Admissions, Equality & Behaviour

Admissions

If your child is due to start primary school in September 2024 you can appeal if you are refused a place at one of your preferred schools on National Offer Day – Tuesday 16th April 2024

You must submit your appeal before Tuesday 14th May 2024 for it to be considered by Tuesday 16th July 2024. Any appeals received after this time will be heard within 40 school days from the deadline, or where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education.

For late applications, appeals should be heard within 40 school days from the deadline for lodging appeals where possible, or within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education.

For more information Appeal a school offer – Kent County Council

The latest Admissions Policy can be found on the ACE Learning Documents & Policies website:

The school Admissions Policy is based on criteria set by the Kent County Education department.

More information can be found here on the Kent County Council Primary School Places website:

Primary school places – Kent County Council

Mid Year Admissions

Occasionally we have places available in other year groups, please contact the Academy Office for an Admission Application Form for further details. The chance of children joining the school partway up depends entirely on vacancies occurring if other children move. In the event of competition for such places, the procedures set out in the Admissions Policy. If a class group is full then applicants will be informed and placed on a waiting list until an appropriate space becomes available.

Foundation Stage Admissions

Kent schools no longer issue Foundation places, places are offered directly from the Admissions Department. Places are given on proximity to the school.  Children reach compulsory school age at the start of the term after their fifth birthday. At Hamstreet Primary Academy we admit children one or two terms before compulsory school age. We have one intake in September with the younger children attending school part-time for a short period of time (usually 2 weeks). Places are allocated according to the authority’s published criteria, which are, in priority order, parental wishes, denominational preference (for Church Controlled Schools), current family association, health reasons and nearness of the child’s home.

Kent Admissions application period opens in November and closes in January of each year – keep an eye on the website ‘Message Board’ to draw your attention to the specific dates. Individual schools are not able to influence admissions decisions, should you require further information or assistance please telephone 03000 41 21 21 for the Online Admissions Team or email kentonlineadmissions@kent.gov.uk.

On “offer day,” you will receive an email at the address you provided, informing you of the school you have been offered. You will also receive a confirmation letter posted first class on the same day of notification.


Equality

In all aspects of our academy life we are committed to actively promote equality of opportunity in our daily practice for every person regardless of age, culture, race, religion, gender, disability or family background has, in all dealings with others, the right to be recognised and treated on their individual merits without prejudice.

Equal Opportunities

For additional information specific to race, incidents and disability policies please visit the ACE Learning Documents & Policies website:

Ethos

We aim to ensure that every child and adult in the academy is given an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential. In addition, each individual is entitled to learn, teach or work in a supportive environment and benefit from the diversity of our academy community.

To meet these aims we are committed to:

  • Ensuring that positive attitudes to equality, diversity and special needs are actively promoted.
  • The display of children’s work, the use of books and artefacts should all present positive images.
  • Ensuring attitudes towards equality are proactive rather than reactive.
  • Care being taken in the use of language in order to encourage respect and the use of correct terminology.
  • Dealing with unacceptable attitudes and behaviour immediately (Behaviour policy).
  • Equal opportunity being addressed when whole academy issues are decided.
  • Ensuring children feeling confident in the knowledge they can express their concerns if they feel discriminated against.

The academy values diversity amongst the staff. In all staff appointments, the most suitable candidate will be appointed on professional criteria and recruitment carried out in a manner consistent with equal opportunity practice.

Disability Act

At ACE Academy, we believe that diversity is a strength, which should be respected and celebrated by all those who learn, teach and visit here. We are committed to ensuring equality of education and opportunity for disabled pupils, staff and all those receiving services from the academy.

Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act 2010 aims to protect disabled people and prevent disability discrimination. It provides legal rights for disabled people in the areas of:

  • Employment
  • Education
  • Access to goods, services and facilities including larger private clubs and land based transport services
  • Buying and renting of land or property
  • Functions of public bodies, for example the issuing of licences

The Equality Act also provides rights for people not to be directly discriminated against or harassed because they have an association with a disabled person. This can apply to a carer or parent of a disabled person. In addition, people must not be directly discriminated against or harassed because they are wrongly perceived to be disabled. More information about the Equality Act and how you can obtain copies of the Act, can be found on the Government Equalities Office website.

In the Act a person has a disability if:

  • They have a physical or mental impairment.
  • The impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to perform normal day to day activities

Monitoring

At ACE Academy we are aware that to meet the Disability Equality Duty, it is essential that aspects of academy life are monitored to identify whether there is an adverse impact on children and young people with disabilities. The following should be monitored:

  • Achievement of pupils by disability
  • Disabled staff (including numbers, type of disability and satisfaction rates in staff surveys etc.)

Making things happen

In order to ensure that action is taken to meet the Disability Equality Duty, ACE Academy has drawn up an action plan to make things happen, which outlines how the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 will be met.


Behaviour

The latest Behaviour Policy can be found on the ACE Learning Documents & Policies website:

Good, sensible, quiet and well mannered behaviour is to be encouraged and expected at all times.

In keeping with our stated aims we expect every member of the Academy community to show courtesy, care and consideration for each other. Discipline will be firm but fair with expectations for conduct based on the safety and well being of all members of the Academy. Our intention is to provide an environment that will help children develop a sense of value, self-discipline and mutual respect. Strong emphasis is based on good behaviour and the development of responsibility – responsibility to themselves, to each other, to their family and to the academy. Discipline is enforced in such a manner as to encourage an acceptable level of behaviour and attitude at all ages.

Principles:

Every child has the right to learn but no child has the right to disrupt the learning of others. The establishment of a sound, positive and caring ethos is an essential prerequisite for learning. It depends upon trusting relationships and a process of co-operative team work and the academy welcomes and encourages the involvement of the directors, governors, parents and carers and others in the community.

Adults on Academy Site:

The Academy expects high standards of pupil behaviour and respect towards others. In order that this is modelled for children we expect all adults, including staff, parents and visitors to behave as positive role models. To achieve this we ask all people on site to behave respectfully and politely towards others. Adults demonstrating physical or verbal aggression will be asked to leave the premises. The Academy reserve the right to ban entry to the premises any person who persistently behaves in this way.

Liaison with Parents:

Parents will be kept informed about their child’s behaviour. If it appears that this has to be monitored on a regular basis a ‘home/school contact’ book may be started. The book is written in by the teacher or teaching assistant at the end of each day and sent home. The parent writes in it each evening and returns the book to school. This can be an onerous task for the class teacher and it may be that when the behaviour improves the contact book can be reduced to a weekly contribution. A ‘good behaviour’ book is also effective. The teacher only records the good things that the child has done or achieved that day and makes no comments about the bad things. Parents are encouraged to talk to their child’s class teacher if they have any worries.

Upon discussion and with parental/carer agreement teachers can call on a strong support network of in-school Learning Mentors and SENCO to reinforce pupils wellbeing, which may include advice of outside agencies where appropriate.

Children with identifiable behavioural problems, and therefore acknowledged special needs, will be supported by additional staff. Support staff members will work closely with the Class Teacher, SENCO, and parents in encouraging acceptable behaviour using all the appropriate strategies. They are therefore beyond the traffic light system and discipline will be handled appropriate to the child’s needs, IEP and Behaviour Plan.

Children who experience behavioural or other problems and who are not subject to additional support may well benefit from the use of a home school book so that all involved are able to work together in an attempt to modify the child’s behaviour. Extreme behaviour will be dealt with appropriately outside of the traffic light system.

Exclusion:

Parents will be notified of the reason for the exclusion. Before the child is re-admitted to the academy, a meeting between the parents and the academy will be arranged. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss strategies and a way forward to ensure that the risk of a repetition of the offending behaviour patterns is not repeated. A written record of the discussion, and commitments to the agreed plan, by both the parents and the academy, will be made. One copy will be kept in the academy’s record and one sent to the parent.

Monitoring:

Every 12 months the effects of the Behaviour Policy is evaluated through consultation with all the parties involved, i.e. children, parents, staff and governors. Agreed changes to this policy will then be incorporated as necessary.

Anti-Bullying Policy

Bullying both verbal and physical will not be tolerated. It is everyone’s responsibility to prevent it happening and this policy contains guidelines for all members of the Hamstreet community; you can download the policy from the ACE Learning Documents & Policies website. At Hamstreet children have a right to feel welcome, safe and happy. We will not tolerate any unkind actions or remarks even if these were not intended to hurt. Bullying is deliberately hurtful behaviour that is repeated often over a period of time, making it difficult for the person concerned to defend themselves. Bullying can take many forms.

The 3 main types are:-

  • physical – hitting, kicking, taking belongings
  • verbal – name calling, insulting or racist remarks
  • indirect – spreading unpleasant stories about someone, excluding someone from social groups

Resolving conflict by resorting to fighting is not acceptable, it is not bullying if two pupils of equal power and strength fight or quarrel. We do not condone bullying at Hamstreet but we must be sure it is deliberate upset or hurt. Children need to be made aware of the consequences of their words and actions. Friendships do break up; children do have arguments and disagreements from time to time. Children do make up.

If you are concerned about bullying it is important you inform your child’s class teacher at the earliest possible opportunity. If this does not solve the issue please speak to your child’s Key Stage Leader. If your concerns continue further please make an appointment with the Principal or Vice Principal.