Dear Parent/Carer
Following the introduction of our new pastoral team, it has been necessary to make some changes to our detention system. Our detention system is in place not only to encourage good behaviour in school, which in turn creates a positive learning environment for the students, but is also important in delivering a clear message to our students that inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated and will be sanctioned accordingly.
Detentions are held every evening in small schools and will take place the day after they have been issued. Detentions will last for a maximum of 1 hour; anything more than this will be escalated to a day’s seclusion in our Inclusion and Wellbeing Centre (IWC).
Please note that students will no longer be able to use Chromebooks in their detentions. They can choose to read a book, silently complete any work, or use their Knowledge Organisers to revise.
There will be no exemptions from the after-school detention system – in accordance with page 22 of the DfE Behaviour in Schools Guidance “Parental consent is not required for detentions that satisfy the conditions mentioned in paragraphs 65 – 66.”
If your child has a medical appointment, it is your responsibility to inform the school using your small school email address to reschedule the detention. It will not be possible for a student to rearrange it themselves. Outlined below are some examples of unacceptable behaviour and consequences which are available. This is not a tariff and each case will be dealt with according to its own merits.
Detention Scenario
Action Required / Consequence
You have been notified that your child has a 30-minute detention after school the following day but you already have a pre-booked dentist appointment.
You must call the school for this detention to be rescheduled. If we do not receive any communication, the detention will be recorded as “missed detention” and will be escalated.
Your child is absent on the day the detention has been arranged.
The detention will be automatically rescheduled for the following day. You will not receive a notification of this.
Your child has a rescheduled detention this evening but they have also received a 30-minute detention today.
Your child will sit their rescheduled detention and you will be notified that they will now have a detention the next day. If your child has accumulated more than 60-minutes worth of detentions, please expect a call to inform you that your child will be in the IWC the following day.
Your child has accumulated more than 60-minutes of detentions; for example if your child was removed by On-Call from 2 lessons.
You will receive notification of the 60-minutes from both On-Calls but your child will be in the IWC the following day. You will not be notified of this.
Your child has been removed by On-Call (60-minute detention issued) and has also received a 30- minute detention on the same day.
You will be notified either by an email or telephone call from the school that your child will be in the IWC today until 4pm.
In line with DfE guidelines, schools have no legal obligation to inform parents/carers that their child is being kept back after school for a detention. Nor do schools need the consent of a parent/carer to issue and detain a student for an after-school detention. As an academy we have, however, made the decision to continue to notify parents that their child has been entered for a detention through MCAS and parent email.
We understand that after-school detentions can sometimes be an inconvenience to parents/carers, however, they are an integral part of our behaviour system and as such we urge parents/carers to encourage their children to adhere to the rules and expectations of the academy so that ultimately they are not issued with a detention.
Yours sincerely
Ms S Kazmi
Principal
