POLICIES

Safeguarding and Health & Safety Policies

Health & Safety

This policy represents the agreed principles of Health and Safety throughout the Madrasah. All Madrasah staff have agreed to this policy.

The Health, Safety and Welfare of all individuals who are in employment or learn at the ‘Madrasah’ are of fundamental importance. We aim to provide a safe, secure and pleasant learning/working environment for everyone.

Aims

The Madrasah will ensure that:

Every effort will be made that all children will be supervised by a regulated adult.
A register of both teachers and pupils is completed on arrival so that a complete record of all those who are present is available in an emergency.
Children are not permitted access to kitchens, cookers or any cupboards storing hazardous materials.
Safety checks on premises both inside and outside are made regularly
Equipment is checked regularly and any dangerous items are repaired or discarded.
The layout and space allow children and adults to move safely and freely
Clear procedures are applied and maintained in the event of injury and for the reporting of accidents and hazards.

Child Protection Policy Statement

We believe that all the children in our Madrasah have the right to:

Grow up in a safe, secure and loving environment.
Be protected from all kinds of harm, neglect, abuse and exploitation.
Be listened to and heard.
Grow up having their culture, background and experience valued and respected, to be considered as individuals with particular needs, and to be given opportunities to reach their full potential.

We believe that it is the responsibility of all adults in our Madrasah to:

ensure that children are protected
provide a safe, secure and loving environment
provide support, encouragement and stimulation to enable each child to reach his/her full potential

To ensure that children are protected at all times when in our care, we will ensure that all adults working with children or accompanying them will be interviewed, reference checked and DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) cleared.

All staff are aware of the children’s safeguarding policy. Training will take place every year to uphold this.

Child Protection Policy Outline

It is the responsibility of all staff to ensure that all activities are safe. Similarly, staff will always be vigilant for hazards concerning equipment or activities. If a member of staff has any concerns about the children’s safety, they will bring them to the attention of management.

We do not take any child off the Madrasah site without the prior permission of the parent.
If an accident does happen, and it results in an injury to a child, the staff will do all they can to aid the child concerned. The first aid boxes are kept in the Madrasah office/2nd floor Hall as well as the kitchen.
Should any incident consisting of an injury to a child occur during Madrasah hours, a member of staff who has been first aid trained will be called to assist. If necessary, emergency assistance will be summoned.
Should a child be seriously hurt, parents will be contacted through the emergency telephone numbers that are kept on either our internal information system or on file as a hard copy. We update and check these numbers annually, but it is essential that parents inform us when contact details change.

It is the responsibility of all parents to ensure the safety of their child(ren) outside of the Madrasah hours relevant to the class, Madrasah doors will open 5 minutes prior to the beginning time. It is the parent’s responsibility to watch over children whilst waiting for the madrasah to open. All parents must drop off and collect their children at these allocated times. It does not fall within the remit of the Madrasah to oversee the children outside of these times and the Madrasah will not be held liable for any occurrences such as an accident or injury to the child. In the instance parents are late then the child will need to be picked up from inside the building.

Student Update Forms

All parents/guardians are strongly advised to notify the Madrasah in writing or on the online portal of any changes to their personal circumstances or their contact details. At the beginning of each academic year, all parents/guardians will be asked to complete student update forms via the portal. This allows the Madrasah to hold emergency contact details of all parents/guardians should the need arise in an emergency.

Car Parking

Due to the location of the building, car parking is a huge concern at the Madrasah as it is a hazard for those who use the Madrasah. It is also a hazard and inconvenience for neighbours who live within the vicinity of the Madrasah.

Drivers parking cars adjacent to the Madrasah, near it or dropping or collecting pupils at the Madrasah should at all times have consideration for the safety of pedestrians, other road users and the immediate community.
At no time should the Madrasah entrance be obstructed.

Parents are strongly emphasised to bear the following in mind:

Care of our neighbours
Traffic rules pertaining to the areas outside the Madrasah/road markings near the Madrasah should be adhered to at all times, in particular the double yellow lines outside the entrance.
Parents should only park on the designated disability parking areas with a valid disabled badge.
To avoid dropping pupils off in the middle of the road while driving, in order to keep the traffic flow moving.
If parents/guardians who park cars incorrectly or stop in the middle of the road are fined by local authorities then the Madrasah will not be held liable.
The Head Teacher/Teachers and members of the Madrasah Committee are responsible for marshalling the traffic and they may request parents to kindly relocate their vehicles. Please do not take any offence at this.

Parents/guardians who do not adhere to the above will be spoken to by the head teacher and parents/guardians who persistently violate this instruction will be asked to explain their actions and as a last resort their respective child will be ejected from the Madrasah.

Anti Bullying Policy

Objectives

To outline the Madrasah’s position with regard to the prevention of and response to incidents of bullying.

We define BULLYING as behaviour which is deliberately hurtful: physically or verbally repeated over a period of time, making it difficult for those being bullied to defend themselves.

We recognise that Bullying can take many forms, mainly:

Physical – hitting, kicking, taking belongings etc.
Verbal – name-calling, insulting, threatening, nasty remarks.
Indirect – spreading stories about someone, excluding them from social groups.

We are aware of the effects that bullying can have on children’s emotional, physical and psychological health as well as on their learning. We view bullying as very serious and act in accordance to our behaviour policy.

The Health and Welfare of Staff

The Madrasah takes the need to safeguard the health and welfare of all our staff very seriously. We also pay particular attention to the assessment and prevention of work-related stress, thus complying with Health and Safety laws. If a member of staff is experiencing stress at work, directed by staff or parents, he/she should inform the management without delay.
The Madrasah will not tolerate violence, threatening behaviour or abuse directed against any member of staff/volunteer. If any of the above does occur, a fact-finding investigation will take place by the Head Teacher, if the investigation reveals a parent is found to have contravened this regulation it will have serious implications and will affect your child’s place in the Madrasah.
The Madrasah carries out regular risk assessments, with the object of keeping the Madrasah environment safe.

All staff are responsible for implementing the Madrasah’s health, safety and welfare policy on a day-to-day basis, and ensuring that all staff are aware of the specific sections of the policy as it applies to them.

Staff consuming medication which they believe may affect their ability to care for children should seek medical advice and only work directly with children if that advice is that the medication is unlikely to impair them to look after children.
If members of staff are consuming such medications, they are required to inform the Head Teacher prior to their duty.
Staff must not be under the influence of any substance which may affect their ability to care for children.

Risk Assessment

Risk assessment is a way of measuring the hazards posed to staff, pupils and visitors to the Madrasah, ensuring all the above are able to work in safety.

In determining whether a hazard poses a high, medium or low risk, the assessor will need to take into account a number of factors:

The nature of the activity being undertaken. Some activities are inherently more hazardous than others.
The nature of the people undertaking the activity. An activity perfectly safe for an adult might be unacceptably hazardous for a young pupil.
The worst result that the hazard could cause. Is it a broken toe, someone suffering from long-term illness, or even someone killed?
The frequency with which the hazard is likely to cause harm. How often does the activity take place? How close do people get to it? How likely is it that something will go wrong?
The number of people who could be affected by the hazard. A loose floor tile in a storage cupboard might be considered a fairly low risk; a loose tile on a busy corridor would be a high risk.
In an ideal situation, the risk assessor should be a qualified person. However if there is no qualified person available (expertise could be bought in), then the Head Teacher/Madrasah Committee should carry out a risk assessment each term.
Risk assessments will take place on a quarterly basis by the Trustees and will be documented in our files.
Evaluate risks and control measures – check that existing control measures are adequate to control the risks. If not new control measures must be introduced.
Ensure all findings are recorded. The identification of hazards and people at risk, the assessment of that risk and the introduction of control measures must all be properly documented.
Review assessments – assessments must be reviewed annually and whenever there is a significant change in the working environment.

Accidents

Recording of accidents:

All accidents will be recorded in the Incident Log on our internal system. All details must be compiled in the relevant sections, including details of any treatment given.
If the accident is more serious, the aim of the Madrasah is to get the child qualified medical attention as quickly as possible.
Parents are informed immediately, and if necessary, an ambulance is sent.

Evacuation Procedures

The Madrasah has set procedures in case of an emergency within the building, such as a fire or bomb alert when the building needs to be evacuated.
These drills are carried out at least once per term.
All staff and pupils must be familiar with these procedures, and know their own exit route, place of assembly and roll call procedure.
The place of assembly for all staff and teachers is currently the car park of Durban Court, located at the end of Hilda Road.
The fire alarm is also tested on a designated day once a week to ensure it is fully operational.

Exit Procedure in the Event of an Emergency

Each individual teacher is responsible for evacuating his/her class in the safest way possible and carrying out the registration.
Designated Fire marshals will be assisting with the evacuation.
Nobody is to re-enter the Madrasah.
If a pupil is missing, it must be reported immediately to the Head Teacher
When the building is reported to be safe and the Head Teacher authorises it, staff and pupils may return to the building.
Staff should ensure their pupils walk in and out of Madrasah sensibly, and line up quietly.
If their normal exit is blocked for any reason, then staff and pupils should use the nearest available exit.

Bomb Alerts

In the event of a suspected bomb alert, the Head Teacher/Managementmust:

Ring the fire alarm to activate the evacuation of the premises of all adults and pupils (see fire drill procedure)
Phone 999 for the fire brigade and police.
Check that the evacuation procedure has been followed.
Remain at the front of the Madrasah to meet the fire brigade/police and direct them to the incident.
Ensure that all pupils and adults proceed to the assembly point(currently the car park of Durban Court, located at the end of Hilda Road).
Only when the all clear has been given will pupils and adults be allowed to re-enter the premises.

Smoking Policy

The Madrasah has a strict no-smoking policy in place and this also applies to the use of E-cigarettes or similar smoking appliances. No parent, student, staff or visitor is allowed to smoke indoors or within the Madrasah premises. For students, this may result in a permanent sanction.

Madrasah Security and Cleanliness

The classrooms and reception areas of the building are monitored by CCTV and reviewed as and when required by the Trustees only due to Data Protection Laws.
Parents are welcome in the Madrasah for official purposes only but must report to the office first. Parents are strictly prohibited from entering classrooms/speak to students and teachers without permission from the Head Teacher.
If you wish to speak to the Head Teacher then please make an appointment by telephone or in person.
The Trustees, the caretaker or a responsible person are the designated key holders and are responsible for the security of the building.
Upon conclusion of the Madrasah, it is the responsibility of the class teacher to make sure that their classroom is neat and tidy as well as secure i.e. all stationary and educational material is stored away safely, the windows closed and equipment switched off before leaving the premises.
All benches should be stored away neatly each Thursday evening due to Jumma prayers the next day. This should also be done each night in the holy month of Ramadhan and the nights preceding the two Eids.

On a daily basis upon conclusion of the Madrasah and once the students have vacated the Madrasah it is the responsibility of the caretaker or responsible person to check if:

Each floor and room are empty, ensuring all the windows are closed when all students and staff have vacated the premises.
The doors are locked and secure when all students and staff have vacated the premises.

Stranger awareness

Staff must constantly be alert to any strangers on the premises. We will not open the door to anyone who is unknown to us and will NEVER knowingly release a child to anybody other than the parent/guardian during Madrasah hours unless authorised by parents.
Children’s names and identities are protected at all times and staff will not disclose information about any child attending the Madrasah to any person other than those immediately responsible for the child.
Parents have a responsibility to inform staff if anyone other than themselves is collecting their child for whatever reason. If we are unsure at any time, parents will be contacted to confirm the identity of any person.

Important Guidelines

Mobile phones are prohibited in the Madrasah. If required by a student for emergency communication purposes they are to be switched off before entering the Madrasah, if a student is found using a mobile phone in the Madrasah, it will be confiscated by the teacher and handed into the office and only returned to the parent/guardian.

Photography or recording of any audio or videos is strictly prohibited in the Madrasah using mobile phones or smartwatches.

Possession of valuable items such as costly footwear, gold or silver jewellery, expensive watches, electronic games, or any other device is strictly prohibited in the Madrasah. The Madrasah cannot take responsibility for any lost items.

If such items are found in the possession of a child, they will be confiscated for security and safety reasons and handed into the office, thereafter they will only be returned to the Parent/Guardian. If pupils persist with any of the above the items will not be returned until the end of the year.

Smartwatches are also not allowed, if brought in by mistake, they must be handed into the office, if discovered on a student; they will also be confiscated by the teacher and handed into the office.
Any dangerous items such as pen knives, knives, cigarettes, matches, and cigarette lighters found in the child’s possession will be confiscated by the teacher and not returned.

Magazines, fictional/non-fictional books that would be classified as un-Islamic are prohibited

No food or drink (including flavoured water and chewing gum) is permitted in madrasah. If any such item is found, it will be taken away and the child will face consequences such as disciplinary procedures. Children will be allowed to bring water bottles from home. However, they should avoid constantly taking out their bottles in class and they will not be allowed to refill their water bottles in the Masjid.

For investigational and operational purposes the Madrasah reserves the right to check the student’s bags, and coats without any prior warning.
Toilet Breaks: Please ensure that your child has visited the toilet, performed wudhu prior to attending the Madrasah in order to avoid disrupting lessons and unnecessary wastage of Madrasah time. Please notify the class Teacher if your child has toileting/medical issues.

Late Pickup: If for some unavoidable reason you are unable to arrive on time to collect your child after Madrasah, please inform the Madrasah as early as possible so we can try and make arrangements for the supervision of your child.

In case of emergency, please ensure that your children are sufficiently trained to inform their teachers that no one is here to collect them.

Vomiting/wetting/soiling themselves: If a child vomits or soils his/herself we will call for the child’s parents to deal with the cleaning and changing of clothes and the carpet area etc. (staff will not be obliged to carry this out).

Markaz Ud Dawat Wal Irshad