Student Drugs Policy
2015-16
Student Drug Policy 2015-16
Abbey College Cambridge
Student Drugs Policy
Abbey Cambridge and Alpha Plus Group
The ACC Senior Leadership Team are responsible for this policy:
Karen Lonsdale, Vice Principal (Pastoral)
Telephone:
01223 578280
Email:
Karen.Lonsdale@abbeycambridge.co.uk
This policy is reviewed on an annual basis
Annual Policy reviewed by:
Karen Lonsdale
Annual Review date:
September 2015
Next date of Annual Review:
August 2016
This policy has been adopted by the governors, is addressed to all members of staff and volunteers where
appropriate, is available to parents on request and is published on the school's website if appropriate.
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Student Drug Policy 2015-16
Abbey College Cambridge
Student Drugs Policy
Abbey College Cambridge
Definition of drugs
For the purposes of this college policy the term ‘drugs’ is taken to mean the following:
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Illegal substances of all classes
Illegally distributed prescribed drugs
Solvent abuse
New psychoactive substances
Smoking
Alcohol
Over-the-counter medicines
Statement of policy
The college condones neither the misuse, nor illegal supply, of drugs by members of the
college. The college acknowledges the importance of its pastoral role in the welfare of its
students, and will take action to support and safeguard their well-being.
Aims
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To promote the personal, social and moral development of students and thus prepare
them for the opportunities and experiences of life.
To encourage students to have due regard to the legal, social and physical risks involved
in drug use and misuse.
To inform students in a balanced and truthful way about the use/misuse of drugs and
the cultures surrounding them.
To enable students to understand accurately the biological and psychological effects of
legal and illegal drugs and to provide them with sufficient information to protect
themselves and others from the effects of drug misuse.
To keep up-to-date with developments in the drug field, thus ensuring that accurate and
current information is made available to the students.
To raise awareness among teaching staff of drug issues, thus ensuring an informed,
measured and reasonable approach.
To enable students to understand aspects of legislation relating to drug use and to make
them aware of sources of help and advice available within the family, the college and the
community.
To ensure students understand that each drug experience is unique and different types
of drugs will affect individuals in different ways at different times.
Organisation and implementation of college drug policy
Drugs education within the college is taught as part of the personal tutor study programme.
Confidentiality
Teachers cannot promise confidentiality to students. Where a student’s actions are likely to
place that student or others at moral or physical risk or in breach of the law, the tutor will
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Student Drug Policy 2015-16
Abbey College Cambridge
inform the Principal or Vice Principal who will, if appropriate, arrange for the student to be
counselled and the parents to be informed. Tutors must be aware that holding on to
information may compromise them at a later date.
Procedures
The following are recommended guidelines for specific drugs related incidents. Each
incident is unique and therefore the guidelines should be used as a reference rather than a
set of rules. The designated governor is Jenny Aviss.
Change in a student’s behaviour
If a member of staff notices a change in a student’s behaviour, as follows:
 The change involves uncharacteristic behaviour of more than one week’s duration
 The degree of the behavioural change is considered significant and negative
(withdrawal, appearance of ill-health, distraction, absenteeism, irrational mood swings, etc)
They should initially speak with the student’s Personal Tutor, who is required to inform the
college’s Designated Safeguarding Lead. Any response will be carefully and objectively
recorded and placed in the student’s file.
Reported Rumour
Rumours relating to drugs being taken by students during college time must be reported to
the VPP, who will investigate them and take appropriate steps:
Reported by
 A fellow student
In this situation the first intention should be to speak with both the student reporting the
rumour and the student involved. From this point, further action clearly depends on the
responses of the students, but care should be taken not to make accusations or reveal the
source.
Reported by
 A Parent, relating to their own child
The college will attempt to understand how much of the information given is fact rather
than speculation, but generally should recommend counselling and/or talking to the
designated safeguarding lead who can offer support to the student and family, and if
necessary supply contact numbers for relevant groups and organisations.
 By a parent, relating to another child
Initially the college will establish where the parent received the information from. Actions
will be determined by the credibility of the allegation. The designated safeguarding lead
and Pastoral Head will decide whether to take further action (e.g. involve the authorities, the
accused student’s parents etc) as appropriate for each case.
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Disclosure
If a student discloses information regarding drug use to a member of staff, the issue of
confidentiality should be clearly explained to the student: the staff member cannot promise
not to reveal the information. The Designated Safeguarding Lead will be consulted
immediately. Parental contact will be taken up, and this should be explained to the student.
The nature of the information disclosed will affect any further action taken.
Drugs found on the premises
This must be reported to the Principal immediately.
Students and drugs on the premises
In cases of
 Student(s) found to be carrying drugs on the premises,
 Student(s) taking drugs on the premises,
 Student(s) dealing drugs on the premises,
The student(s) involved will be isolated with as little discussion as possible and the
following members of staff informed immediately: Vice Principal Pastoral and the Principal.
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The student(s) has the right to request a specific member of staff to be present, and a
member of the management team must also be involved in all questioning.
The student(s) will be encouraged to hand over any drugs they have in their possession,
but staff will not attempt to take the drugs off them.
Any drugs handed over should be stored in the college safe, having been carefully
labelled with all relevant details and the label signed by two members of staff and the
student(s) involved.
The staff involved will attempt to establish the facts of the incident and if there are any
further drugs in college.
The parents will be contacted by the Pastoral Head, and called in to the college wherever
possible.
Throughout this time the student(s) will remain isolated.
Counselling and support will be the primary recommendation made to parents.
Questions of exclusion and police involvement are dependent on the nature of the
incident, and will be carefully considered by the Vice Principal Pastoral and Principal.
The college reserves the right to perform random bag checks during college hours if it is
suspected that drugs have been brought into the college.
Alcohol
You can be stopped, fined or arrested by police if you’re under 18 and drinking alcohol in
public.
If you’re under 18, it is against the law:
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for someone to sell you alcohol
to buy or try to buy alcohol
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for an adult to buy or try to buy alcohol for you
to drink alcohol in licensed premises (e.g. a pub or restaurant)
If you’re 16 or 17 and accompanied by an adult, you can drink (but not buy) beer, wine or
cider with a meal.
If you’re 16 or under, you may be able to go to a pub (or premises primarily used to sell
alcohol) if you’re accompanied by an adult. However, this isn’t always the case. It can also
depend on the specific conditions for that premises.
Occasionally students with the correct ID may drink alcohol in moderation at College events
with meals.
It’s illegal to give alcohol to children under 5.
Consequences of breaking the law:
If the police suspect someone under 18 has alcohol in a public place, they have the power to
confiscate it. If young people get caught with alcohol three times they could face a social
contract, a fine or arrest. Getting a criminal record could affect future job prospects and
make it more difficult to travel to countries like the USA.
The police can also confiscate alcohol from someone, no matter what their age, if they
believe it has been, or will be drunk by someone under 18 in a public place.
In the short term, drinking too much can impair academic performance because it affects
concentration and makes you more likely to miss classes, hand in work late and do badly in
exams.
It can also put you at immediate risk of serious harm, ranging from date rape to car crashes.
If you’re drunk, you’re also more likely to be a victim of violence or to have unprotected sex,
which carries all the associated risks of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned
pregnancy.
In the longer term, regularly drinking too much can cause liver disease, an increased risk of
heart attack, weight gain and a number of different cancers. These problems are now
occurring at younger ages as alcohol use has increased.
Talk to your GP, the School Nurse and visit http://www.drinkaware.co.uk if you are worried
about alcohol use.
Tobacco
The minimum age for smoking is 18.
As with alcohol, there can be a lot of social pressure for students to smoke.
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Smoking increases your risk of lung cancer and heart disease. It prematurely ages the skin
and triples your chance of getting wrinkles around your eyes and mouth. It also causes
impotence and reduced sperm count in men, and reduces fertility in women. It can lead to
gum disease, makes the body store fat around the waist and increases the risk of cellulite.
Don’t assume that smoking will help you through the stress of exams. Medical evidence
shows that smoking doesn’t actually calm you down. It’s simply the case that nicotine
cravings between cigarettes make you feel stressed and anxious, so when you have one you
feel temporarily calm. You’ll feel less stressed once you quit and no longer have cravings
Please ask the Nurse, your GP or the Chemist about smoking cessation.
Managing medications
Please see the Medical Care Policy for information about this.
New psychoactive substances (NPS or ‘legal’ highs)
These mimic the effect of illegal drugs and despite being labelled as ‘legal’ are not always
safe to use and often contain controlled drugs, making them illegal to possess. They will be
treated as unauthorised substances.
Many drugs that were previously sold as legal highs are now controlled under the Misuse of
Drugs Act, including mephedrone (meow meow/mcat), naphyrone, BZP and GBL. This
means that they are illegal to possess or to supply to others. There are lots of different types
of synthetic cannabinoids and a large number have become Class B drugs.
Legal highs can carry serious health risks. The chemicals they contain have in most cases
never been used in drugs for human consumption before. This means they haven't been
tested to show that they are safe. Users can never be certain what they are taking and what
the effects might be.
Other risks:
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You increase the risk to yourself if you combine alcohol with any legal or illegal
substance that causes a high.
Effects of legal highs can include reduced inhibitions, drowsiness, excited or
paranoid states, coma, seizures and, in a few cases, death.
Because the chemical ingredients in a branded product can be changed without you
knowing, the risks are unpredictable.
Even drugs that look similar or have similar names may be of varying strengths and
have different effects.
Most problems with short-term use of legal highs will settle after you stop taking them.
However, the negative effects of some legal highs can take a few days to wear off
completely, just like the comedown from stimulants such as cocaine or amphetamines.
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Abbey College Cambridge
If you think you are having a serious negative reaction soon after taking a legal high or
you experience problems that do not settle with a little time out, fluids and fresh air, get
medical help straight away by going to the accident and emergency (A&E) department of
your nearest hospital.
If you are worried about continuing health problems after you've stopped taking the
drugs, visit your GP.
But if you think further advice would be helpful before deciding whether to visit your
GP, call the FRANK drugs helpline on 0300 123 6600, or NHS 111.
Code of good practice
From time to time questions may be raised by students which the Personal Tutor or subject
Teacher may have difficulty in addressing, due to its nature and content. The staff member
in question is not required to answer such questions immediately. In such cases they are
advised to defer a reply and consult the Designated Safeguarding Lead before taking further
action. Teachers and tutors are urged to use their skill, good sense and discretion in such
situations. The recommended ground rules involve the students being able to ask anything
they wish as long as they respect the right of both staff and other students not to answer
questions if they do not wish to.
Screening for Drugs
All students should come to college ready to work and learn. For the vast majority of
students this is the prime objective. However, there are many pressures on young people
these days, particularly with respect to drugs. In recognition of this fact the college reserves
the right to insist that if a student is suspected of taking harmful substances they should be
subjected to a drugs test. If a student comes under suspicion of taking drugs they may be
screened at short notice. Should we feel that such a course of action is necessary every effort
will be made to inform parents and guardians of our intentions. Our suspicions may be
aroused for the following reasons:
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Non-attendance
Persistent lateness
Unusual behaviour, as outlined above
Lack of concentration
Physical symptoms (tiredness; dilated pupils; skin pallor)
It is deemed that the quality of a student’s work is well below their usual standard.
In the event that evidence is found of drug-taking, action taken by the Pastoral Head will
include calling in the Police. Further appropriate actions will also be taken. As an example,
if a student is found to have consumed cannabis, he or she will be given a final warning and,
at the parents’ expense, regular drugs testing (approximately £60 per test) will ensue.
Attendance of a course of counselling may also be a condition of continued college
membership. Should any subsequent test prove positive for cannabis the student will be
dismissed. Students whose laboratory test report indicates the presence of any other illegal
drug(s) will face disciplinary action and may be excluded from the school.
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Any student under suspicion who refuses to be screened will be considered to be in breach
of the agreed policy regulations, and in consequence will be dismissed from the college.
Anyone found in possession of illegal substances on college premises or outside the college
and under the supervision of the college - for example on college trips – will face
disciplinary action and may be excluded from the school.
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