Policies, terms and privacy

Ummah Academy Weekend Maktab · Last reviewed [REVIEW DATE] · Next review [REVIEW DATE + 1 YEAR]

Safeguarding and child protection

Our commitment

The welfare of every child at Ummah Academy comes before everything else — before the timetable, before fees, and before the reputation of the academy. Every child who attends has the right to be safe, to be treated with respect, and to be listened to.

Who to speak to

Both have completed accredited safeguarding and child protection training, refreshed every two years.

You do not have to come to us first. If you are worried about a child and would rather speak to someone outside the academy, contact:

• Royal Greenwich Children's Services / MASH — [MASH PHONE] (office hours), [OUT OF HOURS PHONE]
• Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), for concerns about an adult who works with children — [LADO CONTACT]
• Police — 999 if a child is in immediate danger, otherwise 101
• NSPCC Helpline — 0808 800 5000, help@nspcc.org.uk
• Childline, for children themselves — 0800 1111

What we do if we are worried about a child

1. Any member of staff or volunteer who has a concern reports it to the DSL the same day. Concerns are never left to the following weekend.
2. The DSL records the concern in writing: what was seen or said, in the child's own words where possible, with the date, time and who was present.
3. The DSL decides whether to seek advice from Royal Greenwich children's social care, make a referral, or monitor and review. The reason for the decision is recorded.
4. If a child is at immediate risk of harm, we call the police on 999 and children's social care straight away. We do not wait.
5. Parents are normally informed — unless telling them would place the child at greater risk.

If a child tells us something

Staff are trained to listen, not to investigate. We will:

• listen carefully and let the child speak without interruption or leading questions
• reassure them that they were right to tell someone
• never promise to keep a secret — we explain, in a way they can understand, that we may need to tell someone whose job it is to help
• write down what was said as soon as possible afterwards, in the child's own words
• pass it to the DSL immediately

We do not question the child further, and we do not approach the person the child has spoken about. Doing either could put the child at risk and could jeopardise a police or social care investigation.

What we are alert to

All staff receive training covering physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect; child-on-child abuse including sexual harassment and the sharing of nude images; child sexual and criminal exploitation; children affected by domestic abuse; mental health and self-harm; online risks; and extremism and radicalisation. Where we have concerns about radicalisation we contact the Royal Greenwich Prevent lead.

We are aware that children with special educational needs or disabilities can face additional barriers — that changes in behaviour, mood or injury may be wrongly assumed to relate to a child's condition, and that communication difficulties can make it harder for a child to tell us. We do not make those assumptions.

Working with children one to one

Teaching is normally in groups. Where individual reading takes place, it happens in a room that is open or overlooked, within sight or hearing of another adult. A member of staff is never alone with a child behind a closed door.

Records

Safeguarding records are kept separately from all other records, stored securely, and seen only by the DSL and, where necessary, the senior person named under Governance below. They are kept for as long as is necessary and lawful, and passed on where a child moves to another setting and it is in their interests.

Review

This policy is reviewed every year, and immediately after any safeguarding incident. Every member of staff and volunteer reads it before they start and signs to confirm they have done so.

Staff code of conduct

This applies to every employee, volunteer, trustee, contractor and visiting speaker. It exists to keep children safe and to protect staff from misunderstanding or false allegation.

Contact with children

• Physical contact is avoided. Where it is necessary — first aid, or demonstrating the physical actions of wudu or salah — it is appropriate to the child's age, kept to a minimum, done openly in view of others, and never done if the child is uncomfortable.
• Staff do not take children into a room alone with the door closed.
• Staff do not transport a child in a private vehicle.
• Staff do not give personal gifts to individual children, or favour one child.
• Staff dress and speak modestly and professionally at all times.

Communication

• All contact with families goes through the academy's phone, email or official class groups. Staff do not give children or parents their personal phone number.
• Staff do not message a child privately on any platform, and do not connect with a pupil or their parents on personal social media.
• Personal mobile phones are not used to photograph or film children. Only the academy's device is used, and images are transferred and deleted promptly.

Prohibited

• Any form of corporal punishment or humiliation, as set out above.
• Being under the influence of alcohol or drugs on the premises.
• Smoking or vaping anywhere on the premises.
• Expressing or promoting extremist views, or views that promote hatred of any group.

Every member of staff and volunteer signs this code before starting. Breaching it is a disciplinary matter and may be a criminal one.

Safer recruitment and suitability of staff

Before anyone starts

We do not rely on a single check, and we do not appoint on personal recommendation alone. Before any member of staff or volunteer has contact with children we:

• verify their identity from original documents, and their right to work in the UK
• obtain an Enhanced DBS certificate including a check of the children's barred list — everyone who teaches at the academy is engaged in regulated activity, because teaching unsupervised more than three times in a 30-day period meets the legal definition
• take up two references, requested directly from the referee, at least one from the most recent employer. We do not accept open "to whom it may concern" testimonials, or references from friends or family
• ask about and resolve any gaps in employment history
• check the teacher prohibition list where relevant
• for anyone who has lived or worked abroad, seek an overseas criminal record check

Single central record

We keep a single central record for every member of staff and volunteer: identity checked, DBS certificate number and issue date, references received, right to work, qualifications, safeguarding training and refresher dates. It is reviewed termly.

After appointment

DBS checks are a snapshot on the day they are issued, not a permanent guarantee. We review the suitability and performance of every member of staff and volunteer at least annually, renew DBS checks every [3 YEARS?], and keep records of all safeguarding training completed.

Concerns or allegations about an adult

This covers anyone working at the academy: employees, volunteers, trustees, contractors and visiting speakers.

Serious allegations

If it is alleged that an adult has harmed a child, may have committed a criminal offence against a child, or behaved in a way that suggests they pose a risk of harm, the DSL will:

1. report it to the Local Authority Designated Officer and, where a crime may have been committed, the police, as soon as reasonably practicable — normally the same day
2. not investigate it internally. We do not interview the child, and we do not question the adult before speaking to the LADO. Doing so could destroy evidence and harm any prosecution
3. record the allegation and everything that comes to light, in writing
4. consider immediately whether the adult should be removed from contact with children while it is looked into — this is a neutral act, not a judgment
5. inform the child's parents and keep them updated, on the advice of the LADO

If the concern is about the DSL, it is reported directly to [NAME — DIRECTOR/TRUSTEE] and to the LADO.

Low-level concerns

A low-level concern is behaviour by an adult that is inconsistent with our code of conduct but does not meet the threshold for referral to the LADO — for example, being alone with a child unnecessarily, or over-familiar language. "Low-level" does not mean unimportant.

All staff are expected to report low-level concerns about a colleague, and about themselves if they realise they have crossed a line. Concerns are recorded, dated and kept, so that a pattern can be seen if one develops. Where there is any doubt about whether something meets the harm threshold, we consult the LADO.

Behaviour and discipline

Adab — good character and manners — is one of the five things we teach. Our approach to behaviour is part of that, not separate from it.

What we expect

Children are expected to arrive on time, treat teachers and each other with respect, look after the books and equipment they are given, and take part.

How we encourage it

Praise, responsibility, and recognition at the end of term and at the Jalsa. We tell parents about good work as often as about problems.

When something goes wrong

1. A quiet word from the teacher
2. A note in the student diary so parents know the same day
3. A conversation with parents
4. A meeting with parents and a written plan
5. In rare and serious cases, suspension or withdrawal of a place

A place will only be withdrawn for behaviour after parents have been met and given the chance to work with us, except where a child's conduct puts others at immediate risk. Where a place is withdrawn, our refund position is set out under Refunds and cancellations.

Anti-bullying and child-on-child abuse

Bullying is behaviour that is repeated, intended to hurt, and involves an imbalance of power. It can be physical, verbal, social — deliberately leaving someone out — or online.

We take the view that children can and do abuse other children, and that it is never "just banter" or "part of growing up". This includes physical violence, bullying and cyberbullying, sexual harassment or sexual violence, initiation or hazing rituals, and the sharing of nude or semi-nude images.

What we do

• Any report is taken seriously and recorded, whether it comes from a child, a parent or a member of staff
• The child who has been harmed is supported first, and never made to feel they caused it
• Parents of all children involved are informed
• Where the behaviour may be a criminal offence — sexual violence, or sharing indecent images of a child — the DSL contacts children's social care and the police. We do not deal with it internally
• Incidents that happen outside the academy, including online, are still acted upon where children who attend are involved

To report bullying, speak to your child's teacher or the DSL, or use the complaints procedure.

Health and safety

We have a legal duty of care to take reasonable steps to keep everyone at the academy safe.

Responsibilities

Risk assessment

We hold a written risk assessment for the premises and for each activity, reviewed at least annually and whenever something changes — a new room, new equipment, or a trip. Trips and special events are assessed separately, case by case.

Fire

• A fire risk assessment is held for the premises and its findings are recorded
• Escape routes are kept clear and clearly marked; the assembly point is [LOCATION]
• Evacuation is practised each term and the drill is logged
• The register is taken to the assembly point and checked against those present

Registers and contacts

A register is taken at the start of every session. We hold at least two emergency contact numbers for every child, along with the child's home address, the school they attend, and details of any medical condition or allergy. Parents are asked to confirm these details each year and to tell us straight away if anything changes.

Insurance

We hold employers' liability insurance as required by law, and public liability insurance. Certificates are displayed at the premises and available on request.

First aid, medicines and allergies

• At least one trained first aider is on site during every session. A stocked first aid kit is kept at [LOCATION] and its location is signposted.
• All accidents and injuries, however minor, are recorded in the accident book, and parents are told the same day.
• Serious injuries are reported to the Health and Safety Executive under RIDDOR where required.
• We [DO / DO NOT] administer prescribed medicine. Where we do, we need written consent from a parent, the medicine in its original labelled packaging, and a written record of every dose given.
• Allergies: tell us in writing about any allergy before your child starts. Children bring their own snack; we ask families not to send nuts. We cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment and parents of children with severe allergies should discuss arrangements with us directly.
• If your child needs an inhaler or adrenaline auto-injector, it must be provided, in date and clearly labelled, with written instructions.

Illness

Please keep your child at home if they have symptoms of an infectious illness, and follow UK Health Security Agency guidance on when they can return. A child with a mild runny nose or cough who is otherwise well may attend. We may ask a child to go home, or decline attendance, where that is necessary to protect others.

Arrival, collection and dismissal

• At enrolment you tell us who is authorised to collect your child. We will not release a child to anyone else without your prior confirmation by phone or message.
• If someone unexpected arrives, we will hold the child and call you. We would rather cause you inconvenience than take a risk.
• Children in [YEAR/AGE] and above may walk home alone only where a parent has given written permission on the enrolment form.
• If a child has not been collected 15 minutes after the session ends, we call the contacts we hold, in order. A child is never left alone and is always supervised by two members of staff until collected.
• If we cannot reach anyone after [30/60] minutes, we will contact Royal Greenwich children's services for advice.
• Persistent late collection will be discussed with parents, as it takes staff away from their responsibilities and is unsettling for the child.

Missing child

If a child cannot be accounted for:

1. The person who notices alerts the DSL or the most senior member of staff present immediately.
2. Staff search the building and the immediate outside area, while other children remain supervised. Children are never left unattended to conduct a search.
3. The child's parents are contacted to establish whether the child has gone home.
4. If the child is still missing, we agree with the parents whether to call the police. If parents cannot be reached, or we consider the child to be at significant risk, we call the police ourselves.
5. Searching continues until the police arrive.
6. Afterwards, we record what happened and review our procedures to prevent a recurrence.

Attendance and absence

The Maktab year runs across three terms with 41 teaching weeks. Progress depends on regular attendance, and a child who misses several weekends falls behind their group.

• Please tell the office in advance if your child will be absent, by phone, WhatsApp or the class group.
• We follow up unexplained absence. Persistent unexplained absence can be a safeguarding indicator, and we may contact you to check that all is well.
• Fees are charged for the year, not per session. Absence does not reduce the fee.
• Term dates and closures are published on our website and in the Parent Calendar at the start of the year.

Equality, SEND and inclusion

Under the Equality Act 2010 we must not discriminate on the basis of a protected characteristic, and we must make reasonable adjustments so that a disabled child is not put at a substantial disadvantage.

Children are grouped by ability rather than age precisely so that each child can work at a level that suits them.

Please tell us about any additional need, disability, or diagnosis when you enrol — including anything your child's day school has identified. We will meet you to talk about what we can offer. We would rather be honest about what we can and cannot provide than accept a child and let them struggle.

Our premises are [DESCRIBE ACCESSIBILITY — step-free? accessible WC?].

Online safety

Teaching is in person and children do not routinely use internet-connected devices at the academy. This section covers the parts of our work that are online.

• Class WhatsApp groups are for parents, not children. They are administered by a member of staff. They are for academy announcements only.
• Staff do not communicate privately with children on any platform.
• Where a device is used in class, it is supervised by a teacher.
• We teach children, at an age-appropriate level, about staying safe online as part of adab.
• If a child discloses something that happened online — bullying, contact from an adult, or an image being shared — we treat it exactly as we would an offline safeguarding concern.

Trips and visits

• Written parental consent is obtained for every trip, on every occasion. Consent given for one trip does not carry over.
• A written risk assessment is completed before every trip.
• Staffing ratios are set for the activity and the age of the children, and we confirm our insurance covers the trip.
• Parents are given the destination, timings, travel arrangements and a contact number in advance.
• We take at least one emergency contact number for every child on the trip.
• Visiting speakers are checked in advance, are never left alone with a child, and are subject to this code of conduct. All visitors sign in and out and are asked for identification.

We do not currently run overnight stays.

Photography and images

Photographs and short films of the children help us show families what the academy does, and are used on our website, on Instagram and Facebook, and in printed materials.

Your consent

• We ask for written parental consent before any image of your child is published, and we refresh it every year.
• Consent is entirely optional. Your child will not be treated differently or left out of any activity if you say no.
• You can withdraw consent at any time. Tell the office and we will remove the image from our website and our social media accounts within [7] days. We cannot control copies already downloaded or shared by others, which is one reason to think carefully before consenting.

How we use images

• We never publish a child's full name alongside their photograph.
• We do not publish images that could identify where a child lives or which school they attend.
• Images are taken only on academy devices, never on personal phones, and are stored securely.
• Images are kept for [3 YEARS] and then deleted, unless you ask us to remove them sooner.

Parents taking photographs

At events such as the Jalsa or prize giving, parents may photograph their own child. Please do not post images containing other people's children on social media without their parents' permission.

Complaints

If you are unhappy about anything, please tell us. Most things are resolved quickly with a conversation, and we would always rather hear about a problem than have you leave without saying why.

Stage 1 — informally

Speak to your child's teacher, or to the office. We aim to respond within 5 working days.

Stage 2 — formally, in writing

If that does not resolve it, write to [NAME, ROLE] at info@ummahacademy.co.uk, or hand a letter in at the office. Please set out what happened, when, and what you would like done. We will acknowledge within 5 working days and give a full written response within 15 working days.

Stage 3 — review

If you remain dissatisfied, you may ask for the matter to be reviewed by [DIRECTORS / MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE], who were not involved at earlier stages. They will respond within 20 working days. This is our final stage.

We record every formal complaint and what we did about it, and we review them annually to see whether something needs to change.

Whistleblowing

Any member of staff or volunteer who is worried about how the academy is run, about the conduct of a colleague, about the treatment of a child, or about our safeguarding practice, should raise it — and will be supported for doing so, not penalised.

• Raise it first with the DSL or [NAME, DIRECTOR].
• If the concern is about that person, or if you do not feel it has been taken seriously, go outside the academy. You do not need our permission.
• NSPCC Whistleblowing Advice Line — 0800 028 0285, help@nspcc.org.uk
• Royal Greenwich LADO — [CONTACT]
• Protect (whistleblowing charity) — 020 3117 2520

Concerns can be raised in confidence. Personal grievances such as bullying or discrimination are dealt with under our grievance procedure rather than this policy.

Terms and conditions of enrolment

These terms form the agreement between [COMPANY NAME] Ltd (company number [NUMBER], registered at [REGISTERED ADDRESS]), trading as Ummah Academy, and the parent or guardian enrolling a child. By submitting an enrolment request you agree to them.

1. What we provide

Weekend Maktab classes, Saturday and Sunday 10:00am to 2:00pm, at 64 Plumstead Common Road, Plumstead, London SE18 3RD, across 41 teaching weeks in three terms. The curriculum covers Reading (Qaidah, Qur'an, Tajweed), Arabic, Memorisation, Islamic Studies and Practical worship. Term dates are published before the year begins.

2. Places

An enrolment request is not a confirmed place. We will contact you within two working days to confirm your child's level and start date. A place is confirmed only when we have written to you to say so and the first payment has been received. Group sizes are limited and places are offered in the order requested.

3. Fees

• The admission fee is charged once per student, in their first year only, and covers all their books and stationery — Qaidah or Mushaf, workbooks, student diary, bag and pens.
• The sibling discount applies to children living in the same household. The first child pays the full fee; every additional child receives 10% off their own tuition.
• Fees are for the year, not per session. They are not reduced for absence, illness, holidays taken in term time, or the closure dates published in the Parent Calendar.
• Payment plans: in full; four quarterly payments; or ten monthly payments from September to June. The total is the same.
• We will give at least one full term's written notice of any change to fees. A change will not take effect part-way through a year for which you have already paid.

4. Late and failed payments

• If a payment fails, we will contact you and ask you to pay within 14 days.
• If it remains unpaid after 30 days, we will contact you to agree a plan. We would always rather talk than lose a child — if you are in difficulty, tell us.
• If it remains unpaid after 60 days and no plan has been agreed, we may suspend the place.
• We do not charge penalty fees for late payment. We may pass on a bank charge we have actually incurred.

5. Leaving

Please give half a term's written notice (six weeks) if your child is leaving. See Refunds and cancellations for what this means for fees already paid.

6. Your responsibilities

• Provide accurate information at enrolment, including at least two emergency contacts, medical conditions and allergies, and who may collect your child — and tell us when anything changes.
• Deliver and collect your child on time.
• Support the academy's behaviour expectations.
• Tell us in advance of absence.

7. Our responsibilities

• Provide the classes described, with suitably checked and trained staff.
• Keep your child safe while in our care.
• Report on progress in each subject, and hold parents' evenings in January and July.
• Tell you promptly if a session is cancelled.

8. If we cancel a session

If we have to close for reasons within our control, we will offer a make-up session or a credit. Where closure is beyond our control — severe weather, loss of the building, a public health direction — we will make reasonable efforts to provide an alternative but cannot guarantee a refund for individual sessions.

9. Withdrawing a place

We may withdraw a place where a child's behaviour seriously or persistently affects the safety or learning of others, where a parent behaves abusively towards staff, or where fees remain unpaid as set out above. Except where there is an immediate risk, we will always meet you first and give you the chance to put things right.

10. General

• Nothing in these terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for fraud.
• Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights as a consumer.
• These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales.

Refunds and cancellations

Your 14-day right to cancel

After the 14 days

Refunds are made to the original payment method within 14 days of us agreeing them.

Classroom shop

The shop sells replacement books and stationery during the year. Books and stationery for new students are already covered by the £50 admission fee.

• Collection. Items are collected from the office on a Saturday or Sunday. We do not post orders. We will tell you when your order is ready.
• Stock. If something is out of stock we will tell you and refund that item.
• Minimum for card payment. Card payments start at £10. For smaller amounts, please pay at the office — card processing fees make very small online payments uneconomic.
• Your 14-day right to cancel. As a distance contract, you may cancel an order within 14 days of receiving the goods, without giving a reason, and return them within a further 14 days for a full refund. Items must be unused and in a resaleable condition.
• What cannot be returned. Workbooks that have been written in, and any item that has been used, cannot be returned unless faulty.
• Faulty items. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. If something is faulty, bring it back and we will replace or refund it.
• Return postage. Returns are brought back to the office; there is no postage to pay.

Privacy notice

[COMPANY NAME] Ltd, trading as Ummah Academy, is the data controller for the information described here. Our ICO registration number is [ICO NUMBER]. For any question about your data, contact [NAME] at info@ummahacademy.co.uk.

What we collect

Why, and on what legal basis

Who else sees it

• Stripe — payment processing. Stripe receives your name, email, phone and payment details, and holds them under its own privacy policy.
• WhatsApp (Meta) — if you contact us that way or join a class group.
• Our email and website providers — to store and send enquiries.
• Children's social care, the LADO, the police or the DBS — where we are required or permitted to share information to protect a child. We will do this without your consent where necessary, and the law allows it.
• Our insurers or professional advisers — where there is a claim.

We do not sell your data, we do not share it for marketing, and we do not transfer it outside the UK except through the service providers named above, who operate under appropriate safeguards.

How long we keep it

Your rights

You have the right to ask for a copy of the information we hold, to have it corrected, to have it deleted, to restrict or object to how we use it, and to withdraw consent where consent is the basis we rely on. Ask at the office or email us, and we will respond within one month.

Some rights are limited. We cannot delete safeguarding records on request, and we must keep financial records for six years.

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, please tell us first. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office — ico.org.uk, 0303 123 1113.

Children's data

Most of what we hold about a child is provided by their parent. Older children have their own rights over their information and we will consider any request from a child directly, taking account of their age and understanding.

Cookies and the website

Our website does not use advertising or tracking cookies, and we do not profile visitors.

The website loads two things from other companies:

• Google Fonts — for the typefaces
• Google Maps — the map showing where we are

When your browser loads these, Google receives your IP address. If you would rather that did not happen, you can block third-party content in your browser settings; the site will still work.

The fee calculator and the shop basket keep their figures in your browser's memory for as long as the page is open. Nothing is stored on your device and nothing is sent to us until you choose to submit a form or make a payment.

Governance and how we are run

Oversight

Day-to-day running is the responsibility of [NAME, ROLE]. A management committee meets [TERMLY] to review safeguarding, finances, staffing and any complaints. Safeguarding is a standing item at every meeting.

Money

• All fees are paid to the company's bank account. We do not ask parents to pay individual members of staff.
• Spending above [£AMOUNT] requires approval from [NAME / the committee].
• Accounts are prepared annually and filed with Companies House and HMRC as required.
• We will never email you new bank details. If you receive a message claiming our account has changed, do not pay it — call us on 07391 275 847 to check.

Reviewing these policies

All policies are reviewed at least annually, and immediately after any incident that suggests a change is needed. The current version is always the one published here.