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Overview

The Pixel Gang strives to employ staff who behave in a professional manner at all times, safeguarding the learners in their care. This policy lays out the behaviour expected of our staff at all times.

Pixel Gang teachers are role models, are in a unique position of influence, and must adhere to behaviour that sets a good example to all their learners during teaching sessions or outside working hours.

Setting an Example

All staff set examples of behaviour and conduct which can be copied by students. Staff must therefore avoid using inappropriate or offensive language at all times. All staff must, therefore, demonstrate high standards of conduct in order to encourage our students to do the same. All staff must also avoid putting themselves at risk of allegations of abusive or unprofessional conduct.

This Code helps all staff to understand what behaviour is and is not acceptable, regard should also be given to the disciplinary rules set out in the Schools’

Safeguarding students

Staff have a duty to safeguard students from physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. The duty to safeguard students includes the duty to report concerns about a pupil/student or colleague to the Safeguarding Officer Matt Ottewill.

• Staff are provided with personal copies of the Pixel Gang’s Quality assurance (including Safeguarding) policies and are expected to be familiar with them.
• Staff should treat children with respect and dignity and must not seriously demean or undermine pupils, their parents or carers, or colleagues.
• Staff should not demonstrate behaviours that may be perceived as sarcasm, making jokes at the expense of students, embarrassing or humiliating students, discriminating against or favouring students.
• Staff must take reasonable care of students under their supervision with the aim of ensuring their safety and welfare.
  

Relationships with students

Staff must declare any relationships that they may have with students outside of training sessions; this may include mutual membership of social groups, tutoring, or family connections. Staff should not assume that The Pixel Gang are aware of any such connections.

• Relationships with students must be professional at all times, physical relationships with students are not permitted and may lead to a criminal conviction.
• Encouraging a relationship to develop in a way which may lead to a sexual relationship or any other inappropriate relationship will be viewed as a grave breach of trust.
• Contact with students must be via The Pixel Gang's Safeguarding officer Matt Ottewill and solely for educational purposes. At no time should personal telephone numbers, text, email addresses or communication routes via personal accounts on social media platforms be used to communicate with students.
• If contacted by a student by an inappropriate route, staff should report the contact to the Safeguarding officer Matt Ottewill immediately.
• Behaviour giving rise to concern should also be reported which includes students seeking affection, being sexually provocative or exhibiting overly familiar behaviour.

Student development

• Staff must comply with The Pixel Gang's policies and procedures that support the well- being and development of students.
• Staff must co-operate and collaborate with colleagues and with external agencies where necessary to support the development of students.
• Staff must follow reasonable instructions that support the development of students.

Honesty and Integrity

Staff must maintain high standards of honesty and integrity in their work. This includes the handling and claiming of money and the use of school property and facilities.

All staff must comply with the Bribery Act 2010. A person may be guilty of an offence of bribery under this act if they offer, promise or give financial advantage or other advantage to someone; or if they request, agree or accept, or receive a bribe from another person.

Gifts from suppliers or associates of the school must be declared to the The Pixel Gang's Safeguarding officer Matt Ottewill, with the exception of “one off” token gifts from students or parents. Personal gifts from individual members of staff to students are inappropriate and could be misinterpreted and may lead to disciplinary action. A record will be kept of all gifts received.

Conduct outside of Work

Staff must not engage in conduct outside work which could seriously damage the reputation and standing of The Pixel Gang or the employee’s own reputation or the reputation of other members of the school community.

In particular, criminal offences that involve violence or possession or use of illegal drugs or sexual misconduct are likely to be regarded as unacceptable.

Staff may undertake work outside The Pixel Gang, either paid or voluntary, provided that it does not conflict with the interests of The Pixel Gang nor be to a level which may contravene the working time regulations or affect an individual's work performance at The Pixel Gang. We would recommend that permission is sought in advance.

Forming inappropriate relationships or friendships with children or young people who are pupils or students under the age of 18 at another organisation will be viewed as inappropriate and impact upon The Pixel Gang ability to trust the member of staff to maintain professional boundaries with pupils at The Pixel Gang.

E-Safety and Internet Use

• Staff must exercise caution when using information technology and be aware of the risks to themselves and others. Regard should be given to The Pixel Gang Policy eSafety policy at all times both inside and outside of work.
• Staff must not engage in inappropriate use of social network sites which may bring themselves, The Pixel Gang, The Pixel Gang community or employer into disrepute. Staff should ensure that they adopt suitably high security settings on any personal profiles they may have.
• Staff should exercise caution in their use of all social media or any other web based presence that they may have, including written content, videos or photographs, and views expressed either directly or by ‘liking’ certain pages or posts established by others. This may also include the use of dating websites where staff could encounter students either with their own profile or acting covertly.
• Contact with students should only made via the use of The Pixel Gang email accounts or telephone equipment when appropriate and strictly for educational reasons.
• Photographs/stills or video footage of students should only be taken using The Pixel Gang equipment, for purposes authorised by The Pixel Gang. Any such use should always be transparent and only occur where parental consent has been given. The resultant files from such recording or taking of photographs must be stored in accordance with The Pixel Gang procedures on school equipment.
  

Confidentiality

Where staff have access to confidential information about students or their parents or carers, staff must not reveal such information except to those colleagues who have a professional role in relation to the pupil/student.

All staff are likely at some point to witness actions which need to be confidential. For example, where a student is bullied by another student (or by a member of staff), this needs to be reported and dealt with in accordance with the appropriate The Pixel Gang's procedure. It must not be discussed outside he Pixel Gang, including with the student’s parent or carer, nor with colleagues in he Pixel Gang except with a senior member of staff with the appropriate authority to deal with the matter.

However, staff have an obligation to share with their manager or he Pixel Gang's Safeguarding Officer any information which gives rise to concern about the safety or welfare of a pupil/student. Staff must never promise a student that they will not act on information that they are told by the student.

Staff are not allowed to make any comment to the media about The Pixel Gang, its performance, governance, pupils or parents without written approval. Any media queries should be directed to Matt Ottewill.

Dress and Appearance

• All staff must dress in a manner that is appropriate to their role and promoting a professional image.
• Staff should dress in a manner that is not offensive, revealing or sexually provocative.
• Staff should dress in a manner that is absent from political or other contentious slogans.
  

Disciplinary Policy and Procedure.

All staff are expected to familiarise themselves and comply with all The Pixel Gang's policies and procedures.

Disciplinary Action

Staff should be aware that a failure to comply with this Code of Conduct could result in disciplinary action including but not limited to dismissal.