Good management in supplementary schools

The first step to becoming a quality assured provider is to demonstrate a solid foundation of good management. Your local authority may have asked you to follow Section 11 guidance, or the Bronze Award, or they may simply say you must have all the ‘correct’ policies and procedures in place. NRCSE can help you pull together the basic policies and procedures that mean your activities run safely and effectively. You must meet that basic standard before you can progress to be a ‘quality assured’ school.

The completion of basic minimum standard is based on

• Guided self-assessment (via the NRCSE website code of practice assessment), and
• A document check, (this can be done by your mentor or by uploading school management file for scrutiny by the NRCSE Quality Development Advice Team).

To present your school for the NRCSE Quality Mark please complete the code of practice assessment and upload your management file and ask an ‘appropriate person’ to visit your school and write a witness statement.

Requirements for a school management file

Welcome pack for parents

• Registration form for children
• Parent/school agreement
• Safeguarding policy statement
• Code of conduct and complaints procedure
• E-Safety policy
• Statement of aims

Staff and volunteer handbook

• Registers of attendance
• List of staff and volunteers (showing DBS checks and line management)
• Job descriptions and role descriptions for staff and volunteers
• Staffing and volunteer policy
• Health and safety policy
• Classroom risk assessments
• Offsite procedures
• Child protection policy

Management committee guide

• List of Management Committee (including appropriate checks)
• Equalities statement
• All policies listed above
• Risk assessment
• Financial rules
• Accounts
• Petty cash rules
• Appropriate insurance including public liability

Templates are available through the code of practice assessment. As a subscriber you can also go straight to the download area by going to the ‘my account’ page once you have signed in. If your school management file is up to date and you are ready to arrange a school visit please get in touch with the Quality Development Advice Team or call 020 7697 4053.

Schools may feel that they are meeting the standards at the higher levels and should be able to apply immediately for an NRCSE Quality Mark. It is essential that the building blocks are in place first. The Management File covers all of the basic policies and procedures expected in an organisation delivering activities to children. Once your school has the basic policies and procedures in place you can arrange a visit to your school be an appropriate person and ask them to recommend you to NRCSE for a Quality Mark.

We aim to provide guidance and samples where possible for schools. NRCSE members have free access to the online self-assessment tool, the manual ‘How to deliver quality supplementary education’ telephone/email support and a wide range of template and example documents, including those listed below. For help with logging in or becoming a member of NRCSE, please visit the subscriber pages.