• Scope
This policy applies to students, staff, parents and all users of the school during school times, lunch breaks and school related activities including tours and outings.
• Relationship to School Mission Statement
This substance use policy reflects the school’s ethos as outlined in our Mission Statement “Glenamaddy Community School dedicates itself to providing an holistic education where the potential and uniqueness of each student is fostered and celebrated. With our educational partners we strive to create a caring environment of mutual respect where each individual is cherished and nurtured to a personal, intellectual and moral maturity. We find our inspiration in the Christian message of faith, hope and love.”
• Rationale
This policy aims to develop the full potential of all in the school community and to make explicit the schools expectations of all members of the school community regarding substance use.
The legislation that mandates and informs a school policy on substance use include the following:
o Education Act 1998 provides that schools should promote the social and personal development of students and provide for their health education.
o The National Drugs Strategy, which is now Government Policy, requires schools to have a policy on substance use in place.
o The report from the National Advisory Committee on Drugs ‘Drugs use Prevention’ November 2001) underlines the importance of schools developing substance use policies.
o Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 and 1984
o Tobacco Regulations (1995) and the Public Health Tobacco Act (2002)
o Smoking ban in all public buildings March 2004
• Goals
This policy seeks:
1. To ensure that all staff be actively aware of signs of drug and substance use and to be forceful in our dealing and response to any and all incidents.
2. To prevent substance use.
3. To work in a pro-active health promoting partnership to maintain the school as a drug free zone.
• Policy Content
o The school has a wide programme of education with regard to the use of drugs and alcohol
o Since September 2003 the educational programme has been part of S.P.H.E. to all Junior Cycle Students
o Talks and seminars from appropriate experts are used to compliment work done in the classroom
Tobacco
The school is a no smoking area for students, staff and visitors (Tobacco Act 2004).
Sanction
Principal will act in accordance with school rules.
Alcohol
We have a zero tolerance with regard to alcohol in the school, on school grounds and on school related activities including tours and outings.
Sanction
The Parents or Guardians of students found to be under the influence of alcohol or in possession of alcohol in the school building or on school grounds will be called upon to bring student/students home.
Disciplinary action will be taken at a later date in accordance with school rules.
Illegal Substances and Solvents
We have zero tolerance with regard to illegal substances and solvents in the school building, on the school grounds and at school related activities including tours and outings.
Sanction
All incidents reported to Principal, Parent/Guardian, Gardai and Board of Management. Disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with School Rules.
Prescribed Medication
Any student taking prescribed medication in school must provide a letter from a parent/guardian detailing permission for their son/daughter to take prescribed medication at school, on school grounds, at school related activities including tours and outings.
• Roles and Responsibility
It shall be the role of all in a position of authority in the school to ensure that this policy is implemented.
(a) Board of Management
1. To ensure that the policy is developed in consultation with teachers, students, parents/guardians.
2. To ensure that the policy is implemented.
3. To ensure that the policy is effective, practised and made explicit and reviewed.
(b) Principal/Deputy Principal
1. Make policy clearly known to students, parents/guardians.
2. To provide education on substance use to students.
3. To monitor the implementation of the policy.
4. To decide and implement sanctions in the event of any breach of the policy.
5. To work with parents/guardians to provide access to treatment or other professional support if necessary.
6. To make provision for talks/seminars for Staff from appropriate experts to heighten awareness of substance use.
(c) Teaching Staff
1. It should be the role of all members of the teaching staff to assist the Principal and Deputy Principal in monitoring and implementing this Policy.
• Success Criteria
1. School is a drug free zone.
2. Awareness by all school community of substance use policy.
3. Awareness by staff and students of signs and symptoms of substance use.
• Monitoring Procedures
o Principal, Deputy Principal, Year Heads will review Policy annually following discussions with Form/Class Teachers.
o Time will be given to review policy at one staff meeting per year.
o Principal will report to Board of Management once a year.
• Review Procedures
o Policy reviewed periodically by Staff, Parent’s Council, Student’s Council and School Management.
o Management of critical incidents over the previous year will be reviewed to ascertain best practice.
Our Pastoral Care system makes the student the focus of school life. The whole school aims to respond to the needs of our students - spiritually, socially and academically. Every student is encouraged to develop a set of values that embrace respect and responsibility. The Pastoral Care Team meets each week to discuss the welfare of our students.
• Fifth Year students act as mentors for First Year students in the first term.
• Each class is assigned a Tutor who functions in a pastoral capacity.
• Each year has a Year Head who has responsibility for monitoring discipline, academic progress and personal development. Files are kept which contain records of each student's progress, achievements and behaviour together with copies of school reports and family data.
• The Principal, Deputy Principal, Year Heads and Home-School Liaison Coordinator meet each week to discuss issues relevant to the management of the school.
• Students and Parents also have the services of a School Chaplain, Home-School Liaison Coordinator, Guidance Counsellor and Learning Support Teachers. You are welcome to make an appointment to speak with our Pastoral Care Team.
RSE is considered to be a ‘lifelong process’ of acquiring knowledge and understanding and of developing attitudes, beliefs and values about sexual identity, relationships and intimacy. Parents, teachers, peers, adults and the media deliver this education consciously and unconsciously.
1. School Details
Name: Glenamaddy Community School
Address: Glenamaddy, Co. Galway
Telephone: 094 9659315
Fax: 094 9659354
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Category: Mixed Community School
2. Our School Philosophy
Glenamaddy Community School dedicates itself to providing a holistic education where the potential and uniqueness of each student is fostered and celebrated. With our Educational Partners we strive to create a caring environment of mutual respect, where each individual is cherished and personal, intellectual and moral maturity is nurtured. We find our inspiration in the Christian message of faith, hope and love.
3. Definition of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE)
“RSE aims to provide opportunities for young people to learn about relationships and sexuality in ways that help them think and act in a moral, caring and responsible way”. (Going Forward Together, The Department of Education and Science, 1997)
4. Relationship of RSE to Social, Personal, Health Education (SPHE)
In the school setting, RSE will be taught as part of a wider programme of SPHE to Junior Cycle students. There are no timetabled periods of SPHE at Senior Cycle level. Elements of RSE are also incorporated into the Transition Year, Pre-Leaving and Leaving Certificate Religious Education Programmes respectively and in Social Education in the Leaving Certificate applied programme.
The approach to teaching any of the SPHE topics involved the following:
o Giving students clear information
o Building up their self-esteem
o Helping them to learn to communicate
o Assisting students to make decisions and express feelings in an appropriate way
5. What the School currently provides
Our school takes a cross-curricular approach to the teaching of SPHE and RSE. All Junior Cycle classes receive one period of SPHE per week.
o Elements of both SPHE and RSE are dealt with in subjects such as Biology, Civic, Social and Political Education (CSPE), Career Guidance, Home Economics, Physical Education, Religious Education and Science syllabi
o Counselling and Chaplaincy Services, Guest Speakers (e.g. Cura representatives, Pure in Heart), Personal Development Seminars and Yearheads also focus on some issues pertaining to SPHE and RSE.
6. The aims of our RSE programme
While recognising that the parent(s)/guardian(s) are the primary educator of the child, the school aims to complement this role by formally implementing the RSE course at Junior and Senior Cycle levels.
The aims of our school with regard to teaching RSE are as follows:
o To help students to develop healthy friendships and relationships
o To promote an understanding of human sexuality
o To promote a healthy attitude to one’s one sexuality and to one’s relationships with others
o To promote knowledge of and respect for reproduction
o To enable young people to develop healthy attitudes and values towards their sexuality in a moral, spiritual and social framework.
7. Guidelines for the management and organisation of RSE in our school
Our aim for the future is to provide a whole-school approach to the development and the delivery of the RSE school programme.
The RSE committee and the SPHE co-ordinator will endeavour to achieve this goal.
Consultation with parent(s)/guardian(s)
o Our school is committed to working with parent(s)/guardian(s) and acknowledges that parents have by law, the primary responsibility for the education of their children and that the home is the natural environment in which Relationship and Sexuality Education should take place.
o Parents have the right to be fully informed about the programme and to express their views about the programme. Also, parent(s)/guardian(s) may wish to exercise the right to have their child withdrawn from RSE. In such cases, the school must be specifically notified in writing by the parent(s)/guardian(s) if they wish their child to be withdrawn from part or all RSE classes. The school Principal will endeavour to put alternative arrangements in place.
o A summary of the RSE programme (drafted by the SPHE co-ordinator) is posted to all parent(s)/guardian(s) at the beginning of each academic year. Parents/guardians are invited to provide any feedback or concerns they might have in relation to the content or delivery of the programme.
Confidentiality
It is school policy that in situations where a pupil is considered to be at risk of any type of abuse (e.g. verbal or physical) or in breach of the law, the teacher must refer this immediately to the Principal, Guidance Counsellor or the Chaplain. The Principal has the responsibility of informing the parents and/or appropriate authorities and may arrange counselling if necessary. Therefore it is important that a teacher does not promise absolute confidentiality to his/her students.
Training and resources
o The RSE programme will be based on the resource material for Relationships and Sexuality Education set out by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (N.C.C.A.) – see Appendix 1
o It is very important that teachers delivering the programme have received adequate training and support. The aim is that SPHE in-service training is made available to all teachers of SPHE.
o The SPHE co-ordinator will have the overall responsibility for the provision of teaching resources to facilitate the teaching of this programme.
9. Monitoring, evaluating and reviewing the RSE programme:
We are committed to monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of this programme. Specifically important to the RSE programme are:
(a) Pupil feedback
(b) Staff review and feedback
(c) Parental feedback
8. Homosexuality
Teachers do not promote any one lifestyle as the only acceptable one for society and therefore it is inevitable and natural that homosexuality will be discussed during the course of a sex education programme. Teachers do not avoid teaching about homosexuality, although they take care not to advocate homosexual behaviour. One of the main benefits of discussing homosexuality is that it gives the opportunity to correct falsehoods and addresses prejudice. Discussion on homosexuality should be appropriate to the age of the pupils.
9. Contraception and Abortion.
These topics will be dealt with in an age appropriate, open manner, looking at all sides of the issues in a non-directive way.
Appendix 1 – Guidelines for the management and organisation of RSE in our school
Six classes per year will be given to the implementation of RSE in the school. The following is a description of a list of topics that may be taught depending on the level of maturity of the class.
Junior Cycle Year One
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Year Two
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Year 3
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Senior Cycle
The following is a description of the topics that may be taught during Transition Year, Fifth and Sixth Year, depending on the level of maturity of the class.
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Scope: Whole School-Parents
Relationship to school mission statement:
The mission statement states:
"Glenamaddy Community School dedicates itself to providing a holistic education -where the potential and uniqueness of each student is fostered and celebrated. With our educational partners we strive to create a caring environment of mutual respect, where each individual is cherished and nurtured to a personal, intellectual and moral maturity. We find our inspiration in the Christian message of faith, hope and love."
This policy states the facilities by which Parents/Guardians, as our educational partners are involved in the education of their children. While the word "parent" is used in this document, this also includes the guardian of a student, whenever appropriate.
Rationale:
Partnership is a working relationship that is characterised by a shared sense of purpose, mutual respect and a willingness to negotiate. This implies a sharing of information, responsibility, skills and decision-making. The purpose of this policy is to clarify the lines of communication already in place and to assess areas for further development.
Goals:
- To affirm and support the role of the parents as the "primary and natural educators" of their children.
- To promote a positive relationship between parents and teachers in their respective roles as educators.
- To have two-way communication that is jargon-free and meaningful between parent/guardian and the school in relation to school programmes, practices and pupil progress.
- To state the current channels of communication between school and parent/ guardian.
- To identify areas for further development.
Policy content:
Established procedures and means of communication with parents:
- Direct contact through Parent-Teacher meetings and notes in School Journal are the primary forms of communication.
- Discipline/academic communication takes place through Year Heads, Deputy Principal and Principal.
- Further contacts, where there are particular concerns, is generally through the Year Head, who may refer to other personnel e.g. Chaplain, GUIDANCE Counsellor, LS/SEN Co-ordinator, subject teacher, Principal or Deputy Principal.
- Areas of particular responsibility for Pastoral care that provide parents with additional support: Home School Community Liaison, Chaplain, Guidance Councillor and Learning support team.
- By appointment where it is deemed necessary by school management or parents
Roles and Responsibilities:
- The school has an open policy to all parents' involvement in the education of their children.
- The school engages in policy formation in consultation with parents.
- The school supports the development of parents as educators through the provision of classes/courses e.g. parenting courses or those requested by parents.
- The school provides support to parents in the role of primary educators such as advice on the learning practices which can be carried out in the home, the provision of facilities such as homework club, input from Educational Psychologists and other support units.
- The school works in partnership with parents in the development of Individual Educational Plan (lEP's) for students with special needs or learning disabilities.
- Parents: Parents' Association provides a voice for parents. It assists in including parents in meaningful school decisions as well as encouraging parental leadership on important school issues.
Evaluation:
To respond to changing needs and circumstances, this policy is open to review and evaluation on an on-going basis.