Drug Education Policy
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
St.Ambrose Catholic Primary School presently has approximately 250 girls
and boys aged 3-11 on role who mostly come from the residential areas of
Speke and Hale. Within each year group there are identified pupils with
Special Educational Needs.
POLICY INFORMATION AND CONSULTATION PROCESS
A working party of governors, parents and staff are to meet to discuss the
amendments needed to update and extend the policy statement to meet
relevant requirements. The policy is to be adopted at a full governing body
meeting in the Autumn Term 2013.
Inclusion for all in St.Ambrose Catholic Primary School
Inclusion is a dominant principle of government policy at both
national and local level. Within our school we aim to implement
this principle by, focusing on individual well-being, encouraging
pupil participation, celebrating achievement and viewing diversity
as a rich resource to support the well being and learning of all. All
children are treated according to their needs regardless of their
physical, cultural, social background or religion. This policy has
been written in accordance with our Mission Statement.
The Every Child Matters agenda is weaved throughout our school
ethos and aims for every child, whatever their background or
their circumstances, to have the support they need to :
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Be healthy
Stay safe
Enjoy and achieve
Make a positive contribution
Achieve economic well-being
AIMS OF DRUG EDUCATION
St.Ambrose Catholic Primary School believes that drug education in this
school will be developmental and a foundation for further development in the
secondary school.
Drug Education will contribute to the requirements of Section 1 of the 1988
Education Reform Act and the school curriculum should be one which:
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Promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical
development of pupils at the school and of society.
Prepares such pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and
experiences of adult life.
The school will work towards these aims in partnership with parents. The aim
of the drug education policy is to clarify the content and manner in which
drug education will be delivered in this school.
Other school policies which have relevance to drug education are:
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Equal Opportunities
Sex and Relationship education
Child Protection
Behaviour/Anti Bullying
Teaching and Learning
Special Educational Needs
Health and Safety
PSHE and Citizenship
Anti-Bullying
Safeguarding
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural
Whistleblowing
E safety
MORAL AND VALUES FRAMEWORK
The drug education programme will reflect the school’s aims and
demonstrate and encourage the following values:
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Respect for self
Respect for others
Responsibility for own actions
Responsibility for family, friends, school and wider community
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
This school is committed to working towards equality of opportunity in all
aspects of school life. All resources used will support this commitment.
CONTENT
The drug education programme will:
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Provide information that is relevant and appropriate to the age and
development stage of pupils.
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Enable pupils to make healthy, informed choices by increasing
knowledge, exploring attitudes and developing and practicing skills.
Foster self- esteem, positive self-image and confidence.
The content of the drug education programme will be based on the
recommended LEA drug education curriculum programmes using the ‘Health
for Life’ and QCA documents as frameworks.
Topics will include:
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Medicine (drugs)
Personal Safety
My healthy body
Substance abuse
ORGANISATION
Drug education will be co-ordinated by the Headteacher in close cooperation with the PSHE co-ordinator.
Advice can be obtained from Tony Merchant, LEA Drug Support Advisor and
members of the Healthy Food team. Delivery will be:
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Through topics
Through planned aspects of science
Addressed occasionally in assembly time
Through discussing issues with our Learning Mentor
Through pastoral time
Through story time
Through circle time
Active learning methods which involve pupils’ full participation will be used.
Elements of drug education within the science curriculum will be formally
and informally assessed.
The resources used may be made available for parents to view at annual
parents’ meetings. Individual parents can also view resources by contacting
the Headteacher direct.
At present all members of staff are committed to delivering the drug
education programme which is supported by regular in-service training
programmes with Tony Merchant.
SPECIFIC ISSUES STATEMENTS
Outside agencies
Outside agencies will be used to support and assist the teachers in the
development of classroom based work.
Confidentiality
Pupils will be made aware that some information cannot be kept confidential,
and made to understand that if certain disclosures are made certain action
will ensue.
Complaints Procedures
Any complaints about the drug education curriculum should be made to the
Headteacher who will report to the governors.
Solvent based products
The following solvent based products are not allowed on school premises:
 Aerosols eg. deodorants
 Solvent based felt tipped pens
Tobacco products
The school adheres to and enforces the local authority no smoking policy.
Medication in school
All pupils who suffer from asthma will be included on the school’s asthma
register. Younger children will need to have quick and easy access to such
and therefore the class teacher holds responsibility for careful storage.
Older children, those in KS2, are encouraged to be responsible for their own
inhalers, again class teachers are responsible for their safe storage.
Parents of children who require medication during the school day must sign a
consent form available from the school office.
If medicine is to administered 3 times a day, the pupil does not need to
bring it to school as the first dose can be taken before school, the next
after and the final dose at bedtime.
If the medicine is to be administered 4 times a day, the pupil will be
required to recover at home in order that the medicine can be administered
at the correct intervals. This medication will be kept in a tin in the
refrigerator in the staff room or in the admin’s office.
INCIDENTS OF DRUG POSSESSION OUTSIDE SCHOOL
Residential visits
Where a pupil is found in possession of drugs during a residential visit the
following procedures will be implemented:
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Immediate confiscation of the substance found;
School immediately informed and subsequently the parents of the
pupil;
The pupil to be returned to school as soon as possible;
The school’s drug policy to be activated on the pupil’s return.
Field Trips
Where a pupil is found in possession of drugs during a day trip, the following
procedures would be implemented:
 Immediate confiscation of the substance found;
 School informed as soon as practicable;
 Pupil to be kept with a member of staff for the rest of the day;
 Parents to collect pupil on return from field trip;
 The school’s drug policy to be activated on the pupil’s return.
School holidays
 Immediate confiscation and disposal of the substance in the presence
of another member of staff;
 Inform the school as soon as practicable;
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Pupil to be kept with a member of staff for the rest of the holiday;
The school’s drug policy to be activated on the pupil’s return.
Disciplinary procedures
The school recognises the need for a progressive response to a drug related
incident and will handle each case individually recognising that the future of
the pupils involved could be affected by the decision and subsequent action
taken. With this in mind the following hierarchy of disciplinary procedures
will be referred to. All incidents will be recorded in the drug incident book
retained by the Headteacher.
SUBSTANCE/OFFENCE
Tobacco – possession/consumption
Alcohol - possession
Alcohol - intoxication
Solvents - possession
Solvents - consumption
Class C drugs, eg cannabis
- possession/consumption,
first offence
Class C drugs, eg cannabis - dealing
Class B drugs, eg amphetamine –
REACTION
Confiscation, talk to pupil and inform
parents
Confiscation, talk to pupil and inform
parents
Attend to pupil, administer first aid
if necessary. Talk to pupil and inform
parents and arrange counselling and
support through the school/LEA
Drug Support Adviser
Confiscation, talk to pupil and inform
parents
Attend to pupil, administer first aid
if necessary. Talk to pupil and inform
parents and arrange counselling and
support through the school/LEA
Drug Support Adviser
Confiscation, inform LEA Drug
Support Adviser. Talk to pupil and
inform parents. 3 day exclusion.
Confiscation, inform LEA Drug
Support Adviser. Talk to pupil and
inform parents. Long exclusion, 10
days/permanent.
Confiscation, inform LEA Drug
possession/consumption, first
offence
Class B drugs, eg amphetamine dealing
Class A drugs, eg heroin
possession/consumption/dealing
Support Adviser. Talk to pupil and
inform parents. 3 day exclusion.
Confiscation, inform LEA Drug
Support Adviser. Talk to pupil and
inform parents. Long exclusion, 10
days/permanent.
Confiscation, inform LEA Drug
Support Adviser. Talk to pupil and
inform parents. Permanent exclusion.
Following court proceedings the school would consider reinstating the pupil
subject to consideration of the following:
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The court decision and recommendation
Parental attitude
Pupil attitude
Other pupils’/parents’ attitudes
If it is deemed inappropriate to reinstate the pupil the school will assist in
finding an alternative school replacement.
Disciplinary procedures agreement
Parents/guardians will be provided with and required to sign with their
children an agreement to abide by the disciplinary procedures relating to
drug-related incidents laid down by the governors on admission to the school.
EVALUATION, MONITORING AND REVIEW
Elements of drug education within the Science curriculum will be formally
and informally assessed by class teachers. Overall monitoring and reviews
will be monitored by the PSHE co-ordinator and Headteacher.
Delivery will be:
- Through topics – links with QCA documents
- Through planned aspects of science – QCA documents
- Through story time/circle time
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Inset
POLICY INFORMATION AND CONSULTATION PROCESS
A working party of governors, parents and staff are to meet to discuss the
amendments needed to update and extend the policy statement to meet
relevant requirements. The policy is to be adopted at a full governing body
meeting in the Spring Term 2012.
DISSEMINATION OF THE POLICY
All staff members and governors will receive a copy of this policy.
This policy will be reviewed in the Summer Term 2014
July 2013