Complaints
The Trustees, governors and employees of the Trust aim for all our students to benefit from an outstanding quality of education and services, within a happy, safe and caring environment. If we have failed to live up to these high standards, we want to know about it. The outcome of a complaint will be used to reflect on the services provided by The White Hills Park Trust or at school level, and if necessary, to improve processes.
The complaints policy applies to all schools within The White Hills Park Trust. All schools are required by law to have a policy which deals with the handling of concerns and formal complaints. The White Hills Park Trust complaints policy may be used by parents and carers, students of the Trust and members of the wider Trust community including other stakeholders.
The complaints policy draws a distinction between a concern and a complaint. Taking informal concerns seriously at the earliest stage helps to support early resolution and can be beneficial to both complainant and the Trust. Wherever possible, concerns will be handled without recourse to formal procedures.
Our full complaints policy outlining the process for concerns or formal complaints to be raised can be downloaded below:
Confidential Reporting (Whistleblowing)
The White Hills Park Trust are committed to providing services with the utmost integrity. However, the Chief Executive Officer and the Trustees recognise that all organisations face the risk of wrongdoing, or of unethical conduct happening within the organisation, which they are not aware of. The Trust recognise that a member of staff may be the first to realise if something is wrong within The White Hills Park Trust. However, they may not want to express their concerns because they feel that speaking up would somehow be disloyal to their colleagues or to the Trust.
The Trust wish to encourage a culture which is open and honest and it hopes that any concerns would be identified and spoken about while they still remain at a low-level, however, like any large organisation the Trust recognise that issues may arise that the Trust has not been aware of.
The policy is designed to ensure that all staff including volunteers and supply staff, can raise any concerns about wrongdoing or malpractice within the Trust without fear of victimisation, subsequent discrimination, or disadvantage. It is also intended to encourage and enable them to raise serious concerns within the Trust rather than ignoring a problem or ‘blowing the whistle’ outside of the Trust
Please see our Confidential Reporting policy below:
Data Protection
At The White Hills Park Trust we take data protection and your rights as an individual very seriously. We have worked hard to ensure the appropriate policies and procedures are in place across our academies so we are compliant; that we collect and process data responsibly; and that we store and dispose of information in accordance with the law.
GDPR
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect on 25th May 2018.
The GDPR forms part of the data protection regime in the UK, together with the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018). More information on data protection can be found by visiting the Information Commissioners Office.
We collect and use personal information about staff, students, parents and other individuals who come into contact with the Trust. This information is gathered in order to enable us to provide education and other associated functions. In addition, there may be a legal requirement to collect and use information to ensure that the Trust complies with our statutory obligations.
Data Protection and the GDPR – January 2021
As the UK transitional arrangements expired on 31 December 2020, there are some practical changes for Data Protection and the GDPR.
To comply with the Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 please note that every policy, notice and procedural guide that refers to ‘GDPR’ shall now be read as ‘UK GDPR’.
The rights, responsibilities and data protection that the Data Protection Act 2018 and the GDPR are not changed. Our procedures and arrangements will not change.
Please contact us if you have any queries.
Privacy Notices
There are occasions where we have a responsibility to issue a specific privacy notice to explain how we collect, manage, use and store information in certain senarios. Please see our specific privacy policies below:
Freedom of Information
The right to Freedom of Information is set out in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Please see our policy below detailing what information can be provided, how it can be obtained, and any associated costs:
Subject Access Requests
Individuals have a right to make a Subject Access Request to gain access to the personal information that the Trust holds about them. As an organisation we collect and process data about individuals. We explain what information we collect, and why in our Data Protection Policy (see above).
All data subjects have the right to know:
- What information is held?
- Who holds it?
- Why is it held?
- What are the retention periods?
- That each data subject has rights. Consent can be withdrawn at any time (to some things).
- A right to request rectification, erasure or to limit or stop processing.
- A right to complain.
Many of these will be answered within our Data Protection Policy.
When dealing with Subject Access Requests, the Trust and Trust academies will always follow current data protection and other legislative guidance. The latest information from the ICO regarding access to pupils' information can be found here.
Any individual, or person with parental responsibility, or young person with sufficient capacity to make a request is entitled to ask what information is held. However, as a Multi Academy Trust, a student or parent/carer (person with parental responsibility/legal guardian) does not have a legal right to access a child’s educational record. It will be up to the Trust to decide whether to grant such access.
Please refer to the Information Commissioner's Office Subject Access Request Guidance for further information.
How do I request information?
If you wish to request information we hold, please make a Subject Access Request to the Trust in writing. Any written request from the individual (Data Subject) or person with parental responsibility will be considered as a valid request, as long as it contains the relevant information to enable us to deal with your request:
- Your name
- Correspondance address
- Contact number
- Email address
- Clear details of the information or data you would like to access
To make this as simple as possible, we have provided a template you can fill in and return by email:
To ensure that requests are dealt with in an effective and timely manner we may seek to clarify the terms of a request.
Exemptions to a SAR exist and may include:
- Education, Health, Social Work records
- Examination marks and scripts
- Safeguarding records
- Special educational needs
- Parental records and reports
- Legal advice and proceedings
- Adoption and Court records and/or reports
- Regulatory activity and official requests e.g. DfE statistical information
- National security, Crime and taxation
- Journalism, literature and art
- Research history, and statistics
- Confidential references
Evidence of identity, on the basis of the information set out and the signature on the identity must be cross-checked to that on the application form. Discretion about employees and persons known to the school may be applicable but if ID evidence is not required an explanation must be provided by school staff and signed and dated accordingly.
If you are requesting information on behalf of someone else you must also provide written evidence that you have the Data Subject’s authority to ask for the information on their behalf, for example a signature on the Subject Access Request, a letter written by them, evidence of Power of Attorney, etc.
In either case, the request should be sent to:
James Macdonald, Chief Operating Officer,
Bramcote College,
Moor Lane,
Bramcote,
Nottinghamshire,
NG9 3GA.
james.macdonald@whptrust.org.
If your Subject Access Request is valid and approved, you will be provided with either a printout or a photocopy of paper records. Where information is requested to be provided digitally (such as by email), we will only agree to this if it can be sent via an approved secure method in line with GDPR. The information will be usually be provided within one calendar month of the request. However in some circumstances, for example the school is closed for holidays, this may be extended by up to another calendar month.
We will contact you to advise if we are unable to approve your request.
Do I need proof of identity?
If you are not known to the Trust or Trust academies, we may ask to see proof of your identity. The following forms of identity will be accepted as proof of identity:
- A copy of your passport
- A copy of your driving licence
- A copy of your Bank, Building Society or Credit Card statement in the Data Subject's name for the last quarter
- A copy of your Council Tax bill
Will I be charged for information provided?
We will follow guidance within current Data Protection legislation in relation to charges for information. See the ICO website for further information.
What do I do if the data is incorrect?
Please contact the Trust to tell us what is incorrect and ask for it to be corrected. You can also appeal to the Information Commissioner if we do not correct the information.
Equality Objectives
Our equality objectives, reviewed every two years, set out our approach to promoting equal opportunities and inclusion across out Trust community.
Within the Trust and our academies, our objectives are:
- To promote a positive ethos of equality and diversity for all.
- To foster positive relations between different communities represented within our school.
- To promote cultural understanding between ethnic groups within our school.
- To limit the incidence of prejudice, racial and homophobic language in school through a positive and inclusive ethos.
- To be inclusive of all regardless of gender, race, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, religious affiliation.
- To be inclusive of all through robust and equal employment training and development opportunities.
- To recognise and celebrate difference and individuality through our curriculum, educational and extra-curricular programmes.
- To recognise, and celebrate, the contribution of all groups and communities through our curriculum design and delivery.
- To increase the proportion of people with protected characteristics among Trust staff and those responsible for governance.
Equality Policy
Our Equality Policy, including Race Equality and Equal Opportunities, is applicable to all Trust academies and can be downloaded below:
Statutory Financial and Company Documents
Financial Statements
Supplemental Funding Agreements
Health and Safety
Our Health and Safety statement sets out our commitment to high standards of health and safety management, and explains the arrangements in place to establish an effective and robust health and safety management system designed to eliminate or minimise risks to employees and others:
Principles
In the White Hills Park Trust, we believe that a child or young person should never experience abuse of any kind. We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people and to keep them safe. We are committed to practise in a way that protects them. The purpose of this document is to provide a summary of the aspects of safeguarding and child protection that are common across the Trust.
Each school in the Trust has an individual policy published on their website which is fully compliant with the Trust policy and which has been written with regard to the school’s individual context. The school policy should be read in conjunction with the Trust policy. The White Hills Park Trust requires each individual academy within the Trust to have safeguarding arrangements which meet statutory requirements, reflect the requirements of our Local Authority and comply with any additional expectations of good practice, determined by the Trust.
Trust Named Staff and Contacts
Sue Vasey
Nominated Safeguarding Trustee
Designated Safeguarding Leads and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead/s at each of the Trust's academies can be found from each academy’s safeguarding policy on their respective websites:
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Alderman White School |
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Bramcote College |
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Foxwood Academy |
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John Clifford School |
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Springbank Academy |
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The Florence Nightingale Academy |
The first port of call, for raising safeguarding concerns related to an academy within the Trust, should ordinarily be to the Senior Designated Safeguarding Lead, or to the Headteacher of each academy. If this route is unavailable or inappropriate, contact The White Hills Park Trust at safeguarding@whptrust.org.
School and Local Authority Policies and Contacts
Please check each individual academy’s Safeguarding Policy for further details of school and Local Authority contact points, together with other locally determined arrangements.
Trust Policy
Our Trust Safeguarding Policy can be viewed here:
Physical Intervention
It is anticipated at schools within The White Hills Park Trust that our commitment to safeguarding, our policies, and our responsibility to protect the welfare of young people will ensure their behaviour is safe and acceptable. However, there may be occasion when despite all the best efforts of staff there is no alternative than to physically intervene with young people to ensure their safety or the safety of others. Staff in schools have the authority to use reasonable force to prevent a pupil from or continuing to:
- Committing any offence
- Causing personal injury to, or damage to the property of, any person (including the person himself) or
- Seriously prejudicing the good order and discipline at the school, whether during a teaching session or otherwise.
The authority to employ physical interventions when necessary is enshrined in Section 93 of the Education and Inspection Act 2006 and restated in the DfE guidance of January 2016 entitled Behaviour and Discipline in Schools – a guide for Head teachers and School staff. The necessary use of any physical intervention at schools within The White Hills Park Trust is taken very seriously, and our policy on physical intervantion can be viewed here:
E-Safety
Working and learning online has become essential part of our work in schools. We recognise and celebrate the role of the Internet in enhancing our work and contributing to pupil outcomes. However, it is clear that there are dangers, and it is the duty of the Trust and its schools to do everything possible to eliminate or mitigate these dangers, and to safeguard young people from potentially harmful and inappropriate online material. We view online safety (also known as e-safety) as a priority and as a crucial part of modern education, and understand our remit as educators not only to ensure good practice in school but also to deliver the education required to allow children to make critical judgements and keep themselves safe when using the Internet outside the school environment.
The Trust's E-Safety policy, detailing the measures we put in place to protect children and staff, and the steps we take to support parents in ensuring their children can use the internet effectively in a responsible and appropriate way, can be viewed here:
School Development Strategy
In our Trust, we expect the very best for every child and young person in every aspect of their development – academic, emotional, cultural and physical. We recognise our collective responsibility to ensure that we bring this about. Our schools have come together so that by working together, we can improve the opportunities and outcomes for all of our pupils.
It is our minimum expectation that the Quality of Education in all of our schools is at least good. This is evidenced through our own quality assurance, through Ofsted inspection judgements and through pupil outcomes. The purpose of our School Development strategy is to ensure that this is maintained and that all of our schools continue to improve.
Our School Development Strategy is founded on the principles and ethos of our Trust:
- Schools are autonomous, but we have a collective stake in each others’ success
- We share generously and honestly
- We have a broad and rich curriculum, which recognises the diversity of our school community and the wider world
- CPD is the heart of improvement
- Our schools are truly inclusive
How is this achieved?
- Our evaluation of provision is accurate, detailed, evidence-based and diagnostic
- We support leadership and governance so that they maintain their focus on the important elements of School Development
- We support staff development through an extensive and detailed programme of high-quality staff development
- We support individual school provision through the implementation of Trust-wide strategies
- We intervene where necessary to support rapid improvement
View our full School Development Strategy at the link below: