Allensbank Primary School

Behaviour Policy

Mission Statement

Allensbank Primary School is a happy and welcoming school that is committed to providing a friendly, safe and nurturing learning environment for all.

The school fosters respect, celebrates diversity and actively promotes high standards for all.

Vision Statement

At Allensbank Primary School everyone works together to ensure that

• We lay the foundation for a love of learning through being committed to high quality provision which enables the development of skills for the future.

• We have high expectations of ourselves and achieve our full potential through a supportive, nurturing ethos.

• We have a safe, secure environment to learn in and we take pride in the appearance of both the indoor and outdoor learning environment.

• Pupils take responsibility for their own learning, working towards individual targets and celebrating their achievements.

• We show respect and consideration for others within our diverse school community and nurture positive partnerships with parents, carers and the wider community.

• We promote personal growth by actively encouraging relationships based on honesty, trust and respect.

• We have pride and confidence in ourselves as individuals and feel valued within our school.

• We recognise the importance of regular attendance which enables all pupils to achieve high standards.

Introduction & Aims

It is a primary aim of our school that every member of the school community feels valued and respected, and that each person is treated fairly and well. We are a caring community, whose values are built on mutual trust and respect for all. Our school Positive Behaviour Management Policy is therefore designed to support the way in which all members of our school community can live and work together in a supportive way. It aims to promote an environment where everyone feels happy, safe and secure. The policy also aims to help children to become positive and responsible and increasingly independent members of the school community.

The behaviour policy emphasis is on positive behaviour with all staff actively looking for the good things going on in the school and ‘catching a child being good’ a key part of the policy. The policy is designed to promote good relationships, so that all members of the school community can work together with the common purpose of helping everyone to learn and to get the most out of their time at Allensbank.

The school rewards good, positive behaviour in order to develop an ethos of kindness and co-operation and one which helps to build confidence and self esteem in all children. There are clear expectations that every member of the school community behaves in a considerate way towards others.

Policy aims

• To provide clear ways of how to deal with behaviour as a whole school

• To promote calmness

• To promote justice

• To lead to more acceptable behaviour, a positive ethos and a less stressful working environment

• To empower staff to deal with unwanted behaviour

• To empower children to own their own behaviour

• To promote an environment where everyone feels happy, safe and secure

School Behaviour Plan

The school behaviour plan consists of three strands

• Rules

• Rewards

• Consequences

Rules

To ensure consistency across and throughout the school, the school has opted for four rules which are in place in all areas of the school site, including dining hall, playground, classrooms, corridors, library etc.

The rules are:

1. We always listen to and follow instructions straightaway

2. We always keep hands, feet and unkind words to ourselves

3. We always look after our school and belongings

4. We are always thoughtful and respectful to others

Rules provide clearly defined parameters of what is and is not acceptable behaviour. By being consistently enforced by all staff all children within Allensbank will have clear expectations of what is required of them.

Rules are regularly referred to and discussed with all children to ensure they have clear understandings of the rules and that they understand the importance of the rules and the need to abide by them.

The rules help to support the values we try to actively promote in Allensbank Primary School. These include:

• telling the truth at all times

• keeping promises, no matter how small

• showing consideration for others

• being polite and courteous e.g. by opening doors or carrying things for other people

• communicating politely with other people

• self-discipline - taking responsibility for one’s own actions

• looking after and taking pride in our school

• promoting the good reputation of our school by always behaving well when representing the school on or off-site

• to respect and show empathy for others. To treat others how we would like to be treated

Rewards

Rewards are a key part of the classroom behaviour plan. For many children verbal praise and positive attention and interaction with staff is sufficiently rewarding, for others more powerful rewards are needed to help them learn to behave properly, although all children value special rewards such as certificates and golden time.

Allensbank is extremely keen to show all children that they and the positive things they do are valued and that the rewards the children receive are known about at home.

Consistency is a key part of any behaviour policy, with consequences and rules needing to be consistent if good order is to be maintained. Rewards do not require the same level of consistency from year group to year group as it is important the rewards put in place by individual teachers are rewards which the children value. For example stickers usually have a higher value to a reception child compared to a year six child. The effective teacher will have negotiated a range of rewards which their class value and are eager to earn.

Rewards include:

• Verbal praise – this is by far the most effective reward a child can receive and all staff strive to embed regular positive feedback to all children on a daily basis.

• Non-verbal praise – e.g. smiles, thumbs up etc. Again this positive interaction is embedded in classroom practice and helps to develop children’s self worth and confidence.

• Tangible rewards – stickers, stars, raffle tickets, merit points, these can be given for anything positive a child does and is all about the staff trying to ’catch a child being good’. Sometimes rewards are related to a specific area e.g. resilience.

• Proud to present – Is a system whereby each child sets themselves three targets and regularly reviews their progress in relation to these targets. Each time a target is achieved the child earns a star. Collecting enough stars can earn the child bronze, silver and gold certificates.

• Certificates are presented to children for a number of reasons e.g. pupil of the week, proud to present, outstanding piece of work etc. Certificates are usually presented every Friday in a ‘Celebrations’ assembly.

• ‘Golden time’ – This is a short period of time (usually Friday afternoon) when the class have earned an enjoyable structured activity for all their good efforts throughout the week.

• Referral – A child might be sent to another member of staff for further praise and encouragement and possibly a small tangible reward e.g. sticker or quick note.

• Attendance awards – The class with the highest attendance for the week receive the attendance shield which takes pride of place in their classroom and an extra 5 minutes of play on Friday. Children with excellent attendance records also receive individual rewards e.g. stickers and certificates.

Allensbank also tries to acknowledge all the efforts and achievements of children outside of school, for example achievements in music or sport will be celebrated in assemblies or the child sent to senior teachers to receive further praise.

Consequences

In years 1-6 consequences are dealt with via the ‘Good to be Green’ system. This is a tiered system which needs to be consistently applied by all staff.

Good to be Green is a discipline system that provides an effective way of promoting positive behaviour in a consistent and fair way.

If rules are broken with Good to be Green, the following system is applied. (Also see flow diagram)

1. Child misbehaves…..Staff will give the child a reminder. Reminders can be a verbal or non-verbal interaction, pointing towards the rules or the good to be green board.

2. Misbehaviour continues … the child have their green card replaced by the orange card. The child is aware that they have received their first warning.

3. The child misbehaves again …. Another reminder issued ….. child misbehaves

and the orange card is replaced with the yellow card. The child moves seats.

4. The child misbehaves again …. Another reminder issued ….. child misbehaves and the yellow card is replaced with the blue card (Miss 5 minutes of play/golden time). This stage is recorded on the good to be green record sheet.

4. The child misbehaves again …. Another reminder is issued … child misbehaves and the blue card is replaced with the purple card (10 minute chill zone). The child needs to go to the quiet area of the classroom or is directed to another classroom to have the opportunity to calm down. This stage is also recorded on the record sheet. The 10 minutes is discretionary and time will depend on whether the child is deemed calm and able to reintegrate.

4. The child reintegrates into the class, but continues to misbehave ….. Reminder issued …. Child continues to misbehave and the purple card is replaced with a red card (child is removed from the room and dealt with by another member of staff).

FAST TRACK - For extreme, dangerous or potentially dangerous behaviour Allensbank operate a ‘fast track’ system, whereby the child will be removed from the classroom as soon as possible and sent to the Headteacher or Deputy Head.

Reminders – At each stage a reminder has to be issued before a card is changed on the Good to be Green board. To ensure the flow of the lesson isn’t constantly interrupted and to reduce negative interaction between staff and children reminders do not always need to be verbal in nature.

The children in the teacher’s care should be made well aware of the teacher’s expectations and know when they are misbehaving; they also know what the teachers non-verbal reminders look like e.g. putting a finger to your lips for silence or pointing to the class rules. The children in each class should be aware that these non-verbal interactions can be classed as reminders.

Some children may need the explicit act of a verbal reminder to understand what is expected of them and/or at which stage of the good to be green they are at.

Each class may have some children who are issued two reminders per stage due to a medical condition e.g. ADHD.

Teachers have the right to speak to children at break time or lunch time if they feel behaviour or another concern arises. This is not a punitive measure but an opportunity for an adult to discuss their concerns with a child.

For consistent poor behaviour or behaviour which is considered more serious e.g. swearing or aggressive behaviour teachers can complete a referral slip (yellow slip). A referral is made when they feel that a senior colleague needs to deal with a child. A quiet talk may be all that is needed or a consequence such as ringing parents, detention, time out or exclusion.

The playground

For some children the less structured environment that break and lunchtime provide can be a difficult time to abide by the school rules.

We wish to train the children to:

• Respect their surroundings and the equipment that is provided for them to play with

• Play sensibly in the playground and not to play any ‘rough’ games that might lead to injury

• Respect the other children and for them not to interfere or ruin others activities

• Take pride in their school and not to drop litter at playtimes

Consequences for poor behaviour include:

• A verbal reprimand from a member of staff

• Asking the child to stand against the wall for part of playtime or break or being restricted to an area near the duty member of staff

• Kept in under supervision for part of the next playtime

• Parents informed and involved and a strategy for improvement e.g. playtime chart set up

The school will use the ‘Green Card Code’ system for positive behaviour management at lunchtimes. Each lunch time staff are issued with a fixed number of green cards which they have to give out for good behaviour and a fixed number of red card which are issued only if poor behaviour warrants it. Children collect green cards for individual and group rewards. Red cards act as a record for poor behaviour and link in with the above consequences.

In the morning children are expected to stand in their class line in the playground and staff will collect them promptly at 8.55. Children will quietly enter the school and prepare themselves for the day ahead.

At the end of morning break and lunchtime a bell will be rung, this is to make the children stand still. When a second bell is rung, children will quickly gather in their class lines. Teachers will promptly collect their children at 11.00 from morning break and 1.00 infants and 1.10 juniors at lunchtime. Afternoon play is for infants only and ends at 2.30 and bells are used as in the morning break.

The role of the class teacher

It is the responsibility of the class teacher to ensure that the school rules are enforced in their class, and that their class behaves in a responsible manner during lesson time.

The class teachers in our school have high expectations of the children in terms of behaviour, and they strive to ensure that all children work to the best of their ability.

The class teacher treats each child fairly and enforces the classroom code consistently. They are expected to:

1. Treat all children with respect and understanding

2. Show patience and consideration

3. Disapprove of the child’s behaviour, not the child

4. Listen to the children and be approachable

5. Avoid humiliation and sarcasm

6. Cater for individual needs by setting enjoyable and relevant tasks

7. Differentiate work so that all children have a chance of achieving success

If a child misbehaves repeatedly in class, the class teacher keeps a record of such incidents. In the first instance, the class teacher deals with incidents him/herself in the normal manner. However, if misbehaviour continues, the class teacher seeks help and advice from the head teacher and/or the deputy head teacher.

The SENCo and/or class teacher liaises with external agencies, as necessary, to support and guide the progress of each child. The SENCo and/or class teacher may, for example, discuss the needs of a child with a social worker or LEA behaviour support service.

The class teacher reports to parents about the progress of each child in their class, in line with the whole–school policy. The class teacher may also contact a parent if there are concerns about the behaviour or welfare of a child, after consultation with the head teacher or other member of the SLT.

All school staff adhere to the following strategies:

1. Rules should be prominently displayed in each classroom.

2. Staff are asked to draw pupils’ attention regularly to our rules and emphasize their importance.

3. Staff have clear expectations of academic and behaviour targets and agreed rewards and consequences.

4. Staff ensure that pupils are clear that they are responsible for their actions no matter that ‘she started it’, ‘I’m tired’ etc.

5. Staff are consistent in their approach and to handle disruptions with a response that includes no emotion and not too much talking. Staff use non aggressive body language and to offer the child an escape hatch to calm down.

6. Staff use assertiveness as opposed to aggressiveness and deal with children in a respectful way.

7. Staff create a culture of praise that focuses on what children do well.

8. Consequences used, should be seen to be fair and in line with the seriousness of the offence.

9. Staff aim to develop respect and positive relationships and act as positive role models

We listen to those:

• We like and respect

• We like and respect those with whom we can identify or identify with us

• We pay attention and act on the advice of those who we trust and believe in

The role of the headteacher

It is the responsibility of the head teacher, under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, to implement the school behaviour policy consistently throughout the school, and to report to governors, when requested, on the effectiveness of the policy. It is also the responsibility of the head teacher to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all children in the school.

The head teacher supports the staff by implementing the policy, by setting the standards of behaviour, and by supporting staff in the implementation of the policy.

The head teacher keeps records of all reported serious incidents of misbehaviour.

The head teacher has the responsibility for giving fixed-term suspensions to individual children for serious acts of misbehaviour. For repeated or very serious acts of anti-social behaviour, the head teacher (or the acting head teacher) may permanently exclude a child. The school governors would be notified of such exclusions.

The role of parents

The school works collaboratively with parents, so children receive consistent messages about how to behave at home and at school.

We explain the school rules in the school prospectus, and we expect parents to read these and support them.

We expect parents to support their child’s learning, and to co-operate with the school, as set out in the home–school agreement. We try to build a supportive dialogue between the home and the school, and we inform parents immediately if we have concerns about their child’s welfare or behaviour.

If the school has to use reasonable sanctions to punish a child, parents should support the actions of the school. If parents have any concern about the way that their child has been treated, they should initially contact the class teacher. If the concern remains, they should contact the headteacher and, subsequently, the school governors. If these discussions cannot resolve the problem, a formal grievance or appeal process can be implemented.

The role of governors

The governing body has the responsibility of setting down these general guidelines on standards of discipline and behaviour, and of reviewing their effectiveness. The governors support the head teacher in carrying out these guidelines.

The head teacher has the day-to-day authority to implement the school behaviour and discipline policy, but governors may give advice to the head teacher about particular disciplinary issues. The head teacher must take this into account when making decisions about matters of behaviour.

Fixed-term and permanent exclusions

Only the head teacher (or the acting head teacher) has the power to exclude a pupil from school. The head teacher may exclude a pupil for one or more fixed periods, for up to 45 days in any one school year. The head teacher may also exclude a pupil permanently. It is also possible for the head teacher to convert a fixed-term exclusion into a permanent exclusion, if the circumstances warrant this.

If the head teacher excludes a pupil, parents are informed immediately, giving reasons for the exclusion. At the same time, the head teacher makes it clear to the parents that they can, if they wish, appeal against the decision to the governing body. The school informs the parents how to make any such appeal.

The head teacher informs the LA and the governing body about any permanent exclusion, and about any fixed-term exclusions beyond five days in any one term.

The governing body itself cannot either exclude a pupil or extend the exclusion period made by the head teacher.

The governing body has a discipline committee which is made up of between three and five members. This committee considers any exclusion appeals on behalf of the governors.

When an appeals panel meets to consider an exclusion, they consider the circumstances in which the pupil was excluded, consider any representation by parents and the LA, and consider whether the pupil should be reinstated.

If the governors’ appeals panel decides that a pupil should be reinstated, the head teacher must comply with this ruling.

The head teacher reserves the right to exclude any child when the exclusion is deemed necessary, as failure to do so would undermine the running of the school.