Building an Agreement Screen
An agreement screen on your InVentry system is a key step in the signing in process. It provides you with the opportunity to welcome visitors, but also to get critical information across to them. It provides you with an opportunity to get visitors to agree to the expectations being placed on them when they enter the school and how they should respond to certain situations.
What to consider in your agreement screen
Try keep it succinct to speed up the time taken to read it during busy periods, and to give the reader the opportunity to fully understand what is being asked/told.
Welcome your visitor
A short and warm welcome to your school and a reminder of the importance of reading and understanding this screen, especially if consent is being requested for any purpose.
Signing in and out
You could explain to the visitor why they are signing in and out. This could include emergency situations, health and safety and safeguarding of all on-site including the requirement to wear their ID badge and returning it when leaving. If you are using a barcode scanner, it would be a good point to remind the visitor that they will require their badge for signing out.
Examples:
- To ensure the health and safety of all individuals within our school all visitors are required to sign in before entering the school and sign out on departure.
- All visitors will be given an ID badge that must be worn at all times.
- When signing out please use the barcode scanner and ensure that badges are returned to the school office
Child protection and safeguarding
Many of your visitors may never have received any safeguarding training. The agreement screen should act as a prompt as to who to speak to if they have a concern that a student is suffering any form of harm and that they should inform the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), their deputy (DDSL) or a member of staff. You may want to include the name of the key members of staff and possibly their photograph. You may also want to consider the details of the member of the governing body who has responsibility for this area. If you feel that the visitor requires more details than that you are able to provide via this screen, consider making a leaflet available.
Examples:
If a student discloses information that concerns you or indicates potential harm you should:
- Listen.
- Tell the student that you need to tell someone else — you cannot promise confidentially.
- Make accurate notes of what has been said by the student and pass this immediately to the DSL.
- It is not your responsibility to investigate but to report to DSL.
- Our DSL lead is …
Emergencies and evacuations
You may wish to add a statement about how visitors will be alerted in the case of an emergency in the school and what they should do.
Examples:
- In the case of an emergency leave the building and assemble at ….
- Do not re-enter the building until authorised to do so by a member of staff.
- Seek advice from a member of staff before acting.
Expected behaviour whilst on site
This section would make it clear what is expected around the behaviour towards others including children.
Examples:
- We expect visitors to show respect and concern for others by supporting the respectful ethos of our school by setting a good example in their own speech and behaviour towards all members of the school community.
- All adults in school are expected to be an excellent role model to the children at all times. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff, volunteers, visitors and outside agencies to share this commitment.
Use of technology
Here you can mention the use of school owned technology, the use of the internet and the use of personally owned devices such as mobile phones. In particular the use of a camera and the taking/sharing of images. This should reflect the school’s policy.
Examples:
- Use of the internet on school premises should be for school use only, e.g. accessing learning resources, educational websites, researching curriculum topics, use of email on school business.
- For more online safety advice please view our e-safety policy document.
- Please do not use mobile phones in student accessible spaces within the school.
Data protection
This statement could be a simple one informing the visitor what guidelines you follow.
Examples:
- All data is processed in line with current data protection regulations under the legal obligations placed on the school such as the Education Act, Children’s Act and Health and Safety Act. A full copy of the privacy statement can be viewed at the reception.
Informing the visitor that they can see a full copy of the privacy statement at the reception saves uploading this to the screen. If you were to put this on the screen, it would create a large document and would probably cause more problems than it solved.