Compliance – What does it really mean in our schools?
Each and every one understands the concept of ‘compliance’. Simply put it is:
The act of obeying an order, rule, or request; it is something that one could argue is a fundamental that underpins a civilised society.
When we are compliant with the rules and expectations, we live in a safe and harmonious environment.
But aren’t rules also made to be broken? Everyone has a right to disagree and question an order or rule if they don’t like it? Doesn’t being a part of a civilised society also allow the right to challenge and have freedom of expression and ideas?
Yes of course.
But not in education…
Why? Because the legislation that forms the many, many regulations to which education settings have to comply is vast, varied and essential to ensuring such settings can successfully carry out their core job of educating young people. Otherwise, how else can we ensure the next generation enters the big wide world equipped with the skills, knowledge and experience to contribute to our global community?
If you’ve ever been involved in this field, you’ll know that the regulations with which schools need to comply span areas such as:
- Health and Safety
- Fire
- Recruitment
- Data protection and privacy
- Health and Medical
These are just as vital whether the school has 3 pupils or 3000.
Essentially however the reality is that all regulatory frameworks that schools are subject to comply with boil down to one thing: A collective responsibility to safeguard all pupils, staff (and frequently) parents within the school community. No work of value can be achieved if there is a risk of harm; success cannot prevail if the ‘micro-society’ that is the school is not protected and secure.
Then, and only then can the proper business of education get underway.
Ensuring these rules and regulations are adhered to is a mind boggling and frankly, for many, uninteresting and boring job. The person whose unenviable task it is to endlessly read legislation and its updates, interpret incessant DfE frameworks and guidance, monitor, track and maintain records, and most importantly communicate everyone’s responsibilities at an organisational, departmental, group or individual level is no mean feat. Yet schools across the country do this, day in day out, and also undergo thorough investigation and scrutiny during various inspections in order to make sure they remain compliant for the students they serve.
And for the few who hold the keys to facilitating this quiet magic; they should know that they are unspoken heroes… They keep the doors to schools firmly open so that the wonderful, dedicated educators can do what they do best: Provide the best teaching and learning opportunities possible for young people to succeed and achieve. So that those young people can go out into the big wide world and challenge the rules, orders and requests that are, ‘rules that are made to be broken…’
Polesand Education has extensive hands-on experience of managing compliance within a school environment. Get in touch for more information on services and support that may be helpful for your school.
