At TGMS, we hugely value our strong relationships with parents and carers and welcome communication with families.

Parents know their children exceptionally well; our staff knows them in the context of school. When we share information, listen and trust each other’s roles, this partnership makes a real difference.

If something is unclear or worrying you, please let us know. Our shared aim is always the same: happy, safe children who are learning, developing and becoming increasingly able to manage the opportunities and challenges of growing up.

What You Can Expect From TGMS

Our communication will be kind, respectful and professional. We will listen carefully, take concerns seriously and seek to understand what has happened before reaching conclusions.

• Our main written communication route is office@tylersgreenmiddle.co.uk. This helps our office team direct messages to the right person while enabling teachers to concentrate on teaching.
• We aim to acknowledge or respond within two working days, more rapidly depending on context. Some matters require further conversations or investigation; where a full response will take longer, we will let you know. For confidential or complex matters, please contact the office so that a telephone call or meeting can be arranged. We may also move a lengthy email exchange to a call or meeting.
• We will protect every child’s privacy. We can explain what has happened to and how we have supported your child, but we cannot discuss another pupil’s account, needs, sanctions or personal circumstances.

What We Ask From Parents and Carers

Please communicate clearly, calmly, and respectfully, raise concerns promptly, and allow staff reasonable time to understand what has happened.

• Children will sometimes come home upset, frustrated, or convinced that something was unfair. Their feelings matter and should be listened to. However, a child’s first account may understandably contain only part of the picture. Please share what your child has told you as helpful information rather than assuming it is the complete account.
• Please keep communication specific to your own child and respect other families’ privacy. Concerns should not be discussed or campaigned about through parent WhatsApp groups or social media. We also encourage parents to contact us in their own words: a short, straightforward message is usually easier to understand and resolve than a lengthy, legalistic or AI-generated one.
• Respectful challenge is welcome. Aggressive, intimidating, or personally critical communication is not.

Who Should I Contact?

• For most day-to-day matters, please begin with your child’s class teacher through the school office. This includes learning, homework, ordinary friendship issues, and routine questions.
• If an issue is repeated or more complex, crosses classes or year groups, involves bullying or discrimination, significant SEND or pastoral needs, or has not been resolved at teacher level, it will normally be supported by the appropriate Assistant Headteacher.
• Whole-school policy matters, significant safeguarding or safety concerns, staff conduct, formal complaints or unresolved matters should normally be directed to the Headteacher.

Starting at the appropriate level usually resolves matters more quickly. Our formal Complaints Policy remains available where an informal concern has been considered, but a parent remains dissatisfied.

Yellow Cards: Reflection, Repair, and Learning

Yellow Cards are an established part of TGMS’s Behaviour Policy and restorative approach. They are designed to help children stop, reflect, repair, and make a better choice next time.

• For many pupils, receiving an occasional Yellow Card is simply part of learning to manage their behaviour, make good choices and grow in independence. At this level, behaviour is often not malicious or deliberate: it may involve a thoughtless choice, insufficient care, poor judgement or an unintended consequence. A Yellow Card is not a judgement about a child’s character. We separate the behaviour from the child.
• An adult will support the pupil to understand what happened, why the behaviour did not meet our expectations, who may have been affected, and what they can do differently. Restorative support is a core part of the process.
• As junior-school pupils, children are expected to take increasing ownership. They should go home and explain that they received a Yellow Card, why it was given, and what they have learnt. We do not routinely send home a written Yellow Card or separate adult account of every incident, although this may be agreed for a small number of pupils for a specific reason. This is deliberate: part of our role at junior-school age is to help pupils increasingly take responsibility for explaining their choices, reflecting on what happened, and learning from the experience.
• We do not expect children to be pleased about receiving a Yellow Card. Feeling disappointed, frustrated, or “hard done by” is a normal response. Our aim is that they reflect, take appropriate responsibility and move forward.
• At home, we ask parents to listen calmly, reassure their child and support the restorative message from school. Questions such as “What happened? What did the adult help you understand? What could you do differently next time?” are usually more valuable than immediately challenging the Yellow Card. Children do not need to feel happy about a consequence; they do need our combined support to reflect on it and move forward.

We would not normally expect parents to contact the school simply to seek a second explanation of an individual Yellow Card. We would only expect parents to seek further clarification about an individual Yellow Card where there is a significant reason for concern, for example, if:

• Your child is experiencing significant or continuing distress, rather than ordinary disappointment or frustration;
• You have important information suggesting there may have been a significant factual misunderstanding;
• Despite a calm conversation at home, your child is unable to explain what happened, and this is causing genuine concern;
• You believe the expected restorative conversation or support has not taken place;
• There is a repeated pattern of behaviour or yellow cards causing concern; or
• There are relevant SEND, pastoral or safeguarding circumstances of which staff may not be aware.

Where a pupil receives two Yellow Cards within a single half term, a senior leader will contact parents so that school and home can work together. Where behaviour is more serious, repeated or raises a wider concern, the school will contact parents directly at an earlier stage where appropriate.

Fairness, Context and Professional Judgement

Staff make behaviour decisions using the Behaviour Policy, the available information, conversations with those involved, context and any appropriate reasonable adjustments. Fair does not always mean identical.

Parents are welcome to provide information that may help us understand an incident. Decisions about school consequences remain matters of professional judgement. Where several pupils are involved, responses may differ, and we will not disclose another pupil’s sanctions or personal circumstances.

Most concerns are resolved quickly when families and the school begin with curiosity rather than assumption. Sometimes our investigation will confirm a concern, and we will take action; sometimes additional context means our original decision remains unchanged. Taking a concern seriously does not necessarily mean reaching the outcome initially requested.

Where an issue has been properly investigated and responded to, we may consider it closed unless significant new information becomes available.

Parents and the school do not need to agree on every individual decision to maintain a strong partnership. We do need to listen to one another, communicate respectfully and remain focused on what will help the child learn and move forward.

This guide should be read alongside the TGMS Behaviour Policy and Complaints Policy and forms part of our shared expectations for positive communication and partnership between home and school.