At Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen, we value positive and effective communication between home and school. Strong partnerships between parents/carers and staff are essential in supporting our learners to achieve their full potential.

The following protocol outlines our expectations and procedures regarding email communication between home and school.

Our Principles
All communication between parents/carers and school staff should be courteous, respectful, and considerate. We ask that everyone communicates in a manner that respects the dignity and professionalism of others.

Response Times
During term time, the school will aim to respond to communications within the following timescales:

• Within 48 hours: Receipt of an email will be acknowledged (excluding weekends and school holidays).
• Within 5 working days: A full response will be provided, either by telephone, email, or in writing.

Where further investigation or consultation is required before a full response can be given, staff will acknowledge this and provide an indication of when a more detailed response can be expected.

If a member of staff is not the most appropriate person to deal with a query, they will forward the communication to the relevant colleague and inform the sender that this has been done.

Staff Working Hours
Staff are not expected to monitor or respond to emails outside their normal working hours, including evenings, weekends, and school holidays.

We recognise that parents and carers may choose to write emails at times that are convenient for them. However, we kindly ask that consideration is given to the working hours of school staff when sending communications.

The widespread use of mobile phones and other electronic devices means that staff can often access school emails away from work. This can create unnecessary pressure and anxiety to respond immediately. Supporting staff wellbeing is important to us, and maintaining appropriate boundaries between work and personal time helps ensure that staff remain effective in their roles.

Respectful Communication
On rare occasions, staff may receive emails that are aggressive, abusive, harassing, or contain unreasonable demands.

Where this occurs, the matter will be referred to a member of the Senior Leadership Team, who will determine whether further communication should be managed in accordance with the school’s complaints procedures and policies relating to unreasonable behaviour.

We are committed to maintaining respectful and constructive dialogue with all members of our school community.

Why Email Response Times Matter
Over recent years, communication between home and school has changed significantly. Email has become the preferred method of communication because it is quick, convenient, and accessible.

While email offers many advantages, it has also contributed to an increasing expectation of immediate responses. As a school, our primary responsibility is to provide high-quality teaching, learning, and support for our learners.

Teachers’ daily responsibilities include:

• Teaching lessons
• Form tutor responsibilities
• Supervising breaks and lunchtimes
• Planning and preparing lessons
• Marking and assessing work
• Attending meetings
• Leading extracurricular activities and clubs
• Supporting learners’ wellbeing and progress

As a result, staff are not expected to monitor emails continuously throughout the day. Dedicated teaching and learning time must remain the priority.

Although administrative staff, support staff, and school leaders may have more regular access to email, their primary focus remains supporting learners, teachers, and the effective running of the school.

Constant monitoring of emails can reduce productivity and divert attention away from the important work of educating and supporting young people.

Keeping Parents and Carers Informed
The school is committed to providing regular and meaningful information about each learner’s progress, attendance, achievement, and wellbeing throughout the year.

Where appropriate, staff may contact parents/carers by telephone, email, or letter regarding significant concerns or important matters affecting a learner.

However, staff are not expected to maintain ongoing, day-to-day email conversations unless specific arrangements have been agreed as part of a learner support plan or other formal intervention programme.

Working Together
We greatly value communication with parents and carers and would never wish to discourage constructive dialogue. Strong home-school relationships play a vital role in supporting learner success.

We recognise that, as with any organisation, there may be occasions when concerns arise or improvements can be made. Your feedback is important and helps us continue to enhance the experience of all learners and families.

We also understand that many parents and carers experience similar pressures in their own workplaces, where technology has created expectations of being available at any time.

As an employer, the school has a duty of care to its staff as well as to its learners. This includes ensuring that workloads remain reasonable and that staff wellbeing is protected. Maintaining healthy boundaries around communication helps us achieve this balance.

Staff Wellbeing
At Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen, we recognise that the wellbeing of our staff is directly linked to the quality of education and support that we provide for our learners.

Our staff work exceptionally hard to create positive learning experiences, provide pastoral care, and support the wider life of the school. We are committed to ensuring that they can continue to do so in a healthy, sustainable working environment.

By following this communication protocol, parents, carers, and staff can work together to create a culture of mutual respect, understanding, and partnership.

Thank You
Thank you for supporting a balanced and respectful approach to communication. By working together, we can ensure that our staff remain focused on what matters most: delivering excellent teaching, learning, and support for every learner at Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen.