Behaviour Policy

 

General Statement

The maintenance of good discipline is essential for the growth, welfare and development of pupils. Our school sees itself and parents as partners in the education of their child. We are always ready to discuss and consult with parents on their child’s progress whether or not there is a problem. Parents are regularly kept informed of pupils’ progress.

The promotion of good behaviour is the responsibility of every member of staff, no matter what their role is within the school.  Every member of staff must be aware of the need to promote an ethos of praise and encouragement. Behaviour improvements can only take place where relationships are good between pupils and staff. No member of staff should walk away from or ignore poor behaviour or any child not adhering to the school rules.

The development of good behaviour is based on the same principles as the development of good teaching:-

  • be clear about expectations.
  • make appropriate demands according to the ability of the child.
  • praise and encourage effort constantly,
  • focus on the positive,
  • move on quickly after a misdemeanour or mistake.

A whole school approach to behaviour management provides a structure to ensure the following:

  • The promotion of a caring atmosphere and an acceptance of one’s own responsibility
  • Good behaviour and the elimination of bullying, racism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of prejudice
  • The promotion of an effective learning environment
  • The fostering of co-operation, acceptance and respect for each other and the environment
  • The fostering of self esteem and achievement of individual potential
  • The belief that behaviour can change

Knowledge of the expectations we have of pupil behaviour together with a system of rewards and sanctions will encourage children to behave appropriately. All members of staff (teaching and non-teaching) will apply the system we have fairly and consistently. All children will come to know and understand the behaviour expected of them together with the consequences to be applied for choosing not to follow them.

We will remember when establishing a pupil’s reason for misbehaviour, that focusing solely on the behaviour and not on the reason behind it may treat the symptom and not the cause. Therefore we will always be flexible enough to treat individual cases where reasonable, while not undermining the inherent structure of rewards and sanctions. 

Policy Document

 What is the purpose of this document?

 Our policy provides a clear statement of how we manage pupil behaviour.

It is the framework all staff at our school to ensure our children achieve their full potential.

What are the principles that underpin our Behaviour Policy?

At Pilgrims’ Way School we teach our children the importance of respecting others and self-discipline. We want individual children to develop their self-esteem and confidence in an ordered and safe environment.

How do our children know the behaviour we expect of them?

 We have clearly stated expectations for our pupils. 

How do we encourage appropriate behaviour?

We know that the most important strategy in teaching children

how to behave, is to be positive with them and through this a positive school ethos is created.

The teacher will discuss with the class the purpose of rules, expectations, self-esteem, rights and responsibilities to form a foundation for the development of rules. These rules may change as the year progresses and the behavioural expectations made of the children change. Setting rules and high expectations will establish positive conditions for learning which will enable pupils to attain their potential. 

Rules will be positive!

The teacher and support staff will refer to these rules when discussing good or poor behaviour and applying rewards and sanctions. It is important that the children are involved in setting up these rules as this will encourage ownership and support for them.

Examples of positive rules could be:

In this class we keep our hands and feet to ourselves.

In this class we listen well.

In this class we line up and walk quietly.

In this class we help each other to be kind and thoughtful. 

Encouraging Appropriate Behaviour 

Rewards

A reward system acts as a positive reinforcement of the good behaviour. We use lots of praise both for the individual, groups and classes as a whole. We always encourage good behaviour and work by praising good behaviour rather than criticising unacceptable behaviour.

In practice this means a member of staff will often encourage all children to act in an appropriate way by praising those who are already behaving in that way. The praise takes the form of the member of staff directing other children’s attention to those whose behaviour is acting as a model for the others. The praise is often accompanied by a reward for the child, group or class.

House Points

A house point system is in place, pupils are awarded house points for a number of different reasons eg good work, good behaviour, being kind/considerate, helping other children. Records are kept in the classroom and collected each week by the house captains from year 6. A cup is presented each Friday for the House of the Week.

 

Stickers, smiley faces, stars or cards are used to reward children and encourage good behaviour and academic effort. Teachers use these positively – once given, rewards will NOT be removed subsequently for unacceptable behaviour.

 ( Individual teachers are encouraged to establish their own individual system of rewards to supplement the whole-school policy. These rewards can be as simple as a smile of encouragement or `thumbs up`, as well as visual records e.g. ticks and stars) 

Ks1 and KS2 achievement assemblies

Certificates are presented each week to 2 children nominated by their class teacher at a weekly assembly.  During assembly, one class are also chosen for the ‘class of the week’ certificate.

Circle Time activities

 All classes will take part in weekly PHSE activities which includes “Circle Time” . Circle Time activities are designed to help children develop skills in listening and effective communication, as well as raising self-esteem, confidence, self-assurance and respect for all including Fundamental British Values.

A set of Pilgrims’ Way Values are used throughout the year on a Monday assembly. 

Expected playground behaviour.

  1. We play together and choose games which don’t hurt others
  2. We let other children got on with their own games
  3. When the bell is rung we stop and listen
  4. We show respect to all grown ups by listening to them when they are speaking
  1. We always put our rubbish in the bin

Behaviour and the Curriculum

 We teach children strategies to help them avoid conflict with each other. We also talk to them about avoiding problem situations and being aware of their own body language and verbal comments that might provoke an incident. In discussing these issues, we aim to raise individual self-esteem and empower children to deal effectively with situations that arise.

Children are shown ways of dealing with conflict situations. These include the following:

  1. Speaking to a teacher or member of staff for guidance and support
  2. Speaking to a play leader to help sort out differences
  3. Walking away and reporting the conflict rather than getting involved

Discouraging Inappropriate Behaviour

Playtimes and Lunchtimes

Children behaving inappropriately at these times will be asked to either stand beside a member of staff who is on duty, or stand at the wall for 5 – 10 minutes. Should the behaviour not improve, the class teacher must be informed and class sanctions can be started. 

Classes

Each class should have a set of 5 sanctions. Each time a child breaks a class rule, they move on to the next sanction. Each sanction aims to give the child a framework of opportunity to choose more appropriate behaviour rather than moving on to the next sanction.

 Before children start on the first sanction, they are asked not to continue doing whatever they are doing. This is accompanied by a clear explanation of what the teacher wants them to do.

If the child continues with the inappropriate behaviour, they are given a

reminder of why the behaviour is unacceptable and again what the teacher wants them to do.

Should the inappropriate behaviour continue, there are sanctions which class teachers should select from the list below. Class teachers should also make it clear to the pupils what these sanctions are.

The class teacher will also decide when it is necessary to inform the child’s parents.

The early years policy outlines the approach taken in nursery and reception

 

Warning: Children have their name entered on the white board – children will be made aware of the reason for why this has happened.
Missed playtime for five minutes
Missed playtime for ten minutes
Sent to another class for a specified length of time. An accompanying slip should be sent – see appendix one. Slips should be returned to the class teacher for their records. AHT to monitor behaviour slips at the end of each term. In KS1 the maximum time should be 10 minutes
Sent to the HT or AHT
Parents informed – the class teacher should decide at what point parents should be informed about the behaviour which has given cause for concern Subsequent monitoring arrangements may be set up eg informal reporting / target setting / referral for additional support, the outcome will be determined by the frequency and nature of the behaviour.

This list of sanctions provides the least intrusive and non confrontational way of dealing with inappropriate behaviour.  It gives many opportunities to amend inappropriate behaviour and constant guidance on how to behave appropriately.

Outcomes of these sanctions can be:

  1. A behaviour book set up that goes home with the child every night – it includes positive comments but can report on problems in behaviour.  Teachers must make sure that this book is completed regularly and contact parents quickly if it is not brought back to school.
  2. The child is put ‘on report’, where a report card is completed morning and afternoon and sent to the head teacher/deputy headteacher.  This report card focuses on the target behaviours which have been judged as causing the problem.
  3. A ‘behaviour contract’, agreed by the teacher, head teacher, child and parent, focusing on the problem behaviour.  Should this behaviour continue, then exclusion will be the next step.

The rewards element of the behaviour policy highlights the value placed on appropriate behaviour.

Sanctions are intended for individual pupils, at times there may be more than one person involved but classes should not be sanctioned because of the behaviour of an individual or group of children.

More Serious Behaviour

This is where children who have displayed certain behaviours do not go through the above processes but are referred straight to the head teacher or deputy.  These behaviours are as follows:

Children who cause severe physical / verbal / psychological harm to others. This includes:

 Bullying – see also Bullying Policy

Any violent action, including verbal, racist or homophobic threats.  Using abusive language directed at another pupil

Any violent action, including verbal / racist threats and abusive

language, directed at a member of staff

  • Stealing
  • Using any object as a weapon

 

In these instances, each case is judged individually and may result in any of the following:

 

  1. Missed playtimes
  2. Racist or homophobic abuse is recorded and reported to governors
  3.  Parents informed of the inappropriate behaviour and asked to   

        discuss their child’s behaviour with the head teacher.

  1. Internal exclusion – this involves being removed from class for

        either a session, ½ a day or a full day. During this time, the child

        completes a range of work in another class. Parents are informed

       that the child has been internally excluded.

  1. External exclusion 

Framework for Intervention

 Support for behaviour is accessed through a range of resources in the school:

  1. Informal advice from a friend/colleague
  2. Learning mentor

3.SENCO

  1. Leadership team
  2. Educational Psychologist
  3. Other external agencies

Exclusion from School

In extreme cases, the Head teacher has the right to exclude a child from school.

This can either be a temporary exclusion for half a day to a few days, or, in exceptional circumstances, it may be permanent exclusion.

The decision is entirely at the discretion of the head teacher.

Temporary exclusion from school is currently no more than 45 days a year.The Governing Body has appointed a disciplinary Committee to review

Exclusions of more than five days .

Lunchtime Exclusion 

It is at the discretion of the head teacher to ban a child from school at lunchtime.

In the very rare circumstances of the head teacher permanently excluding a child, the decision will be referred to the Governing Body for ratification. The Governing Body Disciplinary Panel will then meet to consider the decision. Parents have the right of appeal and will be fully informed of the procedures should such circumstances arise.

Updated May 2017

Appendix One – Slips to be completed when sending a child to another class

Pupil name  

 

 Class  
Time

Date

  

 

 

 Sent to  
Reason  

 

 

 

 

 

 Please Keep child for 10 minutes:

 

Keep child until end of lesson:

 

 

 

Pupil name  

 

 Class  
Time

Date

  

 

 

 Sent to  
Reason  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Please Keep child for 10 minutes:

 

Keep child until end of lesson: