These policies are designed to support you in the work you do and recognize our commitment as a company to following DfES guidelines when delivering a quality service to both supply staff and schools.

1. Code of conduct

 During assignments with Elite Teaching Personnel please remember to:

• Dress smartly
• Arrive in school by the appointed time and on your first day early enough to be properly briefed
• Let us know if you cannot go into school or will be late
• Be familiar with schools policies, particularly for discipline and rewards.  New members of staff are often tested out by students: knowing the schools policies will increase confidence in dealing with this
• Mark all work at the end of the day and leave a report for the teacher (form provided by EliteTeaching Personnel).
• Be prepared with your own resources in case no work is set
• Report any incidents to the class teacher as well as inform us.
• Always make sure your time sheet is completed at the end of your assignment.

 Please be aware that for long-term contracts you will be required to:

•  Set your own work based on the schools programme of study
• Mark any work set in accordance with schools policies
• Set and mark homework
• Attend relevant out-of-school meetings e.g. staff, key stages, year group meetings and parents evenings

Whilst long-term assignments provide a guarantee and regularity they do require slightly more work. It is down to you as an individual to decide if long term assignments, are for you.

 2. Child Protection: Guidelines for teachers and support staff

 Elite Teaching Personnel fully recognizes its responsibility in preventing unsuitable people from working with children in accordance with DfES guidelines 10/95, 11/95 and the protection of children act 1999.

 Circular 10/95 sets out the responsibilities of LEAs, schools and teachers in protecting children from abuse and neglect.

The key points for the individual teachers are that:

•  The schools must have child protection policies in place and a designated person to liaise with statutory agencies.
• The policy must include procedures for handling suspected cases of abuse of pupils, including procedure to be followed should a member of staff be accused of abuse.
• You should know the designated person, be familiar with the procedures and be alert to any signs of potential abuse
• You must not investigate cases of alleged or suspected abuse but are bound to pass the concerns on to the designated person.
• You must never guarantee confidentiality to a pupil - if a pupil seeks to confide in you, then you must tell them sensitively that you cannot compromise secrecy, but that only those who need to know would be told, and that everything will be done to help them.
• It is widely recognized as good practice that a teacher should avoid being alone with a pupil in confided and secluded areas.
• We operate (within reason) a non-contact policy.

 3. Disciplinary Procedure

 Elite Teaching Personnel engage supply staff under contracts for services and not contracts of employment.  As such we do not operate a documented formal disciplinary procedure for supply staff.

However we do follow up all assignments for feedback and will report back to you all comments both good and bad.  Where we receive negative feedback, we will seek to work with all teachers to improve performance via support mechanisms and agreeing attendance at relevant training sessions.

 Where we receive more than two separate complaints about the same element of an individual's performance/behavior then all circumstances surrounding the placement will be reviewed.

 If a person is not willing to work with us to address issues raised then in some circumstances, under the terms of registration, we would be unable to offer further work.

 All such decisions would be confirmed in writing with the temporary worker.

 4. Care and Safety of Pupils    

 The Health and safety at Work Act, 1974, treats schools in the same way as other places of work.  As employers, the LEA or the governing body are legally responsible for securing the health and safety of both employees and non employees.  The head teacher is normally charged with its implementation, but schools do have a designated Health and Safety Office.  As a teacher, as with any other employee, you have a responsibility to be aware of the safety procedures and to draw attention to any shortcomings in safety arrangements of facilities.  You should, for example, be clear about the school's policy on such matters as:

• The identity of the Health and Safety Officer
• The fire drill and other emergency procedures
• Medical facilities
• Reporting and recording accidents
• PE equipment
• Health and safety routines
• Equipment and hazardous substances in specialist areas, such as science and design and technology
• School security
• Intruders
• Abusive and threatening visitors
• School visits

Although the LEA or governing body, as employers, have formal legal responsibility for health and safety, head teachers and teachers have a general duty of care toward pupils.  The notion of' acting as any reasonably  prudent parent would be in the same circumstances' has long been upheld in English courts as the duty of teachers deemed to be acting in loco parentis.  Case law has created precedents for judging most imaginable circumstances.

Teachers have to ensure that pupils are healthy and safe on school premises and during teacher-led activities off school premises, such as educational visits, schools outing of field trips.  Accidents, including serious ones, can happen, but the duty of care demands that you take steps to prevent what might reasonably be foreseen.  You should always assess the risks of an activity for pupils, considering such factors as their age; known health problems, skills and the level of supervision available.

For many activities, which carry some obvious risk, such as swimming, outdoor activities or the use of sharp tools, schools and LEAs should have explicit guidelines.  You should adhere to these, both for safety of pupils and for your own protection.  If you are in any doubt as to the safety of an activity, you should err on the side of caution and seek appropriate advice.  You might also note that one of the OFSTED inspections points for observing lessons is whether the teacher ‘ensures health and safety, care and protection of all pupils'.

5. Pay and Benefits

Daily Rates: A rate of pay per day worked will be agreed between yourself and your consultant. Additionally some clients request staff on a half daily basis therefore rates of pay for both morning and afternoon sessions will be agreed. Holiday pay accrues from the date you start working and is equivalent to 28 days per annum.

Pension entitlement: as an Independent company we are not eligible to make contributions on your behalf into Teachers Pensions.  We do not have a facility to offer pensionable work therefore all assignments offered to you will not be subject to deductions for a pension scheme. However if you are interested in setting up a stake holder pension, we work with an independent FSA that can advise.

Threshold Payments: Schools are unable to claim from the government threshold payments made to teachers that are recruited via a private sector agency.  However whilst all supply work to be done via an agency cannot be paid at threshold levels, we will endeavour to negotiate the best rates available for you when working in schools via Elite Teaching Personnel.

Please remember at all times to return timesheets.  All time sheets must be in no later than Monday following the week worked in order for pay to be processed and reach your account by Friday.