St. Patrick’s National School

Behaviour Management Policy

Aims:

a)In devising the code consideration has been given to the particular needs and circumstances of this school. The aim is to create an ordered and safe environment in which pupils can develop self-discipline, feel secure and make progress in all aspects of their development.

b)Every effort will be made by all members of staff to adopt a positive approach to the question of behaviour in the school.

Underlying Principles

a)Parents have primary responsibility regarding the management of their child’s behaviour.

b)It is agreed that a high standard of behaviour requires a strong sense of community within the school and a high level of co-operation among the staff and between the staff, parents and pupils.

c)The adults in the school have a responsibility to model the school’s standards of behaviour, in their dealings both with students and with each other, since example is a powerful source of learning for students. Parents and teachers are expected to model the standards that students are asked to respect.

d)Every effort will be made to ensure that the code of discipline is implemented in a reasonable, fair and consistent manner.

e)Each teacher has responsibility for behaviour management on school premises within his/her own classes and working groups.

f)Overall responsibility for behaviour management within the school rests with the principal, subject to the authority of the board of management.

g)The school recognises that differences exist between pupils and between adults, and that there is a need to try and accommodate these differences.

  • Every effort will be made to match the curriculum to the abilities, aptitudes and interests of each pupil
  • Where a child has special needs, with the support and consent of parents, assistance will be sought from but not restricted to assistance from outside agencies. These may include:

The National Education Psychological Service

The Education Welfare Board

The South Eastern Area Health Board and any other relevant agency that might provide appropriate support

  • While the needs of an individual child will be addressed in so far as resources of the school will allow, in the case of very serious behaviour management problems due account will also be taken of the needs of the other pupils and of schoolstaff.

Features of our Behaviour Management Policy

AValues

BClass and School Rules based on these values

CRecognising and acknowledging good behaviour

DSanctions/Strategies for dealing with inappropriate behaviour

EProcedures

  1. VALUES–

The values that we seek to teach are consistent with the Catholic ethos of our school and are put very simply so that each child may learn them as follows:

I will be kind. I will not hurt others’ feelings.

I will be gentle, I will not hurt others.

I will listen, I will not interrupt.

I will work hard, I will not waste time.

I will be honest. I will not hide the truth.

I will respect property. I will not waste or damage things.

These values are taught repeatedly having as their basis the experiences of school life.

  1. CLASS RULES/SCHOOL RULES –

Rules are kept to a minimum so that individual discretion is fostered and developed. Each class will have a set of rules that the children and teacher will work out between them. They will be posted in the room and explained to parents as the need arises. They will be based on the above values. Some examples of possible situations that may arise are as follows:

Respect others’ feelings – name calling/excluding/making fun of/making faces at ….are forms of behaviour that can hurt feelings.

Respect others’ bodies – hitting/kicking/pushing/thumping/tripping/spitting… are forms of behaviour that hurt others physically

Talk and listen to others – ignoring people may mean that you are leaving them to cope with problems alone.

  1. RECOGNISING and ACKNOWLEDGING GOOD BEHAVIOUR –

Strategies:

1)Praise may be given by means of any of the following:

  • A quiet word or gesture to show approval
  • A comment in a pupil’s exercise book
  • A visit to another member of staff or to the Principal for commendation
  • A word of praise in front of a group or class
  • A system of merit marks
  • Delegating some special responsibility or privilege
  • A mention to parent, written or verbal communication.

2)Rewards are at the discretion of the teacher, and are kept in an appropriate place in classrooms in the belief that each person has an innate capacity for self-discipline.

  1. SANCTIONS/STRATEGIESfor dealing with inappropriate behaviour

Sanctions show disapproval of unacceptable behaviour.

The following are some of the strategies that will be adopted:

  • Reasoning with pupils
  • Reprimand (including advice on how to improve)
  • Prescribing extra work
  • Communication with parents
  • Temporary separation from peers and/or loss of privileges
  • Referral to Principal
  • Detention during break times
  • Note or card to parents/meeting with parents
  • Student placed on internal report
  • Support of outside agencies (as specified above). Every effort will be made to have an emotionally disturbed child referred for psychological assessment without delay, and help will be sought from services in the wider community. e.g. counselling.
  • Suspension/expulsion (in accordance with Rule 130 of the Rules for National Schools as amended by circular 7/88).
  1. PROCEDURES

Minor Misdemeanour

  1. Speaking out of turn in class, interrupting teaching and learning
  2. Running in school building
  3. Littering on school premises/school yard
  4. Failure to line up when bell rings
  5. Going into prohibited areas of school grounds

Verbal reprimand.

Serious Misdemeanour

  1. Repeated Minor Misdemeanours
  2. Name calling or making hurtful remarks
  3. Lying
  4. Use of bad language
  5. Writing on school furniture, walls or doors
  6. Behaviour that causes injury to others
  7. Disobedience

Sanctions:

a) Pupil completes Behaviour Reflection Form

b)Yellow card issued – to be signed by parent(s)

c) Some of strategies listed above

Gross Misdemeanour

  1. Vandalising or stealing property belonging to school, staff member or other pupil
  2. Aggressive, threatening or violent behaviour towards another pupil or staff member
  3. Verbal abuse of a fellow pupil or staff member

Sanctions:

a)Pupil completes Behaviour Reflection Form

b)Red card issued – to be signed by parent(s)

c)Some of strategies listed above

d)Suspension may be considered in line with terms of Department Circular 7/88 and 1/91

Bullying is a very serious form of misbehaviour and is dealt with separately in the School Anti-Bullying Policy.

The Card System

This system relies heavily on the understanding and co-operation of parents and is designed to enhance good home/school communication.

  • If a child receives a card, the parents should calmly find out why the card was given, express their disapproval of the particular conduct and the importance of trying to improve. Beware of attempts to justify the misconduct e.g. “Johnny was making me laugh and I got blamed in the wrong.” If in doubt, check with the class teacher.
  • Ifa child receives a red card the parent(s) of the child will be invited to a meeting with the class teacher. (child may be asked to attend part of the meeting).
  • If the child receives a second red card the parents of the child will be invited to a meeting with the Principal and the class teacher.(child may be asked to attend part of the meeting). The child will be put on internal report - the class teacher will write a behaviour report for the child each day to be signed by the parent(s). The parent(s) and child will meet with the Principal and class teacher each Friday (for three weeks) to go through the daily reports for that week.
  • If a child receives a third red card the child’s parent(s) will be requested to meet with the Chairperson of the Board of Management and the Principal. Parents will be asked to give an undertaking that their child will behave in an acceptable manner in the future. In the case of any further breach of school rules suspension will be considered in line with the terms of Department Circulars 7/88 and 1/91.
  • In the case of Category 3 Rule Infringements, the Board of Management may empower the principal to sanction an immediate suspension.
  • Expulsion will be considered only after every effort at rehabilitation has failed and every other sanction exhausted.
  • In taking such a course the Board of Management will take into consideration the rights of the child in question. However it will also seek to ensure that the rights and safety of the other children in the class and school staff are considered and safeguarded; The Health Safety and welfare of the staff will also be taken into consideration

NOTE

In formatting this policy, account has been taken of

(1)The observations of parents representative body who represent the parents of the pupils attending the school

(2)The recommendations and observations of all members of the teaching staff.

A copy of this policy has been made available to all parents.

In the belief that the most effective schools tend to be those with the best relationships with parents, every effort will be made by the principal and staff to ensure that parents are kept well informed, that the school provides a welcoming atmosphere towards parents, and that parents are told not only when their child or children misbehave but also when they have behaved particularly well.

This policy will be reviewed at agreed intervals.

RATIFICATION

This Policy was ratified by the Board of Management on 27th day of August 2008.

Signed: Eithne Condon

Chairperson – Board of Management.

Parent Information Sheet

School Day – Timetable

School Day begins9.20 a.m.

Roll Call 10.00 a.m.

School Day ends Junior Infants12.30 p.m. for the first two full weeks of the

school year, thereafter 2.00 p.m.

Senior Infants2.00 p.m.

Other Classes 3.00 p.m.

On the day of the school holidays the school closes at 12.00 noon.

Yard Supervision:Yard supervision commences at 9.10 each morning. No responsibility will be accepted for pupils arriving before that time. Classes end each day at 3.00 p.m. Where necessary arrangements should be made to collect children at 3.00 p.m. as the school cannot accept responsibility for children after this time.

Homework: It is the policy of the school to assign homework on a regular basis. Parents are strongly advised to take an active interest in their child’s homework and to sign the homework notebook each night.

Description of School Uniform: Navy skirt/pinafore/pants/jeans,

Navy jumper with school crest,

White shirt,

Red tie (optional)

It is the policy of the school to encourage the wearing of the full school uniform.

Pupils are expected to wear the full school uniform.

Absences:

When a child has been absent a note should be provided on his/her return to school to the class teacher.

Healthy Lunch:

In line with the schools healthy lunch policy, crisps, biscuits, cakes, minerals (fizzy), sweets, chewing gum are not permitted. As St. Patrick’s NationalSchool is a GreenSchool, children are encouraged to use a lunch box and a re-usable drinks container.

Slippers:

Pupils from 1st class to 6th class must have a change of footwear for in-school wear.

Entry to schoolgrounds

Entry to the school grounds by pupils/parents is only permitted through the stiles and the small gate.

Making Appointments

Parents should contact the school secretary in order to make an appointment with a class teacher or the Principal.

Covering Books

Parents should ensure that all books are covered and are well maintained.

End of year Testing

Please ensure that your child is in school on testing dates (refer to school calendar) as tests will not be administered on alternative dates.

The school believes that a high standard of behaviour requires a strong sense of community within the school and a high level of co-operation among and between staff, pupils and parents. Parents are asked to read through and discuss the School Discipline Policy with their child(ren).

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