Drug & Alcohol Policy
To be effective, drug and alcohol education should be taught through the formal and informal curriculum, with the main framework being within the PSHE curriculum in conjunction with science.
This policy links with:
- Health and safety policy
- Behaviour policy
- Child protection policy
- Medicines in school policy
- PHSE policy
- Science curriculum
Aims
The aim of the school’s drug and alcohol policy and procedures is to help young people to:
- Develop confidence and responsibility and make the most of their abilities
- Prepare to plan an active role as citizens
- Develop healthy, safer lifestyles
- Develop good relationships and respect the difference between people
Definition of ‘Drugs’
Throughout this policy, the definition used for ‘drug’ is as follows:
‘A substance people take to change the way they feel, think or behave’
(United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime).
The term ‘drugs’ includes:
- All illegal drugs
- All legal drugs including tea, coffee, alcohol, tobacco and volatile substances which can be inhaled
- All ‘over-the-counter' and prescription medicines
Effective teaching of drug education should increase pupils’ knowledge about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and also enable young people to:
- Improve self-esteem
- Make informed choices and decisions
- Develop personal initiative and ability to take responsibility
- Recognise personal skills and qualities in themselves and others
- Maintain and develop relationships
- Develop self-confidence
- Develop assertiveness in appropriate situations
- Develop the motivation to succeed.
The following elements of drug education should be taught at Key Stage 1 and 2.
At Key Stage 1:
5-7 year olds should be taught about the role of drugs and medicines.
At Key Stage 2:
7-11 year olds should be taught that tobacco, alcohol and other drugs can have harmful effects.
Accurate and honest information is essential.Children must have the opportunity to discuss values, attitudes and feelings, an effective drug education can make a significant contribution to a child’s ability to:
- understand drugs and the effects and risks of using drugs
- gain an understanding of what is safe and appropriate drug use
- assess, avoid and manage risks to health.
- to develop an appreciation of the consequences of choices made
- to gain an understanding of the role drugs in society and the laws and rules relating to their use
Safeguarding and disclosures
If any disclosure occurs during a health based lesson and concerns are raised, teachers will follow the school’s procedure for child protection.Teachers have a duty of care and any incident or potential incident (e.g. involving drug-using parents) must therefore be treated as a child protection issue.
Management of incidents involving drugs
Responsibilities of Site Manager
The site manager will check the school premises regularly. Any substances or drug paraphernalia found will be recorded and reported to the Headteacher. Syringes will be disposed of in the sharps disposal container bin that is located in the site manager office.
The Site Manager will ensure safe storage, handling and disposal of potentially harmful substances such as solvents and cleaning fluids.
If a member of staff, parent or child is suspected of coming into contact with a syringe, medical advice should be sort immediately.
If suspicious substances are found on the premises
If a suspicious substance is found and you think it may be illegal, then it should be treated as such.
The law permits school staff to take temporary possession of a substance suspected of being a controlled drug.
Considerable care should be taken when handling any suspicious substance. If possible, use plastic gloves to place the substance in a secure, clearly-labelled container, detailing when and where the substance was found, and it should then be placed immediately in a safe place by the headteacher.
If a member of staff takes possession of a controlled substance they must immediately inform the headteacher, who will witness the possession, take the substance and keep it in a safe locked place until the police arrive.A record should be kept of the events and times of any telephone conversations and of the officer to whom the substance was reported.
The police will be able to identify whether it is a controlled drug. School staff should not under any circumstances attempt to analyse, taste or smell any unidentified substance.
The police are available to offer help and advice with incidents.
Searches
A member of staff has the right to search a pupil’s desk or locker, and any other area of property owned by the school, where there is reasonable cause to believe that it contains substances.It is strongly suggested that a witness be present on such occasions.
Where pupils are suspected of concealing controlled drugs on their own person, every effort should be made to secure the voluntary production of any substances, e.g. by requesting them to turn out their pockets or requesting permission from the owner to search personal belongings.
Intimate searches should never be made by staff.It is not legal to conduct an intimate personal search of a pupil even for controlled drugs.
Intoxicated parents
If a parent arrives to collect a child and is clearly intoxicated, the incident needs to be reported to the the headteacher immediately. The incident will be dealt with under the school’s Child Protection Policy.
Pupils under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
If a pupil is found under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the incident should be reported to the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher of member of the SLT. The incident will be dealt with under the school’s Child Protection Policy.
In the event of a child finding and ingesting an unknown drug, the parents/carers will be phoned immediately and the child taken to hospital.
Tobacco
School are smoke-free environments and no smoking is allowed anywhere within the boundaries of the school site.
Alcohol on School Premises
The Department of Education, Sport and Culture does not allow the consumption of alcohol on school premises within school hours.
The consumption of alcohol at events held on school premises outside of school hours is permissible, however, subject to certain restrictions and conditions (see Alcohol Consumption at Events held on Department Premises)
March 2019
ReviewSep 2023