecasting future pupil numbers.
Budget deficits and how to survive them
While a maintained school has a right to manage its delegated budget, it has no right to manage or deploy the local authority’s funds without its agreement outside the delegated budget share. This means there’s no right to set a deficit budget. However, local authorities must have a financial scheme that, among other things, includes provision for deficits to be carried forward. Delegation of the school’s budget share is subject to the provisions of the financial scheme. Schemes may preclude planning for deficits or may allow schools to plan for deficits but only in certain approved circumstances. The Department for Education’s guidance on financial schemes, 4.7, states the following: “The scheme should contain a provision which makes it clear that the authority can’t write-off the deficit balance of any school. “If an authority wishes to give assistance towards elimination of a deficit balance, this should be through the allocation of a cash sum, from the authority’s schools’ budget (from a centrally held budget specified for the purpose of expenditure on special schools and pupil referral units in financial difficulty or, in respect of mainstream maintained schools, from a de-delegated contingency budget where this has been agreed by the Schools Forum).”
Most local authorities, which allow schools to plan for deficits, have policies/guidance on when deficits may be approved. They include details of information a school would have to provide for the local authority to consider a request for a deficit budget to be agreed. For example, some local authorities say the deficit must be ‘repaid’
School Classroom Temperatures
Recent high temperatures have made working, teaching and learning in schools particularly challenging. In the past, the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999 set out legal thresholds for minimum temperatures in schools. These were as follows:
- 18ºC in areas of normal levels of physical activity (eg in the classroom)
- 21ºC in areas of lower than normal activity (eg a school’s sickbay)
- 15ºC in areas of higher than normal activity (eg a school’s gym).
While the 2012 regulations discontinued these temperature thresholds, many schools still refer to them because they were the last meaningful guide to temperature control. Currently, there are no set and (therefore) enforceable minimum or maximum temperatures set for workplaces, including schools.
Health and safety regulations simply stipulate that working temperatures must be ‘reasonable’ and must ‘not be excessive’. The World Health Organisation, however, recommends 24ºC as a maximum for comfortable working. All this said, under health and safety legislation, all employers have a duty of health and safety to monitor working conditions and take proportionate action to remedy danger and deficiencies in the workplace (including excessive heat conditions). The impact of excessively-high classroom temperatures When temperatures soar without a great deal of notice, as is often the case across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the impact can be equally sudden and typically affects staff and pupils alike:
ADVICE & GUIDANCE
- Pupils can quickly become lethargic and lose focus
- They are likely to lose their concentration and cognitive capacity
- Their health may be compromised, especially if they are vulnerable to heat
- Young children don’t and won’t know how to keep cool, so they can overheat quickly
- Staff, especially teaching staff, may tire at a faster rate because they are ‘performing’
- Certain staff are especially vulnerable to high temperatures (eg pregnant women). The role of school leaders
What can school leaders do in the circumstances?
• Establish a health and safety task force that’s chaired by our school business leader
• Commission the task force to carry out a risk assessment across the school
• Assign weather forecasting and mitigation plans to the task force
• Invite pupils to contribute to the task force.
Practice and prevention
• We will consider adjusting the school day (with the consent of parents of course)
• Close blinds and curtains to prevent sunlight from entering the classrooms
• Consider appropriate adjustments to the school menu (eg minimise hot food)
• Shift desks so that they are away from direct sunlight
• Move lessons to cooler areas of the school
• Ensure there is adequate ventilation of pure or fresh air in the classrooms
• Instal sun-deflecting materials or blinds to classrooms’ windows
• Moderate pupils’ physical activity and move PE lessons to cooler times of the day
• Encourage children to stay in shaded areas at break times.
• Ensure children have adequate access to water at all times (including throughout lessons)
• Arrange to hire air conditioning units where possible (fans are ok, but they are not as effective)
• Keep a stock of sun-protection aids (eg after-sun lotion)
• Relax the school’s uniform policy (eg lighter and/or shorter trousers for boys)
• Raise awareness with parents, so they provide their children with adequate sun protection
• Provide ice lollies on some particularly hot days.