VERSO Visitor Policy

Purpose of this Policy

The primary goal of this policy and its associated procedures is to ensure the safety and well-being of all students, staff, and visitors while on school grounds. By implementing clear protocols and procedures for visitor admittance, we aim to create a secure environment where all members of the school community can learn and work in safety.

Objectives of this Policy

• To establish a clear and consistent protocol for the admittance of external visitors to the school that is understood by all staff, parents/caregivers, and visitors and conforms to child safeguarding guidelines.
• To prevent access to the school by individuals who may pose a risk to the safety and well-being of students and staff.
• To provide a safe and secure environment for all students, staff, and visitors while on school grounds.

Scope of the Policy

This policy applies to all individuals who are present on school grounds, including but not limited to:

• All teaching and non-teaching staff employed by the school
• All external visitors entering the school site during the school day or for after school activities (including Learning Support personnel, After School Activities service providers, sports coaches, etc.)
• Staff, parents/caregivers, volunteers, children, local authority staff, and building and maintenance contractors

Protocol and Procedures

Visitors Invited to the School

• Before a visitor is invited to the school, the Safeguarding Team must be informed, with a clear explanation of the relevance, purpose, date, and time of the visit. Permission must be granted by the inviter’s supervisor before a visitor is asked to come into the school.
• Formal visitors representing the local authority, businesses, contractors, and outside agencies must present formal identification upon arrival.
• Visitors will complete a Visitor Online Form provided before their visit and must be submitted online before they arrive on campus.
• All visitors must enter the school campus through the main entrance at the HUB and report to the Front Office Team.
• Visitors must state the purpose of their visit and who they have been invited by or wish to see. They should be ready to produce formal identification.
• All visitors must follow the entry procedures as guided by the Security team.
• Visitors must wear an identification badge provided by the school at all times while on school grounds.
• Visitors will be escorted to their point of contact or their point of contact will be asked to come to Hello @ VERSO Front Office to receive the visitor. The contact/inviter will then be responsible for them while they are on site.
• Upon departing, visitors must leave via the HUB main entrance desk and return the identification badge to reception

Unknown/Uninvited Visitors to the School

• Any visitor to the school site who is not wearing an identity badge will be asked to identify themselves and state the purpose of their visit. They will be escorted to the HUB Security Desk to complete the Visitor Online Form and be issued with an identification badge. The above procedures will then apply.
• In the event that a visitor refuses to comply with the established protocols, they will be asked to leave the site immediately.

Child Safeguarding

As part of our commitment to continuous professional development, all staff will receive regular training on visitor management and child protection. This will ensure that all staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities in relation to the admittance of external visitors to the school and are equipped to respond effectively to any concerns that may arise.

Implementation and Review

This policy will be implemented with immediate effect and will be reviewed annually by the Head of School and the Governing Body, or more frequently if changes in legislation or guidance require it. The outcomes of the review will be reported to the Governing Body.

Additional Measures

In addition to the procedures outlined in this policy, the school will also have in place additional measures to protect children and staff from harm. These may include security cameras, door access systems, and other security measures.

In the event of a child protection concern or incident, the school will follow the procedures outlined in our child protection policy and inform the relevant authorities as necessary.

It is the responsibility of all staff, governors, parents/carers, volunteers, children, and visitors to the school to be aware of this policy and to adhere to its procedures. Any concerns or breaches of this policy should be reported to the Head of School or the Designated Safeguarding Lead.