Homework Policy
Effective homework has positive and beneficial effects in reinforcing and facilitating learning, stimulating thinking, encouraging active independent learning, as well as developing and fostering a closer relationship between learning in school and at home. Parents can support the school in regard to homework assignments by assisting in the following:
Code of Behaviour
This policy was drawn up in consultation with all the school partners, including Board of Management, staff, parents and students and relates to all school activities both during and outside of normal school hours. In it we visualize the school as part of a living society.
Its principles stem from the mission statement of the Loreto Order, which highlights the importance of school life in developing the ability to be a caring, trusted member of society: “Each student is challenged to realise her full potential and to recognise the dignity of each human being”.
Mary Ward believed in an integrated community of mutual respect. She urged its members to “be seekers of peace and doers of justice” aiming for the goals of “freedom, justice, sincerity and joy” through courtesy and co-operation.
Dignity in the Workplace
The Board of Management of Loreto College St. Stephen’s Green, recognizes that all staff members have the right to a workplace free from bullying and sexual harassment and is fully committed to ensuring that every staff member will enjoy that right. Each and every member of the school community has a duty to uphold the right of every individual in the school to work in an environment that is free from bullying or harassment of any kind.
Child Protection Policy
The Board of Management recognises that child protection and welfare considerations permeate all aspects of school life and must be reflected in all of the school’s policies, practices and activities. Accordingly, in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Education and Skills’ Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools, the Board of Management of Loreto College, St Stephen’s Green has agreed the following child protection policy.
The Board of Management has adopted and will implement fully and without modification the Department of Educations and Skills’ Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools as part of this overall child protection policy.
Suspension & Exclusion
This policy relates to sanctions that the school management may adopt when dealing with serious breaches of the Code of Behaviour.
This policy was drawn up in consultation with all the school partners – the Board of Management, teaching staff, parents and students.
This policy has been developed in line with the mission of our Trustees, the Loreto Education Trust, whose ethos and philosophy has at its core the care and wellbeing of every student and the provision of a safe and secure learning environment for all members of the school community.
Admissions Policy
The Board of Management of Loreto College, St. Stephens Green (“the College”) is setting out its Enrolment Policy in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act, 1998, Section 15 (2)(d) to assist Parents / Guardians in relation to enrolment in the College. The Principal and the College Secretary will be happy to clarify any further matters arising from the policy.
The Principal with the assistance of the Secretary is responsible for the admissions process. Normally they will deal with any queries and will organise the process as described below.
Special Education Needs Policy
This policy is drawn up in the context of The Education Act (1998) and takes cognisance of The Equal Status Act (2000), The Equality Act (2004), The Education Welfare Act (2000), The Data Protection Acts (1988, 1998 and 2003) and, despite its non-ratification by law, many of the recommendations of the EPSEN Act (2004). One further publication has informed the content of this policy- “Inclusion of Students with Special Educational Needs-Post Primary Guidelines (Department of Education & Science (DES) Inspectorate: 2007).
Its principles stem from the Mission statement of the Loreto Order which highlights the fact that “all students are cherished equally, in a spirit of inclusiveness and respect”1 and that “excellence appropriate to each student is aspired to and encouraged”2. The Board of Management is charged with a special responsibility by the Loreto Education Trust to “ensure an appropriate education for each student”3. The school’s own mission statement emphasises the fact that “each student is challenged to realise her full potential”.
Religious Education Policy
“Loreto Stephen’s Green is a Catholic Voluntary Secondary School in the Loreto tradition. As a Catholic school, the person of Jesus Christ is at the heart of our community and Gospel values permeate the whole school experience as reflected in our mission statement”
1. The distinctive philosophy of Loreto Stephen‟s Green emerges from the vision and insight of Mary Ward. “Mary Ward‟s core values of justice, freedom, sincerity, truth and joy are central to the spirituality of the school”.
2 Education in this school is a holistic and person-centred endeavour. Priority is given to the integration of the spiritual, physical, intellectual, moral and emotional development of the individual student. Religious Education is regarded as central to this philosophy.
Anti-Bullying Policy
This policy has been developed by the Board of Management of Loreto College St Stephen’s Green in co-operation with the school staff, both teaching and non teaching, and in consultation with the parents and students. It is informed by:
Guidelines on Countering Bullying Behaviour, 1993,
CircularM33/91: Guidelines towards a positive policy for school behaviour and discipline,
The Education Act, 1998
The Education (Welfare) Act, 2000
The Equal Status Act, 2000/2004
This policy replaces the previous Anti-Bullying policy. It reflects changes in legislation and school needs and also recognises the school’s engagement with the ‘Cool School’ anti bullying programme.
By involving all members of the school community in the process of agreement on what is meant by bullying and the resultant development of school-based strategies for preventing or dealing with it, is hoped to increase awareness of the problem.
Mobile Phone Policy
Standard non camera mobile phones
Students may take non camera mobile phones to school provided they observe the following conditions:
Phones must be powered off during the school day. A student may use the office phone if she wishes to contact home urgently at any time.
A student who wishes to go home for any reason during the school day, must arrange to do so through Reception and not independently by mobile phone. This ensures that correct procedures for leaving school before the ending of classes for that day are observed.
Literacy Strategy
The Board of Management of Loreto College St. Stephen’s Green is committed to providing the very best educational opportunities for each student in its care. The fostering of autonomous learning, independent thinking, an ability to research and a love of words is central to what we do at the College and there is widespread acknowledgement that each of these skills can only flourish in a learning environment where literacy is developed and embraced as a lifelong asset.
School Tour Policy
School trips/outings are an integral part of school life. They enhance classroom learning and add to the personal and social development of the student.
SPHE/RSE Policy
The Board of Management of Loreto College St. Stephen’s Green is committed to providing the very best educational opportunities for each student in its care. We are committed to the holistic development of the person, and recognise the richness of the relationship between the individual and her local, national and global community. We hope to encourage the development of the spiritual, intellectual, physical, moral and emotional aspects of each individual student.
Data Protection Policy
The characteristic spirit of Loreto College St. Stephen’s Green has at its core a desire to promote and protect the dignity of every member of its community, students, staff and parents. This includes respect for the protection of data stored at the school and for the right of access to this data. This policy is informed by these aspirations and also the Data Protection Acts of 1988 and 2003. The policy applies to all school staff, the Board of Management, parents/guardians, students, (including prospective students) and their parents/guardians andapplicants for positions within the school.
Complaints Procedure
PURPOSE OF COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
(a) To provide a fair, consistent and equitable mechanism for processing complaints by parents/guardians or students (who have reached the age of 18 years) against teachers.
(b) To do so in a manner that affords all concerned full rights in accordance with natural justice.
(c) To outline the procedures which should be followed by all – employer, employees and their representatives – in the event of complaints being made against teachers.
Critical Incident Management Policy
Loreto College St. Stephen’s Green aims to protect the well-being of its students and staff by providing a safe and nurturing environment at all times. This policy outlines the procedures to be taken in the event of a critical incident. For the purpose of this policy a critical incident is defined as “an incident or sequence of events that overwhelm the normal coping mechanism of the school” (Responding to Critical Incidents-A Guideline for Schools: NEPS 2007)
This could include:
The death of a member of the school community
A serious accident involving a member of the school community
A traumatic event involving the school
A serious accident or tragedy in the wider community
The aim of the policy is to help the school community to react quickly and efficiently and to ensure that appropriate support is offered to students and staff. In the event of a critical incident occurring, the Critical Incident Team is convened to plan and implement an appropriate response.
Protected Disclosures Policy
Loreto College (the “School”) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of openness, honesty and accountability. Fundamental to this commitment is the provision of a mechanism whereby workers can make disclosures regarding a relevant wrongdoing that has come to their attention through work.
A core aim of this Policy is to encourage and enable a worker in disclosing information which comes to the worker’s attention in connection with his/her employment which the worker reasonably believes tends to show one or more relevant wrongdoings. This Policy will allow workers to make disclosures without fear of penalisation or threat of less favourable treatment, discrimination or disadvantage.