OAKTHORPE PRIMARY SCHOOL
BEHAVIOUR POLICY AND GUIDELINES
This policy sets out the aims of the school in relation to achieving good standards of behaviour and includes the strategies to be followed. It details the systems and procedures within the organisation and management of the school to ensure that these aims and strategies are implemented effectively, monitored and reviewed. Our policy can only succeed if everyone within the school community works together to put it into practice.
BACKGROUND SUMMARY
The Behaviour Policy has been under annual review and remains a main priority within the school. We have taken into account the recent publication by our LEA: Guidelines for Dealing with Racial Incidents in Education (Sept 1997)
The framework of the Policy has remained the same but annual reviews have brought about some changes in addition to keeping new members of staff informed and involved.
THE AIMS OF THE BEHAVIOUR POLICY
Oakthorpe Primary School is a multicultural school aiming to promote true partnerships between staff, children and parents. The aim of the policy is to bring about mutual respect and tolerance.
Individuals true potential can only be achieved in a calm, safe atmosphere where energies are not wasted on disciplinary issues.
Children are motivated to learn when they are valued. We aim to provide a positive, stimulating environment which is happy and caring.
We aim to be vigilant and alert to signs of bullying and racial harassment
We actively encourage good manners, consideration and courtesy and look for opportunities whenever possible to recognise and celebrate positive behaviour.
. We believe that clear communication with clear guidelines that are understood by all involved is essential for good behaviour.
We believe that talking about behaviour both to children and parents in a constructive way is a positive reinforcement to good behaviour.
We recognise that efficient classroom management and careful planning reduces incidence of disruptive behaviour and maintains interest and motivation.
We recognise the importance of a clean, safe, bright, cheerful school with a continued effort to display children’s work attractively
We aim within our curriculum to actively establish and reinforce moral values and attitudes.
We recognise the rights of the individual and, although we are helping children to understand community values, we must, where necessary, shape the environment to suit the individual child.
We aim to provide a supportive environment with time to listen to individual children.
We believe in positively encouraging good behaviour through incentive and rewards. However, where sanctions are used, children will understand why they are used and the sanctions will be appropriate and consistent.
We see behavioural issues as much wider than the school and recognise our role in developing future responsible citizens.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
STAFF RESPONSIBILITY
a) It is the Head Teacher’s statutory duty under section 22 of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986 to decide how acceptable standards of behaviour are going to be achieved and to take the lead in defining these standards.
b) It is the Head Teacher’s responsibility to inform Governors and to involve Governors where appropriate in the Behaviour Policy.
c) All staff have responsibility for maintaining good behaviour throughout the school and ensuring standards are consistently applied.
d) Staff have a responsibility to support each other in disciplinary matters.
e) Staff have a responsibility to provide good role models.
f) Staff have a responsibility to treat any racial or bullying incident(s) as unacceptable.
g) Staff have a responsibility to follow the schools behaviour policy but, when appropriate, to bring about revisions that might help to make it more effective.
PUPILS RESPONSIBILITY
a) We believe that children can be trusted to act responsibly and should be given opportunities to do so, such as: Library Monitors - help organise and maintain the School Library.
Year 6 children act as wet play monitors, dinner monitors and playground ‘friends’
Children have a responsibility to follow the School Charter which was developed by children and agreed by the School’s Council.
The establishment of the school council gives children a voice. Each half-term class messengers attend the council, chaired by a member of staff, and raise any issues that are of interest to them that can make the school a better place.
Two elected members of the council are invited to attend a full Governing Body Meeting once a year and provide a report of the Council’s activity. The Children’s Council is also expected to prepare a report for the School Development Plan.
The Behaviour Incentive Award, presented weekly, places a tremendous responsibility on every child to do their part in maintaining good standards of behaviour. In particular we ask older children to take on the responsibility of role models for all children.
PARENTS RESPONSIBILITY
Parents are crucial in shaping attitudes which produce good behaviour.
We believe the school must maintain positive channels of communication with parents so that they are well informed and can play their part in the three way partnership.
We ask parents to familiarise themselves with school procedures and rules and to accept a degree of accountability for their children’s behaviour. e.g. damage to school equipment.
If a child cannot act responsibly at lunchtime and acts in a way where his/her or other children’s safety is at risk, the school reserves the right to insist that parents accept responsibility for their children during this period.
GOVERNORS’ RESPONSIBILITY
Governors can make a positive contribution to the development and monitoring of school policy.
Parent Governors in particular have an important role in clarifying the school’s policy position and in providing a channel of communication for the parents.
IMPORTANT ISSUES IN MAINTAINING GOOD BEHAVIOUR
School Rules
School rules will be kept to a minimum and aim to promote self discipline. These are detailed in Addendum 1 and will be communicated as follows.
Communication
We believe it is important to provide clear communication, between all interested parties, on the rules required to bring about good behaviour.
We need to communicate the school behaviour policy to all interested parties associated with the school. These will include governors, parents, all staff, particularly those new to the school, and children. We believe in a consistent approach, which allows for flexibility, which is clearly understood by all parties.
Channels of communication
d) Staff handbook, Parents brochure, trainees handbook, Web Site, parent forums, meetings, newsletters, school council, assemblies, curriculum (e.g. citizenship), pupil/staff interaction
Staff / Pupil Ratio
We believe that children require individual attention and in behaviour issues they need a “fair hearing”. A priority within our budget is to increase the PSR (Pupil / Staff Ratio).
This allows staff more time to deal with incidents. It prevents the blanket approach where whole classes have to endure the enquiries that could be focused on the individual or the group. It also reduces staff stress and makes it easier to keep order.
Special Needs
We need to identify achievement and goals more clearly for pupils of all abilities and maintain motivation through appropriately planned work. (Differentiation and Appropriate grouping)
Through the provision of a broad curriculum we believe that all children can develop their talents and achieve success.
Some children come to our school with particular behaviour problems. We have a special responsibility towards these children to understand their problems, and with appropriate support, to target our resources to meet their needs. In this way the needs of the majority of well behaved children will also be met.
Bullying
Bullying is deliberately hurtful behaviour which is often repeated over a period of time where the innocent victim is unable to defend, him or her self.
It takes 3 main forms:
Physical : hitting, kicking and taking belongings
Verbal : name calling, racism and insults
Indirect : excluding someone, spreading nasty stories
Racial Incidents
The Race Relations Act 1976, Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 makes it unlawful to discriminate either directly or indirectly on the ground of race against anyone in the field of education. Racial grounds includes race, colour, nationality, citizenship and ethnic or national origin.
Racism not only relates to the individual concerned but, by inference, extends to their family and their ethnic community as a whole.
Racial incidents can take a variety of forms:-
name calling - insults, jokes, taunts on the basis of race.
racist graffiti - on walls, books, desks, school bags
literature - books, comics or leaflets
comments - in discussion during a lesson
refusal to co-operate or work with a member of different ethnic group
threat or actual physical assault because of a pupil’s colour or ethnicity.
All incidents of racial harassment are recorded.
We tackle bullying and racial harassment with reference to Learning for All (CRE) and Stand up to Racism (LEA) employing a range of strategies:
1. We promote a positive happy atmosphere in school where children are listened to by staff.
2. We promote an ethos that identifies the school as a community that works together. This is reinforced by:
· Behaviour points and a weekly trophy
· ‘Child of the Week’ assembly ( weekly)
3. Assemblies and Collective Worship develop themes such as “friendship” for modelling behaviour.
4. Story, drama and Curriculum Weeks provide many opportunities for role play and discussion around moral issues.
5. Through recognition and celebration of the school’s diverse cultures, languages and religions children are helped to understand and respect each other so that there is less likelihood that children from ethnic minorities will suffer racism.
However, all children should be aware that bullying or racism will not be tolerated and sanctions will follow.
CHILDREN UNDERSTAND AND ARE FREQUENTLY REMINDED NOT TO SUFFER BULLYING OR RACISM IN SILENCE - THEY MUST TELL.
It is important that when children do tell, action follows. Victims will be supported and be made aware of the action taken.
DEALING WITH INCIDENTS
Whilst believing in good behaviour through incentives and rewards and the celebrating of good models of behaviour, it is clear that at times punishment will be necessary and as long as it is fair and consistent and the reason for it is understood, it will be accepted as a vital part of the school’s behaviour policy.
It would be impossible to describe every type of pupil misbehaviour and prescribe a punishment. Often this will depend on particular circumstances and there must be flexibility within consistency. However, teachers should be aware of the degree of seriousness and the relevant punishment.
Minor incidents might include:-
Running in corridors, talking in class, assembly, talking out of turn, general rowdiness or unruliness, verbal abuse to other pupil, aggressive act to another pupil, distracting others, cheeky or rude comments to a member of staff, physical distraction (e.g.: breaking object), ‘soft swearing’, making unnecessary noise, unintentional racism, calculated idleness.
These could be dealt with by a variety of approaches or sanctions:
· Showing disapproval though reasoning with them either in class in front of other pupils or alone
· Removing a behaviour point or house point
· Keeping a pupil in at break
· Work appropriate to the offence
· Sending pupil out of class or positioning pupil on their own
· Removing a privilege
· Discussion with class about things that are going wrong
· Sending pupil to Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher or year colleague
More serious incidents will be recorded and might include:
Frequent occurrence of minor incidents, intentional racism, violent acts, stealing, running away from school, flagrant cheekiness or ignoring of school rules, persistent bullying, rudeness to members of staff.
These should be dealt with by:
· Informing Head Teacher or Senior Management Team
· Informing parents and arrange an interview
· Agreeing a plan of action
· Preparing a written report (Learning Support Plan)
· Reviewing behaviour at agreed intervals
Very serious incidents might include any of the above or combinations of the above and may involve the pupil in exclusion from the school.
They may be excluded:
· During the lunch break
· For a fixed period
· On a permanent basis
The school follows the LEA guidelines on exclusion. In the past twenty years only one child has been excluded and the policy of this school is that exclusion is only ever used as a final solution.
PLEASE REFER TO:-
· Parents’ Handbook
· Staff Handbook
· Induction Policy
· Equal Opportunities Statement
· Report 114 - Policy for Exclusion (held in the office)
· Bullying “Don’t Suffer in Silence”
· Health and Safety Policy
· Aims of School
· Guidelines for Dealing With Racial Incidents in Education - LEA Publication
· See Assembly Themes and RE Guidelines
ADDENDUM 1.
Rules and Procedures
The procedures will be reviewed and updated regularly and published in:
d) Staff Handbook
e) Trainees Handbook
f) Parents Brochure
g) Oakthorpe’s LGfL website
They will be communicated to parents as necessary, but initially at the meeting to new parents to the school. It will be the responsibility of the Induction coordinator/Teacher Tutor/Mentor to inform new members of staff/trainees/other visitors of the procedures and their responsibility within them.
CORRIDOR POSITIONS
We are aware that pupil movement from the playground to classrooms and along corridors during the school day constitutes potential ‘trouble spots’.
All members of staff are given corridor positions and children are requested to WALK on the left-hand side in single file.
Staff are required to be in position before the children enter the school and to use the opportunity to welcome the children and thus promote a friendly, happy atmosphere.
The Senior Management Team will monitor corridor positions and publish an up-to-date list at the beginning of each academic year.
THE LUNCH BREAK
Research shows that the supervision of pupils at lunchtime is the biggest single behaviour-related problem and needs to be regularly monitored and reviewed.
The following measures are employed to provide an enjoyable break with the minimum of risk to safety and with equal opportunities in mind.
Children will eat their meals (cooked meals or sandwiches) in the two halls. Reception age children, Years 1 and 2 will have their dinners first. Years 3 / 4 / 5 / and Year 6 classes will play in the playground until they are fetched in by a dinner supervisor.