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BEHAVIOUR AND DISCIPLINE |
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Abbey Primary School Behaviour Policy “A Positive Approach” Introduction This document is a statement of the aims and strategies for ensuring positive behaviour. It was revised during the Autumn term 2007, through a process of consultation with the Staff, Headteacher, Governors, Parents and Children. It was presented to the Governing Body for approval in the Spring Term 2008 and approved in the same term. It will be discussed annually by staff and governors and will be formally reviewed in the Spring Term 2010. At the beginning of each year a workshop is held to inform parents of the existing practices outlined in this policy, the anti-bullying policy and any current developments under review. Rationale This policy outlines the underlying philosophy, purpose, nature, organisation and management of pupil behaviour at Abbey Primary School. It is a working document designed to enhance the development of positive relationships between children, adults working in schools, parents and other members of the wider school community. The policy is the result of consultation with pupils, parents and governors, staff discussion, auditing of behaviour and training. It reflects current practice within the school. Its fair and consistent implementation is the responsibility of all staff. Children have contributed to the behaviour policy through their involvement in the development of the school’s general rules, ‘Respect’ booklet, and will be asked to be involved again in reviewing the policy in two years time. Aims The aim of Abbey Primary School is for every member of the school community to feel valued and respected, and for all persons to be treated fairly. We are a caring community, whose values are built on mutual trust and respect. The school behaviour policy is therefore designed to support the way in which the members of the school can live and work together in a supportive way. It aims to promote an environment where all feel happy, safe and secure. Abbey Primary School has a number of “Golden Rules”. The primary aim of the behaviour policy, however, is not a system to enforce rules but rather to promote good relationships, so that people can work together with the common purpose of helping everyone to learn. Abbey Primary School does not tolerate bullying of any kind. If we discover that an act of bullying or intimidation has taken place, the incident is recorded and we act immediately to stop any further occurrences of such behaviour. We do everything in our power to ensure that all children attend school free from fear (See Anti-Bullying Policy for further information). Expectations At Abbey Primary School we will: · As adults treat each other with respect at all times, therefore providing a positive role model for the children and each other. · Support the way in which all members of this school community can live and work together in an environment that is happy, safe and secure and where effective learning can take place. · Reward good behaviour. · Provide encouragement and stimulation to all pupils. · Treat all children fairly and apply this policy in a consistent way. · Ensure that children are aware of the school rules and that each class has its own classroom code. · Teach, through the school curriculum, values and attitudes as well as knowledge and skills, in order to promote responsible behaviour, self-discipline and respect for self, others and the world around us.
A
Positive Approach The core beliefs of Abbey Primary School are that: · Behaviour can change and that every child can be successful. · Praising and a system of rewards are more likely to change behaviour than blaming and punishing. Using a positive system of rewards will increase childrens’ self-esteem and thus help them to achieve more. · Celebrating success helps children to achieve more. · Being aware of each child’s needs and their individual circumstances helps us to act in the fairest way. We always consider the safety of other children and minimize disruption while helping children acquire self-discipline. · Reinforcing good behaviour helps our children feel good about themselves. School Rules The school’s ‘Golden rules’ are: · We are gentle · We are kind and helpful · We listen · We are honest · We work hard · We look after property These are displayed in pictures and texts around the school. As well as the ‘Golden Rules’ every member of the school community should apply the following principles: · If you don’t stop the inappropriate behaviour you are condoning it; · You own your own behaviour. Rewards and Sanctions Overview We aim to create a healthy balance between rewards and sanctions with both being clearly specified. Pupils should learn to expect fair and consistently applied sanctions for inappropriate behaviour. All systems are flexible to take account of individual circumstances. The emphasis of the school discipline policy is on REWARD and PRAISE, which should be given whenever possible for both work and behaviour. Included in the policy are suggestions for behaviour management techniques (see ‘sanctions’ below). All class teachers should operate a stepped approach to sanctions, which allow children to identify the next consequence. Children for whom this approach is not appropriate, will have an individual plan detailing alternative rewards and sanctions. Rewards All members of staff will recognise and celebrate appropriate behaviour at all times around the school through informal praise. Wherever appropriate children’s best efforts will be celebrated through display and performance. Teachers should work on the principle of a 4:1 praise to sanction ratio. Rewards may involve: · Verbal praise and smiling at children · Verbal praise to parents about their children · Smiley faces · Stickers and stamps · Certificates · Sending good work to other staff members for reward or praise · Special responsibility jobs · Special privileges (e.g., free time) · Positive phone call home · Class wide rewards · House points (counted weekly by Year 6 – Cup given in KS2 Assembly) · Team points · Individual points eg: Merit points, reward points, etc. · First in line · Student of the Week certificates · Happy wall (Early Years) · Praise postcard · ‘Ask me what I did’ badges (used in KS1) · Consistent good behaviour, good manners, particular helpfulness and acts of kindness in school are rewarded with an entry in the Golden Book (located in staffroom). The comments are read during ‘celebration assemblies’ on Wednesday and again during the ‘end of term assembly’. Golden Time “Golden Time” has been included in each class’s weekly curriculum as part of our school positive behaviour policy. With “Golden Time” children are rewarded for behaving well. Often in schools it is children who behave badly who are rewarded in different ways in an attempt to modify their behaviour pattern, causing resentment amongst both children and staff in school. “Golden Time” ensures that the children who behave well, which are the majority, are rewarded. “Golden Time” activities for years 5 and 6 are suggested and agreed by the staff at the start of the week. Children sign up early in the week for their preferred activity on Friday. All other classes organise their own golden time activities. Ideally, those children who have a tendency towards disruptive behaviour will be less inclined to continue if they are risking the loss of a privilege that they had a part in deciding. In this way, the message given to children is that if they are sensible, co-operative and go about their business to the best of their ability, they will be consistently rewarded for their efforts and they are secure in the knowledge that their reward will not be forgotten about due to pressure from other commitments in the curriculum. Children who break one or more of the rules in class or elsewhere in school or playground risk losing golden time minutes. Teachers should only take off one golden minute for each incident. Children who do not lose any ‘Golden minutes’ during the week receive a raffle ticket for the end of term assembly. Each key stage has its own prize. Early Years Due to young children having a very low concept of time, Early Years do not do golden time but rather follow the guideline below: Children who misbehave in class are given 3 warnings; after this they have timeout away from the rest of the class. Sanctions Despite positive responses as a means to encouraging good behaviour in Abbey Primary School, it may be necessary to employ a number of sanctions to enforce the Golden Rules, and to ensure a safe and positive learning environment. As with matters relating to reward, consistency is vital and should be appropriate to each individual situation. This policy is designed to empower both teaching and support staff in our mutual desire to create a just, secure and happy learning environment. When dealing with all forms of inappropriate behaviour, teachers should follow these three over-riding rules: Be calm – children should be dealt with calmly and firmly referring to what the action is and why the action is being taken. Logical consequences – A logical consequence is a sanction that should “fit” the offence. It generally has two steps. The first step is to stop the misbehaviour. The second step is to provide an action that recalls children to the rules, reinstates the limits, and teaches alternative behaviours Fresh Start – although persistent or serious misbehaviour needs recording, every child must feel that everyday is a fresh start. It is imperative that any sanction is applied fairly and the consequences fully explained. If the class/school rules are broken the following sanctions may be taken: (Sanctions will be differentiated to the needs of the children) · Children will be given a verbal warning by the class teacher, learning support assistant or supervisor; · Loss of a ‘Golden minute’ (max one minute) · ‘Time out in class’ will be used. If a child is removed to the corridor the classroom door must be left open for appropriate supervision. · Teachers may send their pupils to another class (a responsible child should accompany them). When sending a student to another class, the teacher should ensure the child knows which page from the school ‘Respect’ booklet they need to copy from. KS1 will use the KS1 ‘Respect’ booklet while KS2 will use the KS2 ‘Respect’ booklet. Children should be made to complete any missed work during their next break or at home (teachers are not to send school books home). · After a combination of the above sanctions children may then be sent to the deputy headteacher/headteacher (except in extreme cases of inappropriate behaviour when immediate removal to the office is necessary). · More serious behaviour may involve meeting with parents. Extremely poor behaviour must be reported to the headteacher or deputy headteacher immediately. A letter will be sent home or a phone call made to the parents. For continual unacceptable behaviour or in case of serious verbal or physical violence the child may be excluded from school. This could take the form of a fixed-term exclusion, or on rare occasions, may take the form of a permanent exclusion (see ‘fixed-term and permanent exclusions’ below). Lunchtime Detention If a child’s behaviour has not been acceptable during break or lunch then the pupil is in detention the following day. A detention consists of children writing out during their lunchtime, how they should behave relating to the incident that occurred. They will also write the ‘playground behaviour’ page from the school ‘Respect’ booklet. Children always eat lunch before they go to the detention room. Children that have collected 5 detentions in one half-term are placed on the ‘lunchtime charts’ (see ‘Recording, Monitoring and Evaluating behaviour’ below). Prior to this, parents are informed of their childs impending placement on charts. Playground Removal For children currently on ‘lunchtime charts’ any ‘Misdemeanour 2’ or ‘Misdemeanour 3’ behaviours (see appendix A) will result in the child being removed immediately from the playground to the detention room. For all other students any ‘Misdemeanour 3’ seen by a midday supervisor will result in immediate removal from the playground to the detention room. Nurture Group Children that continually display poor decisions or poor social skills will be allocated a place in a specialised Nurture group. Children in these groups engage in activities that address their particular behaviour or social needs. Children may participate in more than one group depending upon their assessment for needs. Fixed-term and permanent exclusions Only the headteacher (or the acting headteacher) has the power to exclude a child from school. The headteacher may exclude a pupil for one or more fixed periods, for up to 45 days in any one school year. The headteacher may also exclude a pupil permanently. It is also possible for the headteacher to convert a fixed-term exclusion into a permanent exclusion, if the circumstances warrant this. If the headteacher excludes a child, s/he informs the parents immediately, giving reasons for the exclusion. At the same time, the headteacher makes it clear to the parents that they can appeal against the decision to the governing body. The school informs the parents how to make any such appeal. The headteacher informs the Local Education Authority (LEA) and the governing body about any permanent exclusion, and about any fixed-term exclusions beyond five days in any one term. The governing body itself cannot either exclude a child or extend the exclusion period made by the headteacher. The governing body has a discipline committee whose role is set out in strict guidelines whenever a child is excluded from school. Recording, Monitoring and evaluating behaviour Classroom Although teachers are free to choose their own behaviour management system, it is imperative that children are aware of the next consequence or sanction. The school suggests a progressive chart or ladder chart which allows children to see their next reward or sanction. Playground Incidents of disruptive behaviour in the playground are recorded on the ‘lunchtime slip’ by those on duty. At the end of lunch these are collated onto a ‘behaviour chart’ and given to each classroom teacher. These records are used to give detention for unacceptable behaviour and also to inform the child or children involved in such incidents, teachers, parents/guardians and other interested parties of an individual’s poor behaviour when necessary. Lunchtime charts Children that have collected 5 detentions in one half-term are placed on the ‘lunchtime charts’. Prior to this, parents are informed of their childs impending placement on charts. Once placed on charts any ‘Misdemeanour 2’ or ‘Misdemeanour 3’ behaviour (see appendix A) during lunch will result in the child being removed immediately from the playground to the detention room. The children will also have a detention the following day. Selected children may also go to lunchtime club to work on their social skills in a more intimate and closely watched and monitored environment. Early Years Although early years children do not receive a detention, a penalty will still apply mostly in the form of lost ‘free choice’ time. Roles The Role of School Council The School Council meets approximately once a month. The School Council consists of children from Year 1 – Year 6. KS1 classes (Year 1 and 2) have one elected member, while KS2 classes (year 3 to 6) have two elected members on the School Council, one male and one female representative. School Councillors wear special badges that identify them throughout the school. As part of their duties the School Council discuss particular rules and their implementation. They also play a major part in deciding on activities that spread a positive message around the school. It is envisaged that they will play an important role in implementing the rules. The Role of Parents Parents have a vital role to play in their children’s education. It is very important that parents support their child’s learning and co-operate with the school. We are very conscious of the importance of having strong links with parents and good communication between home and school. Thus, the school works collaboratively with parents, so children receive consistent messages about how to behave at home and at school. We explain the school’s “Golden Rules” in the school prospectus, and we expect parents to read these and support them. We expect parents to behave in a reasonable and civilised manner towards all school staff. Incidents of verbal or physical aggression to staff by parents/guardians/carers of children in the school will be reported immediately to the headteacher who will take appropriate action. If the school has to use reasonable sanctions to punish a child, parents should support the actions of the school. If parents have any concern about the way that their child has been treated, they should initially contact the class teacher. The headteacher may then be involved and, if the concern remains, they should contact the school governors. If these discussions cannot resolve the problem, a formal complaint or appeal process can be implemented. The Role of Non-teaching Staff All school staff have a responsibility to uphold the behaviour policy. Non-teaching staff should ensure that children move sensibly and quietly through the school at all times helping to ensure a calm atmosphere in the corridors, classrooms and other school areas. Children should be made aware that rough play and potentially dangerous behaviour in the playground is unacceptable. Lunchtime Supervisors are in close touch with the class teachers and communicate with them about incidents of unacceptable behaviour at lunchtime using the ‘behaviour chart’. The Role of the Class Teacher Abbey Primary School is aware that good classroom organisation is a key to good behaviour and that the provision of a high quality curriculum through interesting and challenging activities influences behaviour. Teachers at Abbey Primary School are positive, enthusiastic and have high expectations of both learning and behaviour. They foster a sense of self esteem in all children, linked with an understanding of the needs of others. They encourage a calm and responsive atmosphere, avoiding shouting. Teachers contribute to the Open Door policy for parents and carers. They deal with parental concerns in a timely, respectful, sympathetic and professional manner, involving senior staff as appropriate. Teachers expect that parents will behave in a reasonable manner towards them, as professionals, and that issues will be dealt in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect. It is the responsibility of the class teacher to ensure that the Golden Rules are enforced in their class, and that their class behaves in a responsible manner during lesson time. Role of the Governors The governing body has the responsibility of setting down general guidelines on standards of discipline and behaviour, and of reviewing their effectiveness. The governors support the headteacher in carrying out these guidelines. The headteacher has the day-to-day authority to implement the school behaviour and discipline policy, but governors may give advice to the headteacher about particular disciplinary issues. The headteacher must take this into account when making decisions about matters of behaviour. Role of the Headteacher It is the responsibility of the headteacher, under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, to implement the school behaviour policy consistently throughout the school, and to report to governors, when requested, on the effectiveness of the policy. It is also the responsibility of the headteacher to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all children in the school. The headteacher supports the staff by implementing the policy, by setting the standards of behaviour, and by supporting staff in the implementation of the policy. The headteacher keeps records of all reported serious incidents of misbehaviour and has the responsibility for giving fixed-term exclusions to individual children for serious acts of misbehaviour. For repeated or very serious acts of anti-social behaviour, the headteacher may permanently exclude a child. Appendix A
Family Support Worker Hilary Foster is our Family Support Worker. She works with us for one and a half days a week in supporting parents and children in managing any stresses and strains at home or in school. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the help Janice gives. Janice meets parents at home, is always on the end of a phone and quickly helps get problems solved.
If you are interested in Hilary's help, she can be contacted through the School Office.
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