General
The protection, care, and welfare of children within the Junior Coding Club are obviously of paramount importance. As part of this duty of care, it is essential that all those entrusted with the oversight of the system (which includes those involved in the appointment of staff and the management of school) do everything they can do to ensure that everyone working with the pupils is fit to do so, and that the pupils have as safe and secure an educational environment as possible.
This document guidelines for good practice in those areas of the Junior Coding Club which have a bearing on children’s safety, health, and physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
Principles
It is essential to ensure that all pupils will be guaranteed the same level of security and care through our appointment procedures and the way we check all staff.
The ethos should be founded on a basis of mutual respect between all members of the Junior Coding Club community, in order to encourage the self-respect of the pupils and to preserve their right to emotional and physical privacy. In any conflict between disclosure and privacy it is the rights and protection of the child which must be paramount.
The personal freedom and the right to human dignity is a fundamental constitutional right of everyone, including all participants in education, giving rise, among others, to the prohibition of not only physical but also mental aggression against and humiliating punishment of students.
The validity of these rights is not dependent on whether pupils meet their obligations at the Junior Coding Club; the human rights of pupils may not be associated with the fulfilment of the pupils’ obligations.
It is to be ensured, that any information that raises concerns about the welfare and protection of a child is transmitted to the appropriate staff/the head tutor who informs, if necessary, national authorities, and, that any allegation must be treated as a matter of utmost seriousness.
It must be understood and respected that sensitivity and understanding in dealing with a child protection case is of extraordinary importance.
Staff
Staff who have access to children in the Junior Coding Club will be asked to provide a criminal record document (or equivalent documentation from the country the individual is a citizen of or has been in employment so far) before beginning the employment.
The Junior Coding Club is responsible for ensuring that all recruited staff are fit to be in contact with children, and that the German legislation (particularly child protection legislation) is observed.
All those employed in a school who have unaccompanied access to children should be checked against the appropriate legislation, and if none is applicable, steps should be taken to ensure as far as possible that these people are clear.
The Junior Coding Club will exercises all reasonable means to ensure that unauthorised persons cannot gain entry and that unauthorised visitors can be easily identified.
The head teacher and all other staff who work with children undertake a Stewards of Children training by Darkness to Light to equip them to carry out their responsibilities for child protection effectively.
Security, Health and Comfort
It is essential that safe, healthy and comfortable environment is provided for all working in the Junior Coding Club. We will provide rapid agreed response to accident or illness, including designation and training of teachers or non-teaching staff as “first-aiders” (so long as this does not contravene local law), and keeping an accident register. The parents will provide information about children with allergies and special medical conditions on a ‘need to know’ basis, taking into account medical advice and parents’ wishes and appropriate confidentiality.
For camp activities we will verify that pupils’ welfare is guaranteed. In all such activities tutors accompanying the students will be involved in an appropriate risk assessment.
Parents will be fully informed about all aspects of the camp activities in which their children are involved.
Implementation and procedures
Regular and agreed procedures are essential in the Junior Coding Club and should be appropriate to the needs and should cover the needs of the full age range. It is essential that all partners of the Junior Coding Club are aware of and support the following guidelines:
- Promotion of reasonable and safe behaviour during home schooling and during camp activities;
- Efficient monitoring of attendance, absence and truancy with appropriate follow up action; including information on consequences of poor attendance, non regular work and misbehaviour;
- Awareness of tutor and all other members to the importance of serving as good role models.
The Junior Coding Club provide a respectful environment for pupils and all employees ensuring respectful class and out of class communication between tutors and pupils and protecting the pupils against any form of discrimination, therefore any stereotyping of pupils based on their nationality, gender, sexual orientation, race, handicap, special needs, etc. should be avoided by both tutors and students. In accordance with this goal we will provide education in personal relations, encouragement of respect and opportunities and inclusion for all members of the Junior Coding Club, regardless of race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, gender, disability and special educational need.
In order to prevent bullying we will enforce:
- Clear policies and procedures to be followed in case of bullying, whether physical, verbal or indirect (humiliation, rumours, gossip, etc) between pupil/pupil or staff/pupil;
- Cyber-Bullying as integral part of our educational program to train social behaviour especially in online / digital conditions.
- Regular training of our tutors, i.e. on pedagogical days, on this topic.
We further develop and and publish a user-friendly and effective complaints handling system which includes:
- Clear information about how and to whom to complain (usually the class tutor).
- Agreed procedure for following up complaints, including respect for confidentiality when appropriate but with proper information to the person complained about.
- Keeping up records of complaints made and action taken.
- Information to those other members of the Junior Coding Club who need to know.
Procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse include:
- Agreed response to allegations of abuse, whether verbal, physical, emotional or sexual. (In case of evidence response must comply with legal practice and procedures in Germany.
- Guidance to staff in relation to recognising the signs and symptoms of child abuse, including physical indicators or behavioural/developmental indicators.
- Procedures for handling disclosure from children.
- Responsibilities of any member of staff in relation to Child Protection.
- Responsibilities in relation to designated persons within the Junior Coding Club.
- Responsibility to communicate with the authorised National Agencies responsible for Child Protection matters.
- Restrictions that should apply in relation to investigation of cases in accordance with child protection regulations in force in the country.