Richmond School
Policy | Policy List | Drugs Policy
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DRUGS POLICY
Richmond School’s Policy on Drugs is to:
• protect the individual;
• maintain a positive school ethos of respect which supports self-esteem, enabling students to respond assertively and knowledgeably to situations involving drug use;
• provide clear and appropriate information to all students which will help them to make decisions about all drug issues and their consequences;
• work closely with parents on all matters to do with drugs, and particularly with regard to circumstances in which their own children are involved or implicated;
• work closely with the Police and all other relevant agencies through drugs education activities and courses, and when dealing with individual cases of drug abuse and misuse discovered at school;
• deal fairly and sensitively with all incidents involving drugs, ensuring that students are not put at risk and that illegal actions are stopped, investigated and resolved quickly and equitably.
We are committed to a comprehensive programme of drugs education in the context of Personal, Social and Health Education. Richmond School shares a responsibility to help reduce the harm from drugs by educating students with the facts, so that they can make informed decisions based on sound knowledge. This policy emphasises the School’s pastoral role and proactive approach to drugs education.
Richmond School does not allow the illegal possession or use of drugs (this includes drugs being brought to, sold, passed on or obtained) on the school premises at any time. This applies to all persons using Richmond School facilities, and contravention of this rule is likely to result in disciplinary action.
STRATEGIES
Drugs Education is presented:
• through carefully graded sections of the PSHE programme, which deal with different types of drugs as students progress through the programme;
• through assemblies and extra-curricular activities designed to raise awareness and bring drugs related issues to students’ attention;
• through topics taught in the subject curriculum which both introduce factual information and require students to think constructively about decisions and choices to do with various forms of drugs.
School responses to suspected drugs incidents must follow the procedures and guidance described in the appendices of this policy document.
MANAGEMENT
The development, leadership, and resourcing of drugs education is the responsibility of the Co-ordinator for Health Education, in liaison with the members of staff responsible for Key Stages 3 and 4/5 of the PSHE programme, and Heads of Department whose subjects include reference to drugs.
The Co-ordinator for Health Education is accountable to the Head of Humanities and the Headteacher.
Staff will be given guidance about incidents involving drugs and appropriate staff will be given relevant training.
The Headteacher, assisted by the Deputy Heads and the Pastoral Team, is responsible for responding to and dealing with incidents in which drugs are discovered on school premises, or in which information indicates that students have been involved in the misuse of drugs.
EVALUATION AND REVIEW
It is the responsibility of the Co-ordinator for Health Education to evaluate the effectiveness of this policy and review its implementation, in liaison with:
• the PSHE leaders, Group Tutors, Heads of Year and Heads of Department with regard to all forms of drugs education;
• the Headteacher, Deputy Heads, Heads of Key Stages and Heads of Year with regard to the ways in which the School handles drugs related incidents. It may be appropriate to consult with outside agencies and parents when reviewing these matters.
Evaluation and Review should be every two years and should be reported to the Governors’ Curriculum and Pastoral Committee.
RELATED POLICIES
This Drugs Policy should be set alongside the School’s policies on Health Education, Sex Education, Behaviour and Exclusion, which all have connections with different aspects of it.
AUTHORSHIP
This policy has been produced by a working group of staff and a governor, in consultation with students, teachers, governors and parents.
A DEFINITION OF DRUGS
Drugs are any substance which alters the mind or the body. This policy is concerned with legal drugs such as alcohol, tobacco and solvents, over the counter and prescribed drugs such as tranquillisers and pain killers, and illegal drugs such as ecstasy, cannabis, cocaine, crack and heroin.
Drugs can be classed as follows:
Class A: illegal to have, sell or give away e.g. cocaine, crack, ecstacy,heroin, LSD and magic mushrooms, etc.
Class B: only legally available on prescription e.g. emphetamines, barbiturates and cannabis.
Class C: it is not illegal to posess them without a prescription, but it is illegal to supply them or sell them to others, e.g. anabolic steroids and tranquillisers.
Others: cigarettes, alcohol and solvents - substances which the law controls and have prescriptions attached to their use.
THE DRUGS EDUCATION PROGRAMME
Drugs education is delivered within PSHE lessons and Science, with specific drugs issues being targeted in particular years:
Year 7: smoking
Year 8: solvent and alcohol awareness
Year 9: general drug education including drugs and the law
Year 10: drug education including “E for Ecstacy” video
Year 11: review of drugs and the law
Year 12: drug sessions with representatives from outside agencies
Details are contained within the PSE schemes of work, which are reviewed annually.