TREHOPCYN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Class Dojo Policy

BACKGROUND

At Trehopcyn Primary School we aim to provide a positive learning environment for all children, where effective teaching and learning can take place. We believe that effective communication between home and school is essential to supporting children in their learning. Underpinning all of our core beliefs are our Values of: Respect, Resilience and Responsibility. These form the foundations for everything we do and are embedded across the school ethos.

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AIMS

• To establish more effective communication links with parents/guardians.

• To enhance the current effective positive relationship policy.

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INTRODUCTION

We believe that an effective partnership between home and school is beneficial in supporting children in their learning. As a result, we have introduced Class Dojo throughout the school. Class Dojo is a communication application (app)

which connects parents/carers, teachers and children.

Teachers use it as a communication platform to encourage children and to get parents/carers engaged in their children’s learning. It has a reward component (used for the class dojo shop) and a communication system. Teachers can communicate with parents on a 1:1 messaging service or via the class page where general class messages can be shared. Teachers can create engaging content including videos and interactive tasks for children to complete as part of their home or remote

learning

Children can engage in their learning in school and home by posting evidence of work they are proud in their journal and responding to tasks and feedback from their teacher.

Parents can be kept informed of class events and see evidence of their child’s work and learning environment. They can communicate with teachers via 1:1 messaging.

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ABOUT CLASS DOJO

• ClassDojo is an online tool which offers many useful features including: behaviour management, parent/guardian and teacher communication as well as class/school newsfeeds. Trehopcyn Primary School will use ClassDojo for all of these features.
• ClassDojo is free and works on any iOS/Android/Kindle Fire device or web browser. Parents/guardians can also read all Class Story posts in their preferred language instantly.

• In order for the system to work efficiently and effectively, this document will highlight the stipulations around use from teachers and parents/guardians in order to keep ClassDojo as a positive tool.
• These stipulations will be annually reviewed during and after implementation of ClassDojo to reflect the values of the school.
• ClassDojo is compliant with the GDPR and parents/guardians give permission for the school to process their child's data on the system when they complete the data processing consent form. All information on ClassDojo is private between teachers, parents/guardians and children. Information is never sold and ClassDojo permanently deletes pupils’ personal information when they stop using ClassDojo. Teachers, parents and children can always access and delete their information at any time.

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TEACHER RESPONSIBILITIES

• Teachers are expected to access their Class Dojo account via the website www.classdojo.com and also download the free app onto their school laptop and iPad. It is not expected that teachers need the app on their mobile device, and should be mindful of the impact this may have on their personal time if they do decide to have the app on their mobile device.
• Teachers are encouraged to post updates on their class page. The number of posts teachers make and the content, which has to be appropriate or relevant, is at the discretion of the teacher. The following should be a minimum though:
• regular reminder posts about swimming/PE days/home learning deadlines and/or other important class events such as trips or assemblies
• Weekly celebrations of work should be shared either individually to parents or via the class newsfeed
• All members of staff using Class Dojo are asked to set a ‘quiet hours’ on their page, this is when messages will not be read or responded to out of the designated hours. The agreed quiet hours are between 5:00pm and 8:00am Mondays to Friday, and all-day Saturday and Sunday and in school holidays.
• Teachers are respectfully reminded to not engage in any conversations about personal matters via the class page or the messaging service or get into lengthy discussions. If a message from a parent requires more than a simple response, then a phone call / face to face discussion is more appropriate and they should inform either the Head Teacher or Deputy Head Teacher.
• No groups chats should be set up.
• Teachers must make themselves fully aware of the children who are in LA care or who do not have permission to have their photographs shared on Class Dojo, and ensure that these children do not appear on Class Dojo.

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PARENT RESPONSIBILITIES

• Agree to follow the Parent User Agreement Form before using Class Dojo.
• If you have any questions, queries or concerns, do feel free to message your child’s teacher on Class Dojo and they will also keep in touch with you via Class Dojo. You can still leave messages at the school office, send e-mails and communicate with the school in the same ways you used to. If a matter cannot be easily resolved via the messaging service, the class teacher will arrange a phone call or meeting.
• Avoid using Class Dojo to report your child’s absence from school. This should be done via the school clerk.
• In order to maintain the well-being of our class teachers, as well as ensuring they have a work/life balance, we ask that you bear in mind that though teachers can be messaged by you at any time, they will not respond back to the message during the ‘quiet hours’
• Teachers will not be able to respond to your messages on weekends and any other time outside of the stated period. If it is an urgent concern or query, please do follow the channels of communications that you would have done previously.
• Group chats must not be created as they cannot be moderated. All general information should be shared on the class page, while any personal queries from parents should be directed to the class teacher via inbox message. Class teachers are expected to keep a record of all such communications.
• Parents must be polite and respectful when messaging teachers or commenting on the class news feed. Any inappropriate comments will be removed/blocked and their use of the service may be removed.
• Parents must ensure that their child uses Class Dojo safely and support them when uploading evidence of learning.
• Parents/guardians cannot share photographs, messages or work samples published on ClassDojo on their personal social media accounts due to a breach of privacy. Parents/guardians who share private or confidential material or information may be removed from ClassDojo.
• Parents/guardians will recognise that ClassDojo is a means to share positive understandings of classroom and whole school learning. It should not be used to compare pupils work samples, digital recordings or photographs.
• Parents/guardians will understand that the number of posts will not be consistent from week to week and will be dependent on events that are happening in school. The number and content of posts may also differ across year groups.

Parents who do not use the messaging system correctly will be given one warning before being taken off ClassDojo.

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PUPIL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Agree and follow the school rules for Class Dojo (appendix 1)
• Encourage parents to engage with Class Dojo

LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

• Monitoring of the policy will be by Senior Leaders who can view each Class Dojo page at regular intervals to ensure the policy is being adhered to and address any misuse with the relevant parties.
• Senior Leaders will regularly review the use of Class Dojo to ensure it is effective in achieving the aims of this policy.

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MONITORING OF THIS POLICY

It is the responsibility of all members of staff who use ClassDojo to ensure it is used according to this policy.

Monitoring of the policy will be by Senior Leaders who may ask to view the Class Dojo page at regular intervals to ensure the policy is being adhered to.

Trehopcyn Primary teachers, parents & guardians who participate in ClassDojo agree to the terms of the Code of Conduct.

If these terms are breached, the Headteacher of Trehopcyn Primary School will decide on an appropriate course of action.

For more information about ClassDojo please refer to: https://www.classdojo.com/en-GB/#LearnMore

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Written by: Ceryn Morgan

Policy date: November 2024

Review date: September 2025

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APPENXIX 1

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