We want everyone visiting a Girls’ Learning Trust school to have a safe, welcoming and positive experience.

The guidance below applies to visitors across all of our schools. Each school will also provide local information, such as school-day timings, safeguarding contacts, first aid arrangements and emergency assembly points.

Arriving at School

All visitors must report to Reception on arrival and sign in using the school’s visitor system.

You may be asked to provide identification and will normally be given a visitor badge or lanyard, which must be worn visibly throughout your visit.

Your visitor identification may show whether you:

• Must remain accompanied by a member of staff; or
• Are authorised to move around agreed areas of the school without continuous supervision.

Please stay within the areas relevant to your visit and follow instructions from school staff.

When leaving, return to Reception, sign out and return your visitor badge or lanyard. If you leave and return during the same day, you must sign out and back in again.

Please take particular care at the beginning and end of the school day, when there may be significant movement of students, pedestrians and vehicles.

Safeguarding and Child Protection

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

If, during your visit:

• A student tells you something that causes you concern;
• You see or hear something that concerns you about a student’s welfare or safety;
• You are concerned about the conduct of an adult towards a student; or
• You have any other safeguarding concern,

You must report it immediately.

Do not assume someone else will report it.

Speak to the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead, another member of the Safeguarding Team, Reception or your host. You may be asked to provide a written account.

School-specific safeguarding contacts are available from Reception and on the school’s visitor information.

First Aid

If you become unwell, are injured or need first aid during your visit, tell a member of staff or Reception immediately.

In a serious medical emergency, alert a member of staff and call 999 if urgent assistance is required.

Fire and Emergency Evacuation

If the fire alarm sounds:

• Follow staff instructions and evacuation signage;
• Leave immediately by the nearest safe exit;
• Go to the designated visitor assembly point;
• Do not stop to collect belongings or use lifts; and
• Remain there until instructed otherwise.

Do not leave the school site during an evacuation without telling a member of staff, as the school must be able to account for all visitors.

Each school will provide information about its visitor assembly point.

Lockdown and Other Emergencies

If a lockdown or another emergency is declared, follow staff instructions immediately.

If you are not with a member of staff, move to the nearest appropriate occupied classroom or office if it is safe to do so, and remain there until an authorised member of staff confirms it is safe to leave.

Schools may have different emergency signals and local procedures.

Allergies and Medical Needs

If you have an allergy, food hypersensitivity, coeliac disease, intolerance or another medical condition which may require support, please tell Reception or your host.

Where possible, tell the school before your visit. This is particularly important if you:

• Are at risk of a serious allergic reaction or anaphylaxis;
• Carry emergency medication; or
• Will be provided with food or refreshments.

If food or refreshments are provided, make staff aware of any dietary or allergy requirements before eating.

Visitors must not bring, prepare, serve or distribute food to students unless this has been agreed with the school in advance.

If you become unwell during your visit, tell a member of staff immediately.

Conduct and Respect

Visitors are expected to treat students, staff and others with dignity, respect and courtesy.

Harassment, sexual harassment, discriminatory behaviour, bullying, threatening or abusive behaviour, and other inappropriate conduct will not be tolerated.

Visitors must not:

• Make discriminatory, sexualised, degrading, intimidating or offensive comments, jokes or gestures;
• Engage in inappropriate or unwanted physical contact;
• Behave in a threatening, abusive or humiliating way;
• Give students personal contact details or other personal information;
• Accept or respond to personal contact details provided by students;
• Take photographs, videos or recordings of students or staff unless authorised by the school; or
• Enter areas of the school which are not relevant to their visit.

Visitors must follow reasonable instructions from school staff and any supervision requirements linked to their visitor badge.

If you witness or experience behaviour that causes concern, tell your host, Reception or a senior member of staff.

Where a visitor’s behaviour causes concern, the school may end the visit, require the visitor to leave the site or place restrictions on future visits.