Staff ID cards in schools - why do we need therm?

[kennysarmy]

Our SMT seems very reluctant to adopt ID cards for staff and as such no one carries one!

 

Our managed print contract is up for renewal in the summer so I'm busying putting the contract documents together, with one new addition being the copiers to have card readers and for us to distribute to staff who want one a card to release jobs.

 

This could double as an ID card by printing on the relevant information.

 

Why could SMT be so against the use of ID cards?

 

or to put it another way....what's the point in them?

[Martin48]

We have them and they senior leadership are very strict about wearing them when ofted are in.

Obviously cards confirm what everyone onsite is meant to be there and has been checked, visitors get different cards and different again if they don't have CRB.

My pessimistic side would wonder, if you don't have them at all you can just say 'we dont use them' BUT if you start using them and someone is not wearing it, it could be a negative flag when inspected...

[caffrey]

We have them, if they don't they can't easily get into the building

[Narwhal]

We have them but our sixth formers don't so they seem a bit pointless to me. Visitors are given a badge but often workmen who are on site don't seem to. As far as I can see they are a box-ticking exercise for Ofsted. We are a relatively small secondary school so "strangers" should stand out and be challenged but this doesn't always happen.

[djrscally]

I think they're an important part of safeguarding; particularly in a big school it's not likely that you'll know all the staff, so ID cards are an easy way for you to be confident that the people you see are authorised to be there.

 

edit: context; my school has about 400 directly employed staff on site, not counting contractors or whatever. So no way you can know everybody.

[edmokeski]

Don't know what the full story is, but we don't use them. (*edit* - except for visitors) We do print release (PaperCut) by biometrics (thumbprint), AD login, or PIN.

The whole ID card on a lanyard thing seems much more prevalent in the state sector (I've only ever worked in independents or overseas) - don't know if that's statutory/DfE guidance or something.

 

Presumably the point is safeguarding and site security. You have a visible official ID at all times to show that you're allowed to be there, and without it you may be an intruder of some sort. Then once you've got it, obviously its purpose can spread to things like print release, cashless catering, physical access control, etc..

Edited March 20, 2018 by edmokeski

[Scifigirl]

We have id cards that are print release, barcodes on for signing in and out for fire register and id cards.

 

Coloured lanyards for the the id cards are also used for safeguarding - blue= school staff, green= ok to wander alone - checked, red=must be escorted.

if you dont have your id you get challenged.

[Blue_Cookeh]

We're petty strict on them - it gives parents and visitors who might not know everyone something to look for if they need a member of staff for some reason. Visitors get a printed badge courtesy of our Inventry sign in system.

[DalekSec]

Strict on it here also, everyone on site must have one. Staff, Visitors and Contractors must have theirs on show at all times. Students don't but if they don't have their card they can't enter most of the buildings!

[Katy]

We have them but they're optional - although they are paxton cards so if you don't want to put the code in every time you enter the building (or want access out of hours) you need one. Not sure why they aren't compulsory really, we make visitors wear lanyards - that way anyone not in school uniform would have either a visitor or staff lanyard (6th form here have a sort-of uniform - e.g. smart business dress but there's a couple of branded items e.g. tie etc making it obvious they're students).

 

As with others it seems to be enforced in the state sector (at least it is in the academies I've visited in our trust) but not independents.

 

We use PIN release for the printing.

[kennysarmy]

We have them but our sixth formers don't so they seem a bit pointless to me. Visitors are given a badge but often workmen who are on site don't seem to. As far as I can see they are a box-ticking exercise for Ofsted. We are a relatively small secondary school so "strangers" should stand out and be challenged but this doesn't always happen.

 

There is an Ofsted tick box for whether your school has staff carrying ID cards?

[Rob_D]

Same as Caffrey, we have them set up for door access and print release.

Aside from adopting it for print release, door access and cashless catering, the main reason is a safeguarding one.

 

It's less of a thing in smaller schools where you just know everyone, but we have going on for 200 staff so having a way to tell at a glance if someone is "supposed to be there" is kind of important from a safeguarding POV, and generally quite useful.

 

As an added incentive to staff (because printing and getting inside isn't always enough), we offer timetable inserts for the back of the cards.

 

As for why SMT are against it, you may just have someone who's resistant to change, or doesn't wan't the school to feel "too corporate" or something. And, as Martin48 said, if it's a policy then you have to enforce it, maybe they don't want to push something like that on the staff "with no good reason".

 

Having added benefits to using RFID cards like print release might be enough to get them onside as you have a real-world reason to have the cards, and they potentially make life easier for people.

[hardtailstar]

Coloured lanyards for the the id cards are also used for safeguarding - blue= school staff, green= ok to wander alone - checked, red=must be escorted.

if you dont have your id you get challenged.

 

We have the same system.

[theeggmaster]

As mentioned above, it's a very important part of safeguarding. All adults in school have some sort of identification. Staff have a printed badge that lets them into the building, signs them into EntrySign in case of fire, and identifies them to everyone else. Visitors have a printed badge, which says whether they are DBS checked or not. Anyone without a badge is challenged as to why they are in the building.

[elsiegee40]

Another vote for Safeguarding being the primary reason.

 

How does anyone know who an adult in plain clothes on site is?..

 

If they're wearing a Visitor badge - "Here be a stranger... What are they doing there? Is someone with them?"

If they're wearing a Staff badge (with a photo) - "I can tell that you match your ID and the reason I don't know you is because you're new"

If they're wearing a Governor badge (ideally with a photo) - Treat as per Visitor ... although the photo will give you a greater degree of certainty

If they're wearing a Student badge - "You belong to us"(anc you know you shouldn't be there )

 

If none of the above applies... Who are you? What are you doing here? Report and escort to reception or from the premises.

 

As a governor, I was responsible for getting our sixth form into badges. We had had former students causing trouble in the grounds and I asked how a new member of staff was supposed to distinguish between current and former students. They were reluctant to wear them, so they underwent Safeguarding training to explain.

Edited March 20, 2018 by elsiegee40

[jimmy_2k]

When I came to my present school, they had cards simply for unlocking doors. A security company had printed photos on some of them. The rest were just blank cards with names written on them. When staff who didn't have photo cards (in some instances) went to visit other venues, such as feeder primary schools or other school sites who are more "hot" on the ID card issue, they weren't allowed much if any access. 6th form students didn't have any student ID, so they struggled to get student discounts on purchases and more importantly, the bus company stopped taking their word for it and asked for photo ID from their institutions when applying for a bus pass. Because of all of this, we finally switched to photocard for all staff members and 6th form students. Starting this year, all 6th form students must now wear their ID card at all times. 6th form cards must have expiry dates otherwise they can't be used for discounts and we have a different colour lanyard for year 12 and for year 13. These will alternate yearly. Edited March 28, 2018 by jimmy_2k