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Behaviour Policy

Approved by Governors: C and A meeting Summer 2014

Updated: 30/04/14

Review Date: C and A Meeting Summer 2015


Aims

Establish procedures and approaches that celebrate and promote positive behaviour

Promote the right of all children and adults to feel valued and respected

Acknowledge the right of all to feel safe and secure

Treat everyone fairly, politely and consistently

Encourage positive self-esteem

Involve all staff and children in drawing up and regularly reviewing clear, agreed rules for positive behaviour within classes, and throughout the school

Encourage children to take responsibility for their actions and to consider the consequences of their actions

Support those with behavioural difficulties

Follow recognised procedures for dealing with persistently inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour

Ensure that staff, governors, children and parents are kept informed of the procedures

Where necessary, liaise with parents and other outside agencies

Philosophy

Good behaviour and discipline are essential to successful teaching and learning.

Good behaviour goes beyond simply maintaining order. It also involves helping children to grow up with a clear view of what is right and wrong and enabling them to appreciate the needs of others and of the society around them.

It is our aim to encourage the children to recognise that they must accept responsibility for their own actions. We recognise the vital part that our school plays in promoting the spiritual, cultural, social and physical development of the children.

The ethos of our school as a caring, happy, family community which values and respects the views and actions of children, is fundamental to the promotion of good behaviour. Values such as respect for others, for property and the environment; honesty; trust and fairness; tolerance and compassion and the virtues of self-respect form the cornerstone of our behaviour policy.

We believe that all staff and children need to be involved in drawing up and regularly reviewing agreed rules aimed to promote positive behaviour and a child’s entitlement to be taught in a safe, calm and ordered environment- an environment in which children are ready to, and are able to learn.

We believe that the children need to know and understand the boundaries of acceptable behaviour. We therefore aim to present our behaviour procedures as a short set of simple rules. We also believe that children learn by example as well as rule. Teachers and parents have a substantial responsibility in the setting of a good example to children and our expectation is that this will always be the case. Every effort is made to praise good behaviour in school and to emphasise the positive in order to promote self esteem.

Praise can be given in a number of ways

  • A quiet word or encouraging smile.
  • A written comment on a child’s work.
  • A visit to another member of staff for commendation.
  • A public word of praise in front of a group, a class, or the whole school.
  • Communication with the child’s parents.

In order for children to understand the boundaries of acceptable behaviour there is a whole school approach to ‘Circle Time’. This takes place as part of the P.S.H.C.E curriculum and when a teacher sees it necessary to consolidate the three ‘rights’ established with all of the children in school.

All children and adults in our school have:

  • The ‘right’ to teach and learn
  • The ‘right’ to be respected
  • The ‘right’ to be safe.

Circle Time offers the opportunity to reflect on these targets and to discuss problems and explore feelings. Staff and children celebrate personal and social achievements and conflicts are resolved through supportive, open and frank discussions.

In addition to praise for positive behaviour there is a clearly understood system of rewards.

  • ‘Golden Time’ for children on Friday afternoon for approximately 20 minutes- activities negotiated with the children.
  • Special tasks and responsibilities – established at the start of the year.
  • Earning of 5 minutes longer break time.
  • Certificates presented in sharing assembly for outstanding performance/effort/contribution
  • Outstanding performance postcards from headteacher sent home- ‘Golden Oak’ badge to be worn by the child for the following week/s.
  • Buddy responsibilities
  • Showing visitors around school

Negative behaviour often stems from personal problems or difficulties. It is our aim therefore, to establish the reasons for inappropriate behaviour so that we may then respond, following an agreed and graduated whole school approach when dealing with the problem. ( Please see ‘Procedures for behavioural consequences’ for more information).

In addition to these sanctions the following list contains a range of alternative sanctions which may be applied when appropriate. Whilst the list generally starts with the least serious, there is no attempt to put them into precise value order.

  • Immediate checking of misbehaviour, including verbal and non-verbal indications of disapproval.
  • A minor penalty, where possible relevant to the offence, such as picking up litter for those who drop it.
  • Repeated, or extra, work where the presentation or content of work is clearly below the child’s potential.
  • Loss of privileges, such as membership of clubs.
  • Repair of wilful damage and/or payment for it.
  • Referral to Deputy Head/Head.
  • Parental consultation. This should come at an early stage and has triple advantage of being a sanction, of throwing more light on the problem behind the misbehaviour and of providing joint/ consistent action between school and home, thus preventing the children from playing off one against the other.
  • Withdrawal from a class or from all lessons for a period. This will involve supervision by another member of staff.
  • Fixed term, Indefinite or Permanent Exclusion under the 1986 Act.

Violent Behaviour in School

The first duty is of care. Participants must be separated as quickly as possible.

Medical attention to injured persons should have priority. In the case of an injury the parents/next of kin of the person should be informed immediately of:

  1. The incident
  2. Any first aid treatment administered
  3. Where relevant, the hospital to which the person has been taken.

The details of the incident must be entered into the School Accident Book. Teachers and other staff, who intervene physically, often on the spur of the moment to avert an immediate danger, will be protected in the eye of the law, provided they use reasonable and moderate force.

Positive Handling

Several members of staff have been trained in positive handling. These staff have the skills and knowledge to use positive handling strategies and holds correctly to facilitate a calming of the situation and to ensure no child or adult is physically hurt or put at risk of being hurt.

Any incident of positive handling will be kept with the central file located in the head teacher’s office.

Bullying

See bullying policy

Involvement of External Support Services

The School will establish close relationships with external support services such as Educational Welfare, Psychological, Parent Partnership, Social and Community Services and Police so that background understanding of the needs of the child and the provision of the right support can be achieved. Parents should be aware of any involvement of an external advisor and must fully understand the reasons for seeking further support.

We believe that close co-operation with parents is important. This discipline policy will be most effective where there is parental support and understanding and this will established and developed through regular and open communication between home and school.

Behaviour Support

It is essential, as with all policies, that there is a whole school approach to promoting positive behaviour among all of the children in our school. All approaches to discipline in school will need to be positive, respectful and consistent to be successful. All staff, governors, parents and children are aware of the procedures and practices. The close liaison with parents by individual class teachers is naturally important in continuing to develop the partnership between home and school.

We believe the ethos of our school as a caring, happy, family community that values and respects the views and actions of all, is fundamental to the good behaviour in our school. Values based upon respect for others, for property and the environment; honesty; trust and fairness; tolerance and compassion and the virtues of self-respect, form the cornerstones of our behaviour policy. This links directly to our school vision statement and our drive to ensure that “Together Everyone Achieves More”.

With these principles in mind, our intention in implementing this policy is to promote and reward positive behaviour amongst all of our children, and continue to ensure our children’s entitlement to be taught in a safe, calm, ordered environment- an environment in which children are ready to, and are able to learn.

The first stage of our approach has been to confirm the moral compass shown above. It revolves around rights, responsibility, rules and respect. All of these, we believe, are fundamental to ensure positive relationships and understanding in our school.

We have agreed to adopt the acorn as our whole school symbol for a positive behavioural reward within each of the classes.

For all positive behaviour/work/efforts an acorn will be given to individuals/groups/classes.

Within a 1 week period a class will aim to achieve 50 acorns (Recorded on an A4 sheet in the class). Reception/Yr 1 may wish to use actual acorns.

At the end of the time scale, if the class has achieved their target, they will have earned their ‘Golden time.’

Outlined below is a framework for the REWARDS for appropriate behaviour and CONSEQUENCES for negative behaviour.

Rewards and Privileges

‘Golden Time’ for children on Friday afternoon for approximately 20 minutes- activities negotiated with the children.

Special tasks and responsibilities – established at the start of the year.

Earning of 5 minutes longer break time.

Certificates/Head Teacher’s certificate presented in sharing assembly for outstanding performance/effort/contribution.

Outstanding performance postcards from Head Teacher sent home.

For particularly outstanding contributions ‘Praise Postcards’ will be awarded by the Head Teacher and delivered to the child via the Royal Mail.

Consequences- A graduated and positive approach.

Inappropriate behaviour often stems from low self esteem or personal problems and difficulties. It is our aim, therefore, to establish the reasons for inappropriate behaviour and deal with each situation accordingly, encouraging the children to take responsibility for their actions. Within this supportive framework, there will be a graduated and positive approach to behavioural consequences.

In order to promote positive behaviour and discourage negative behaviour we have introduced a traffic lights system, a simplified version of which is identified below.

TRAFFIC LIGHTS SYSTEM

All of the children begin the day in the golden zone- this means that they are working well as a member of the class team and entitled to a 20 minute ‘Golden Time’ on Friday afternoon. If problems then occur the consequences are progressive.

Following a reminder (Warning 1) about rules or appropriate behaviour, children are expected to change their behaviour. If this does not happen, they will be moved to green on the traffic lights (they have been asked to change their behaviour), then Stage 2 ( amber), and Stage 3 (red).

STAGE 3 ↑ / / RED / Children would move into the ‘red’ zone for the day if they failed to respond to the advice they had been given. The consequences are that they lose 20 minutes of their lunch time to complete a ‘think sheet’ and also lose 10 minutes of Friday ‘Golden Time.’
STAGE 2 ↑ / / AMBER / Children will move into the ‘amber’ zone for the day if after the warning, they then continue with negative actions and have to be told to change any of their behaviour. The consequences are that they lose a ‘break time and complete a ‘think sheet’.
STAGE 1 ↑ / / GREEN / Children will move into the ‘green’ zone for the day if, after a reminder (Warning 1), they need to be asked to change their behaviour.

Persistent inappropriate and extreme behaviour will result in:

  • Child being sent to the Deputy Head to discuss their behaviour if they appear in the red zone in any week.
  • Child being sent to the Head Teacher to discuss their behaviour if they appear in the red zone twice in any week.(A phone call/ discussion between the teacher and parent will take place, with a view to preventing further negative behaviour).
  • A letter will be sent home to parents if a child appears in the red zone more than three times in a half term or the orange zone on 5 occasions in a half term.
  • Parents will be invited into school to discuss problems with the class teacher/ Head Teacher.if they appear in the red zone.
  • Child being given a Behaviour Improvement Plan (BIP) to be supported by the school and home

More Serious and inappropriate negative behaviour will result in being moved to ‘immediate red’ if their behaviour is putting themselves or other children in any harm, emotional or physical.

A fixed term or permanent exclusion will be enforced for dangerous, offensive or aggressive behaviour. In these circumstances this would be applied following the school’s exclusions policy.

As part of our policy, ‘Circle Time’ will happen in each class on a weekly basis. Circle Time offers the opportunity for children to reflect on values and explore their feelings. Staff and children will use this time as a vehicle to celebrate personal and social achievements and resolve conflicts through supportive, open and frank discussions.

We aim to continue to develop our partnership with parents in relation to these policies and procedures and are committed to maintaining the positive and informal dialogue that already exists between staff and parents.

Dealing with children’s questions or concerns

Often children will come to you with minor problems or issues. This is a positive move on their part and they obviously feel comfortable telling you. They are looking for your help in resolving the situation before a problem occurs or because they no longer feel they can resolve the situation on their own. We need to be sure that:

  • They children feel like they have been taken seriously and their concerns are important.
  • We support the child to solve the problem in a calm manner.
  • We follow the behaviour policy when dealing with issues.

Safety with equipment

Children should not lift heavy equipment such as boxes of jenga blocks. Adults to supervise and follow safe lifting techniques.

Rewards include:

  • Pebbles given by midday staff and collected by the children for a Friday assembly.
  • Names in Positive Behaviour book.
  • Certificates in assembly for fantastic playground behaviour.
  • Positive verbal praise- constant praise used throughout the break time to positively reinforce good behaviour. Look constantly to approaching individuals and groups of children to praise them for their good behaviour and play. This praise might be for:

-a good game

-a pleasant manner

-including everyone in a game

-speaking in a friendly/ kind manner

-being helpful

Consequences:

  1. Reminders in relation to appropriate behaviour
  1. WARNING 1- ‘I am now asking………..
  1. WARNING 2- This is now a 2 minute time –out (INFANTS), 5 minute time out (JUNIORS) Child needs to sit on a bench. Before being reintroduced into the playground the staff member needs to be explicit about the behaviour expected.

This needs to begin ……‘I am now telling/ expecting

  1. WARNING 3- Child now needs to be sent into school to be dealt with by the class teacher, deputy head or Head Teacher. This will result in moving up the school traffic lights system at ‘amber’ for the day. It will also mean the loss of 15 minutes of the next break time to complete a ‘BREAK TIME THINK SHEET.’

If a child is repeatedly at warning 2, (3 times in a week) this needs to be communicated to the class teacher, as this too will warrant being on the ‘AMBER’ (or the next available) traffic light in class.

Children’s Toilet Visits

Children need to request a coloured band from the member of staff on duty before going to the toilet. Children should not be visiting the toilet without the approval from a member of staff (being given a coloured band).Bands should not be given for entry to classrooms, cloakrooms etc.

First Aid and dealing with injuries or illness

If a child is injured or unwell whilst on the playground, the member of staff on duty needs to assess the need for action following the steps outlined below:

  1. Does this child need emergency treatment from a first aider?

If ‘yes’ depending on the severity of the injury:

  • The child needs to be taken inside to be dealt with by a first aider.
  • If in any doubt about whether the injury could be made worse by moving the child- be sure not to move them. Two children should be asked to go the staff room and ask for a ‘red first aider’ to come to the site of the injury. This tells the staff that this is an emergency. The staff member on playground duty should stay with the child.

If ‘no’ – Does the child need to be seen by a first aider? You will need to assess here the severity of the injury. The questions you ask and your assessment of how the child is feeling will determine for you whether the child needs to be seen by a first aider. ( NB- bangs to the head must be dealt with by a first aider. A letter will always go home to parents in this case).

Questions/ Points to consider in assessing the need for a first aider include: