Whinstone Primary School

Behaviour Management Policy

Written March 2014

Last Revision December 2017

1. Introduction

At Whinstone Primary School we strive towards creating a positive, caring and secure learning environment where good behaviour is encouraged. We aspire to be a respectful community where all members feel valued and are confident and active learners, ensuring that we all reach our true potential and nobody gets left behind their peers.

An essential part of promoting the required self-esteem, self-discipline and positive relationships is the consistency of response to both positive and negative behaviours by all school staff.

Managing the behaviour of the learners in our school is a corporate responsibility of all adults in school. We encourage children to take responsibility for their actions from the earliest years. We recognise the importance of a positive approach to the behaviour of children in school. The purpose of this policy is to give a clear code of conduct for the use of all members of Whinstone School community. It has been put together after discussion with all staff and governors and reflects our shared values and principles. This policy is responsive to changes within the school and is kept under review.

We believe that it is important:

  • for the happiness and smooth running of our school, that we foster positive caring attitudes to one another and for our environment
  • to acknowledge that every individual has a part to play within the school and talents that should be valued
  • to support each member who needs help and encouragement, in particular nurturing their self-esteem;
  • to listen with care to the views and opinions of others
  • that we respond in a polite thoughtful manner to one another
  • that we each fulfil our responsibilities whether as pupil or adult with regard to:
    i) punctuality
    ii) completing tasks to the best of our ability
    iii) taking responsibility for our buildings and equipment;
    iv) co operation with, and showing respect for others

By emphasising positive behaviour in and around school we expect an orderly environment that encourages children to react in a positive and caring way.

We believe the involvement of parents is integral in encouraging positive behaviours and attitudes to learning, working alongside parents to address such issues is a key part of the behaviour policy. Parents are willing to support their child and school if they are informed of concerns at an early stage.

2. Rules

Consideration of others, showing respect for all members of the school, communityand those outside is greatly emphasised. We encourage pupils to take responsibilityfor their own actions and to grow in self-discipline and to move around the school in aquiet and orderly way to ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone.

Our ‘Golden Rules’ are based on the positive:-

  1. Be gentle(Do not hurt anybody)
  2. Do work hard (Do not waste your time)
  3. Do be honest (Do not hide the truth)
  4. Do look after property(Do not waste or damage things)
  5. Do be kind and helpful(Do not upset people)

3. Encouraging Good Behaviour
It is essential to encourage appropriate behaviour in school.

It is vital that all adults in school are consistent in their response to both positive and negative behaviour. Two ways that we try to encourage good behaviour are through the use of praise and a system of rewards.

3.1 Praise
As a general rule, adults should aim to give at least twice as much praise as censure. Adults should make a deliberate effort to “catch children being good”. Praise can be given in formal and informal ways, in public or in private, for maintenance of good standards as well as for particular achievements and improvements. The idea of what is appropriate school behaviour is not automatically learned, and we must help to show children what is acceptable behaviour.

3.2 Rewards
The use of a range of rewards for children is also effective. Amongst those used at present are:

  • positive comments in appropriate “child speak” or "smiley faces" on children's work
  • public praise, in front of peers
  • private praise for those children who eschew public praise
  • "Good Work" Assemblies on Friday mornings where mention and note is made of good examples both work and behaviour. Each class teacher chooses at least one member of his or her class to praise with a certificate. Each pupil should receive at least one certificate each school year.
  • In Key Stage 2, any child receiving a certificate in the achievement assembly may play on the playground equipment on Fridays
  • Stickers and/or House Points for particular achievements
  • Sharing achievements with other adults
  • Sharing achievements with parents
  • Children being sent to Team Leaders/Assistant Headteacher/Deputy Headteacher and Headteacher to share and celebrate achievements

House Teams & House Points are awarded for both positive behaviour and work. There are four house groups based on 4 of the original farms where Ingleby Barwick is now built. (Myton Farm, Quarry Farm, Round Hill, Sober Hall). These houses are made up of children from each year group with siblings being in the same House. Children are placed in Houses at the start of Reception. At the beginning of the year children from Year 6 are voted as House Captains. House Captains must set good examples and be role models for other pupils to follow. Individual children collect house/team points and these contribute to their house. Each week in the Friday Key Stage assembly the cup is awarded to the house with the most points.

3.3Whole School Strategies for Promoting Positive Behaviour

The whole school strategies scaffold positive behaviour:

Routines/approaches

  • Catch children being good!
  • Desired behaviour is politely and clearly requested.
  • Look for desired behaviour and praise, e.g. praise the children sitting well and request the desired behaviour
  • Use please and thank-you at every opportunity
  • Constant reminders about positive behaviour and expectations
  • Punctuality – in class, lesson timing, etc. – minimise ‘hot spots’ evolving
  • Pupils view adults as mediating win-win situation
  • Reject negative behaviour not the child
  • Informal conversations with parents to celebrate good behaviour (particularly useful in the EYFS and KS1 at the end of the day, parents collecting)

Our School Councilis made up of one pupil from each of the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 classes. The pupils are voted in by peers in their class. The council provides a platform for debate and ownership of the school and its development. The school council meets at least once per half-term to discuss issues and to put forward ideas and views from their class. Class representatives are given time to feedback to their class each week. Pupils sitting on the school council should set a good example and be role models for peers. All school council and house captains wear badges.

Our Behaviour policy works through a principle of “non-retaliation”, i.e. if a child is hurt or upset we discourage hitting/shouting back but encourage them to tell an adult who can then work on the solution and take appropriate action.

Circle time offers children the opportunity to discuss issues and feelings that may arise around friendship, feelings and behaviour in the classroom and playground. It offers children opportunities to listen, and be listened to in a structured way. It allows and encourages children to participate in a group. Circle time provides time for social skills to be developed, builds confidence and self- esteem while encouraging children to show respect for and value each other. Circles should promote solution based approach to problems; look for win-win situations and learning opportunities.

PHSE and Citizenship is taught throughout the school. This is also developed during assemblies. Through this subject the children cover a wide variety of topics such as our bodies, road safety, caring for others etc. Once a year our year six pupils take part in a citizenship programme organised by the local police.

Assemblies promote the celebration of achievement and success. Stories, performances and discussions are used to promote the golden rules and school ethos.

Displays should promote and celebrate positive behaviour. House points should be clearly displayed along with guidelines on the awarding of rewards. Posters should be displayed throughout the school made by the children, or showing photographs of children following golden rules.

School Environment

  • Golden Rules on display in every classroom and referred to regularly
  • Celebration of success, awards, work on display throughout the school
  • Classroom displays to celebrate rewards and reinforce targets
  • Positive communication skills modelled at all times by all staff
  • Physical environment supports pupil behaviour (tables, space)

Rights Respecting Schools Whinstone Primary School is a Rights Respecting Schools school, through structured lessons and the general ethos of the school children are made aware of their rights. Articles 19 (the right to not be harmed, be looked after and kept safe) and 28 (the right to learn and go to school) relate directly to behaviour

4. Unacceptable Behaviour
There is no place for the following types of behaviour at Whinstone Primary School and these must always be consistently dealt with:

  • violence
  • bullying, including cyber-bullying
  • prejudice-based harassment and bullying related to SEN, sexual orientation, sex, race, religion, gender reassignment and disability as defined by The Equality Act 2010
  • vandalism
  • rudeness
  • bad language
  • stealing
  • lying
  • Behaviour that results in non-completion of assigned work – at school or at home.

Solutions should also offer support to the perpetrator to take a more positive future role within the school.

4.1 Potential Problems
Problems with behaviour are more likely at certain times of the day, usually when children are not actively involved in the structure of the classroom. We should all be aware of the potential for problems and try to minimise them. Such times include:

i) moving around the school: at busy times adults and children should keep to the left-hand side of corridors
ii) waiting in line, i.e. going into hall or into lunch
iii) using the cloakrooms
iv) visiting the toilets

Problems can be defused by removing individual children from a possible conflict situation not as a punishment but in order to prevent a problem occurring. For example this could be managed positively by arranging for certain children to have a class responsibility – giving out resources for the next lesson etc – as the rest of the class use the cloakroom.

4.2 Playtimes
Playtimes and lunchtimes can be problematic for children, as they are less structured times in school but outside the normal classroom environment. School rules will apply at playtimes as well as during the rest of the school day.

Lunchtime supervisors should be treated with the same respect as other adults in the school and should use the school system of rewards and sanctions.

Serious occurrences of "Unacceptable Behaviour" described above taking place at lunchtime should be reported to the member of staff on lunch duty in the first instance. It is their discretion whether they deal with the incident and/or involve the relevant Teacher/ Team Leader / Deputy Headteacher/Headteacher. Class teachers should always be informed of any misdemeanour by children in their own class so they can monitor patterns of behaviour and work pro-actively to improve behaviour.

5. Sanctions
When rules are broken, there must be a system of appropriate sanctions. Staff should record misbehaviours and sanctions applied in the school CPOMS system. Where possible, sanctions should be seen to match the offence in order to be most effective.

The adult responsible for the child will deal with minor infringements at the time. Sanctions to be used may include:

  • teacher disapproval
  • verbal rebuke
  • repetition of task, including sending children caught running in school back to their start point
  • loss of privilege (e.g. Playtime detention in own classrooms, removal from school clubs, loss of responsibilities)
  • "Time out" i.e. separated from the rest of the class but must be supervised; separated at playtimes by standing against the wall
  • Discussing concerns with parents

5.1 Managing Classroom Misbehaviour

If a child behaves inappropriately firstly, a ‘look’ of disapproval is given. The desired behaviour is requested politely and peers are praised for appropriate behaviour.

A clear request for the desired behaviour should be given with a reason for rejecting the negative behaviour (eg “NAME” could you sit up straight please, it will help your handwriting).

If the undesired behaviour persists and the behaviours continue the child is sent to paired class until the end of the lesson - Appendix 1. (This must not become a habit or used for minor issues as itwill soon become devalued as a sanction). The child is sent to the partner class with work. A responsible child from the class may be sent ahead of the child being excluded from the lesson to inform the receiving teacher who is coming.

The receiving teacher will accommodate the child, but would not have to ask questions about why the child is there. Only send one child at a time to individual classes.

The child will be sent back to his/her class at the end of the session unless otherwise specified.

If a child refuses to leave a classroom, the responsible child will inform the Deputy Headteacher.

i)if teaching, ensure their own class is appropriately supervised by a neighbouring teacher or Teaching Assistant as they go to collect the child or

ii)ii) send information to the Headteacher.

If a child is sent to another classroom for poor behaviour a note – appendix 2 – should be sent home with the child on the same day and a reply expected. Any time-outs given need to be recorded in the school CPOMs database. If a child receives 3 time-outs within a term then this will instigate a parent-teacher meeting to discuss the behaviours shown and to seek a way forward. If, following the parent-teacher meeting, a further 3 time-outs are needed within the same term then this will require the Team leader to be involved in a formal way. The Team Leader will meet with parents to identify shared strategies to help the pupil to behave in a more reasonable way. If this also proves unsuccessful then the DHT/HT will become involved. At all stages Team Leaders must be kept informed of any time outs given.

More serious contravention of rules and instances of "unacceptable behaviour" must be dealt with in a more formal way, should this be necessary parents must be informed.

  • parents will be invited to come into school by the class teacher to discuss the child’s difficulties and to work out a joint plan of action, e.g. at the end of the school day, or a written invitation in the homework diary. The Team Leader should be informed by the class teacher of the outcomes of this meeting and the Team leader should inform the Assistant Headteacher and Headteacher
  • referral to Team leader
  • use of "Behaviour Charts”
  • discussion between parents and Team Leader
  • withdrawal of a major privilege
  • referral to Deputy Head/Headteacher
  • letter to parents from Headteacher/Deputy Headteacher
  • formal interview with parents by Headteacher/Deputy Headteacher/
  • possible use of outside agencies for persistent misbehaviour
  1. Positive Handling

This paragraph has been written using guidance, “Use of reasonable force advice for headteachers, staff and governing bodies July 2013”

All paid staff at the school retain the legal power to use reasonable force in the application of this policy – Please also refer to the school Positive Handling Policy December 2017.

Force is used to either control or restrain pupils in situations that are deemed to be disruptive, dangerous or unsafe either to the pupil in question or others. To control pupils this may be passive contact, for example standing between pupils or blocking a pupil’s path. Pupils may be controlled through active physical contact, for example leading/guiding a pupil out of a classroom.

Staff should always try to employ de-escalation techniques before considering the use of force. Staff should always try to avoid acting in a way which might cause injury. It is a matter of professional judgment and dynamic risk assessment as to when force is used and the degree of forced used. Examples of when reasonable force may be used include:

  • Preventing a pupil leaving the classroom when leaving could put the pupil at risk or disrupt others
  • Preventing a pupil from attacking a member of staff or another pupil , or to stop a fight
  • Restraining a pupil at risk of harming themselves
  • Removing a disruptive child from a class when they have refused to do so
  • Preventing a pupil behaving in such a way that disrupts a school event, visit etc.

Restraining pupils could entail holding a pupil to bring his/her behaviours under control. All paid staff must remember that they are acting in loco parentis and as such must use common sense and act proportionately in any situation. Reasonable force is when no more force than necessary is needed is used.